PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 15-1398 Released: December 9, 2015 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU EXTENDS PERIOD TO FILE COMMENTS AND REPLY COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC NOTICE ON AN APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE PROTECTED CONTOURS FOR GRANDFATHERED 3650-3700 MHZ BAND LICENSEES GN Docket No. 12-354 Comment Date: December 28, 2015 Reply Comment Date: January 12, 2015 By this Public Notice, we extend the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in response to the Public Notice released on October 23, 2015 in the above-captioned proceeding. 1 Interested parties will now have until December 28, 2015 to file comments and until January 12, 2016 to file reply comments. On December 7, 2015, the Wireless Innovation Forum (WinnForum) filed a request to extend the comment and reply comment deadline for the 3650-3700 MHz Band Protection Contours Public Notice from December 10, 2015 until December 28, 2015 for comments and from December 28, 2015 to January 12, 2016 for reply comments. 2 The WinnForum Request states that the forum’s Spectrum Sharing Committee established a Task Group, comprised of both Part 90 incumbent licensees and potential Part 96 entities, to address the questions raised in the 3650 MHz Band Protection Contours Public Notice. 3 WinnForum explains that the Task Group has reached general agreement on specific aspects for Part 90 protections but they will not be able to ballot comments prior to the comment filing deadline. 4 WinnForum asserts that it will be beneficial to all interested parties to include their comments on the record, as they represent consensus views of the majority of incumbents and the future Part 96 users that will operate in the 3650-3700 MHz band. 5 1 Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on an Appropriate Method for Determining the Protected Contours for Grandfathered 3650-3700 MHz Band, GN Docket No. 12-354, Public Notice, DA 15-1208 (rel. Oct. 23, 2015) (3650-3700 MHz Band Protection Contours Public Notice). 2 Wireless Innovation Forum Request for Extension of Time For Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines, GN Docket No. 12-354 (filed Dec. 7, 2015) at 1 (WinnForum Request). 3 Id. 4 Id. 5 Id. As set forth in section 1.46(a) of the Commission’s rules, “it is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time shall not be routinely granted.” 6 However, in this case, we believe it is in the public interest to grant an extension to promote industry collaboration and allow parties to fully address the complicated issues raised in the 3650-3700 MHz Band Protection Contours Public Notice. The 3650- 3700 MHz Band Protection Contours Public seeks comment on a proposed methodology to determine the protection contours that will be used to protect grandfathered 3650-3700 MHz Wireless Broadband Service licensees from harmful interference from future Citizens Broadband Radio Service users during the transition period set forth in the Commission’s rules. 7 According to WinnForum, a short extension of the comment deadlines will allow the group to finalize a submission that will represent the consensus view of a significant number of existing and future users of the 3650-3700 MHz band. 8 We believe that it is in the public interest to ensure that the Commission obtains a complete and thorough record on the issues raised in the 3650-3700 MHz Band Protection Contours Public Notice and to encourage industry consensus on these matters. In addition, we believe that a limited extension of the comment and reply comment deadlines will not negatively affect existing operators or delay the deployment of new systems in the 3650-3700 MHz band. For these reasons, we grant WinnForum’s request for a limited extension of the comment and reply comment submission deadlines. Accordingly, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 154(i), and Section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, and the authority delegated in Sections 0.131 and 0.331 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.131, 0.331, and 1.46 WE EXTEND the deadline for filing comments and replies in this proceeding as set forth in the dates section of this Public Notice. For further information, contact Paul Powell, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418-1613, or by e-mail at Paul.Powell@fcc.gov or Stephen Buenzow, Broadband Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (717) 338-2647, or by e-mail at Stephen.Buenzow@fcc.gov. Action by Roger S. Noel, Chief, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. -FCC- 6 47 C.F.R. § 1.46(a). 7 See 47 C.F.R. §§ 90.1338, 96.21. 8 See WinnForum Request at 1.