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 15-483 April 23, 2015 PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU APPROVES RECOMMENDED NATIONWIDE CHANNELS FOR DEPLOYABLE TRUNKED SYSTEMS IN THE 700 MHZ NARROWBAND PUBLIC SAFETY BAND PS Docket No. 13-87 and WT Docket No. 02-378 By this Public Notice, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) approves a recommended set of six channels for use nationwide by 700 MHz deployable trunked systems. This channel set was recommended by the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and the National Regional Planning Council. 1 Former Reserve Channels On October 17, 2014, the Commission adopted a Report and Order which released the twenty- four narrowband reserve channels (12.5 kHz bandwidth) to the General Use category under the administration of the 700 MHz Regional Planning Committees (RPCs) for the benefit of state and local public safety licensees. 2 In its Report and Order, the Commission authorized the RPCs to assign up to eight 12.5 kHz former reserve channels for deployable trunked systems. 3 The only exception being that it directed RPCs to offer priority access to all twenty-four former reserve channels to public safety incumbents relocating from the T-Band. 4 The Commission also encouraged NPSTC and the NRPC to identify a discrete set of former reserve channels to support deployable trunked systems on a nationwide basis which could be 1 See Letter to David G. Simpson, Rear Admiral (ret.), Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, from Ralph Haller, Chair, National Public Safety Telecommunications Council and William J. Carter, Chair, National Regional Planning Council re PS Docket 13-87 and WT Docket 02-378 (dated Feb. 13, 2015) (NPSTC/NRPC Letter). 2 Proposed Amendments to the Service Rules Governing Public Safety Narrowband Operations in the 769-775/799- 805 MHz Bands, PS Docket No. 13-87, PS Docket No. 06-229, WT Docket No. 96-86, RM-11433, RM-11577, Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 13283, 13297 ¶ 39 (2014) (Report and Order). See also 47 C.F.R. § 90.531(b)(2). 3 Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 13299 at ¶ 46. 4 Id. at 13298 ¶ 43. The T-Band refers to the 470-512 MHz band. See Subpart L of Part 90 of the Commission’s rules. incorporated into regional plans. 5 It gave NPSTC and NRPC three months from the publication of the Report and Order in the Federal Register (i.e. until March 2, 2015) to complete their recommendation. 6 NPSTC and NRPC Recommended Channels for Deployable Trunked Systems On February 13, 2015, NPSTC and the NRPC recommended a set of six former reserve channels (12.5 kHz bandwidth) to be allocated nationwide for 700 MHz deployable systems. The NPSTC/NRPC recommended channels are listed below: Deployable Trunked Channel Channel Number 12.5 kHz Center Frequency Separation from Lower- Adjacent Deployable Trunked Channel (kHz) A 37-38 769.23125 N/A B 61-62 769.38125 150 C 117-118 769.73125 350 D 141-142 769.88125 150 E 883-884 774.51875 7 4500 F 939-940 774.86875 8 350 On March 3, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau issued a Public Notice seeking comment on the recommended channels. 9 On April 2, 2015, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. filed comments urging approval of the NPSTC/NRPC recommended channels. 10 Accordingly, we hereby approve the recommended channels as set forth above. RPCs may now incorporate these channels into their plans for deployable trunked systems provided any region with a T- Band market must give priority to these channels, in that market, to any public safety T-band incumbent seeking to relocate from the T-band. 11 5 Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 13299 at ¶ 46. 6 Id. 7 NPSTC and NRPC recommend this channel as the primary control channel (CC-P). 8 NPSTC and NRPC recommend this channel as the alternate control channel (CC-A). 9 See Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Seeks Comment on Recommended Nationwide Channels for Deployable Trunked Systems in the 700 MHz Narrowband Public Safety Band, Public Notice, PS Docket No. 13-87 and WT Docket 02-378, DA 15-278 (PSHSB rel. Mar. 3, 2015). 10 See Comments of Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, Inc. (Apr. 2, 2015). 11 Regional Planning Committees must file plan amendments to reflect the revised 700 MHz narrowband segment no later than October 30, 2015. See Proposed Amendments to the Service Rules Governing Public Safety Narrowband Operations in the 769-775/799-805 MHz Bands, et al, PS Docket 13-87, PS Docket 06-229, WT Docket 96-86, RM 11433 and RM 11577, Order, DA 15-476 (PSHSB rel. Apr. 20, 2015). For further information, contact John A. Evanoff, Attorney-Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at (202) 418-0848, or via email to john.evanoff@fcc.gov. Action by the Deputy Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. – FCC –