Federal Communications Commission	DA 18-900


DA 18-900
Released:  August 30, 2018

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF NEW PROCEDURE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES TO LICENSE MOBILE AND PORTABLE UNITS ON FEDERAL INTEROPERABILITY CHANNELS

New Section 90.25 effective on August 29, 2018

By this Public Notice, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) announces that Federal Communications Commission (Commission) rule Section 90.25 47 CFR § 90.25.
 which codifies a new procedure for public safety entities to license mobile and portable radios on the federal interoperability channels became effective on August 29, 2018.  

On March 22, 2018, the Bureau and the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) released an Order which amended the Commission’s rules to conform to a new streamlined procedure for non-federal public safety entities to license and use the forty channels that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) designates for interoperability. Amendment of Parts 2 and 90 of the Commission’s Rules to Codify New Procedure for Non-Federal Public Safety Entities to License Federal Interoperability Channels, Order, DA 18-282 (PSHSB, OET Mar. 22, 2018) (Fed Interop Order).
  The Bureau and OET made several rule changes in the Order including adopting new Section 90.25 which lists the federal interoperability channels to which the new streamlining process applies. 46 CFR § 90.25. 
  

Pursuant to Section 90.25, an applicant seeking to license mobile or portable radios on any of the federal interoperability channels must include a concurrence letter from its Statewide Interoperability Coordinator (SWIC) or state appointed official with its application. Id.
  The requirement for applicants to obtain written concurrence from its SWIC or state appointed official and include that concurrence with its application constitutes a new information collection subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-13. Fed Interop Order, para 8.
  

The Bureau may now accept and grant applications for the federal interoperability channels filed in accordance with the procedure described in Section 90.25.  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number for the information collection requirement detailed in Section 90.25 is 3060-1257.

The Bureau and OET indicated that Section 90.25 would become effective only after OMB review and approval, and on the effective date specified in a notice the Commission will publish in the Federal Register announcing such approval and effective date. Id., para 11. 


The Bureau received OMB approval for the new collection specified in Section 90.25 on August 13, 2018.  It published an announcement of that OMB approval in the Federal Register on August 29, 2018.

Consequently, Section 90.25 is now effective.  The Bureau may grant applications for the federal interoperability channels from eligible public safety entities that include a concurrence letter from their SWIC or state appointed official with their application. 

For further information, contact Brian Marenco at 202-418-0838 or Brian.Marenco@fcc.gov or Roberto Mussenden at (202) 418-1428 or Roberto.Mussenden@fcc.gov.

–  FCC  –

  

       

2