Federal Communications Commission DA 22-821 DA 22-821 Released: August 04, 2022 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU AND OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY APPROVE SPECTRUM ACCESS SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR SONY, INC. FOR FULL SCALE COMMERCIAL DEPLOYMENT IN THE 3.5 GHZ 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) certify Sony, Inc. (Sony) to operate as a Spectrum Access System (SAS) Administrator in the 3.5 GHz band (3550-3700 MHz) in American Samoa. See 47 C.F.R. 96.63(e). 2. On January 27, 2020, WTB and OET approved four SAS Administrators, including Sony, for full scale commercial deployment in the 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, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 117 (2020 WTB/OET) (SAS Certification Public Notice) (contains procedural history of SAS approval process). Each SAS Administrator, including Sony, 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 April 26, 2021, after close consultation with the Department of Defense (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. Id. 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. 4. On August 13, 2021, Sony filed its Notification to operate as a SAS Administrator across the entire 3.5 GHz band in American Samoa. Letter from James Morgan, Director and Counsel, Sony Electronics, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, GN Docket No. 15-319 (filed Aug. 13, 2021) (Notification). In its Notification, Sony agreed 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. Id. Sony further agreed to comply with all obligations set forth in the SAS Certification Public Notice and the Part 96 rules. Id. 5. WTB/OET, in consultation with DOD and NTIA, reviewed the information contained in Sony’s Notification, SAS proposal, and supplemental filings submitted in GN Docket No. 15-319. Based on that review, we approve Sony for commercial operation in the 3550-3700 MHz band in American Samoa for a five-year term The five year term runs from when Sony 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. 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