Federal Communications Commission DA 21-535 DA 21-535 Released: May 7, 2021 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU AND OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY APPROVE SPECTRUM ACCESS SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR FEDERATED WIRELESS FOR FULL SCALE COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT IN THE 3550-3650 MHZ BAND IN AMERICAN SAMOA GN Docket No. 15-319 1. With this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and the Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) (collectively, WTB/OET) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) expand Federated Wireless, Inc.’s (Federated Wireless) certification to operate as a Spectrum Access System (SAS) administrator in American Samoa to include the 3550-3650 MHz band. See 47 C.F.R. 96.63(e). 2. On January 27, 2020, WTB and OET approved four SAS administrators, including Federated Wireless, for full scale commercial deployment in the 3550-3700 MHz band (3.5 GHz band). Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology Approve Four Spectrum Access Administrators for Full Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3.5 GHz Band and Emphasize Licensee Compliance Obligations in the 3650-3700 MHz Band Under Part 96, GN Docket No. 15-319, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 117 (2020 WTB/OET) (SAS Certification Public Notice) (contains procedural history of SAS approval process). WTB and OET subsequently approved two more SAS administrators for commercials operations. See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology Approve Spectrum Access System Administrator Amdocs for Full Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3.5 GHz Band, GN Docket No. 15-319, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 3687 (2020 WTB/OET); see also Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology Approve Spectrum Access System Administrator Key Bridge Wireless for Full Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3.5 GHz Band, GN Docket No. 15-319, Public Notice, DA 21-289 (WTB/OET Mar. 9, 2021). Each SAS administrator, including Federated Wireless, was certified to operate in the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Id. 35 FCC Rcd at 120, para. 5. In the January 27, 2020, Public Notice, WTB and OET noted that if “a SAS operator intends to operate in additional U.S. Territories and Possessions, it must submit a filing in GN Docket No. 15-319 detailing the additional territories that it plans to cover.” Id. Further, these “supplemental filings must include all information necessary for WTB/OET to make a determination regarding the SAS’s ability to provide service to each territory, including terrain maps and associated ESC sensor coverage information (where applicable).” Id. 3. On February 25, 2020, Federated Wireless filed its request to operate as a SAS administrator in American Samoa across the entire 3.5 GHz band. Letter from Jennifer M. McCarthy, Vice President, Legal Advocacy, Federated Wireless, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, GN Docket No. 15-319 (filed Feb. 25, 2020) (American Samoa Request). On March 24, 2020, Federated Wireless filed a Supplement to the request seeking authority to provide service in American Samoa in the 3650-3700 MHz portion of the 3.5 GHz band, which is not used by federal incumbents, pending a determination whether a Dynamic Protection Area (DPA) is necessary to protect federal incumbent operations operating in the surrounding areas in the 3550-3650 MHz portion of the band in American Samoa. Letter from Jennifer M. McCarthy, Vice President, Legal Advocacy, Federated Wireless, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC GN Docket No. 15-319 (filed Mar. 24, 2020) (Supplement). 4. On April 21, 2020, WTB and OET approved Federated Wireless to operate as a SAS administrator in the 3650-3700 MHz Band in American Samoa. See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology Approve Spectrum Access System Administrator Federated Wireless for Ful Scale Commercial Deployment in the 3650-3700 MHz Band in American Samoa, GN Docket No. 15-319, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 3691 (WTB/OET 2020). On April 26, 2021, after close consultation with the DoD, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) filed a letter that described protection criteria for federal operations in and around American Samoa. See Letter from Charles Cooper, Associate Administrator, Office of Spectrum Management, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, to Ronald T. Repasi, Acting Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, FCC, and Joel Taubenblatt, Acting Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC, GN Docket Nos. 17-258 and 15-319 (filed Apr. 26, 2021) (NTIA American Samoa Protection Letter); see also 47 C.F.R. 96.15(a). Instead of employing an Environmental Sensing Capability to protect the DPAs, a scheduling portal will be used. The portal-activated DPAs will be referred to as P-DPAs. NTIA American Samoa Protection Letter at 2. SAS administrators in American Samoa are required to communicate with the portal on a regular basis and protect any P-DPA during scheduled activities. Consistent with the methodology that is used to protect certain federal facilities in the contiguous United States, federal operators may schedule operations in given frequency ranges using the portal. SAS administrators may use the same scheduling portal that is currently used to protect P-DPAs in the contiguous United States to protect federal operations in American Samoa. See SAS Certification Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd at 119, para. 5; see also Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology Establish Procedure and Deadline for Filing Spectrum Access System Initial Commercial Deployment Proposals, GN Docket No. 15-319, Public Notice, 33 FCC Rcd 7390, 7393, para. 7 (WTB/OET 2018). The additional protection requirements for American Samoa will be captured in the Portal DPA KML file (P-DPAS.kml) on NTIA’s website. The 3.5 GHz band KML files used by the SAS operators are available on NTIA’s website: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/fcc-filing/2015/ntia-letter-fcc-commercial-operations-3550-3650-mhz-band. 5. On April 27, 2021, Federated Wireless filed a Second Supplement to its request, agreeing to immediately implement the P-DPA approach and communicate with the scheduling portal on a regular basis and protect any P-DPA during scheduled activities. Letter from Jennifer M. McCarthy, Vice President, Legal Advocacy, Federated Wireless, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, GN Docket No. 15-319 (filed Apr. 27, 2021) (Second Supplement). Federated Wireless is approved to provide service consistent with the methodology described in NTIA’s American Samoa Protection Letter in the 3550-3650 MHz band in American Samoa for the remainder of its five-year term The five year term runs from when Federated was certified as a SAS administrator on January 27, 2020. See SAS Certification Public Notice. subject to ongoing compliance with the Commission’s rules and instructions, as described in the SAS Certification Public Notice. See NTIA American Samoa Protection Letter; see also SAS Certification Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd at 118-120, para. 5. By the Acting Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Acting Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology. -FCC- 2