PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU AND WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ANNOUNCE THE POST-REBANDING AVAILABILITY FOR LICENSING OF ADDITIONAL SPRINT-VACATED, EXPANSION BAND, AND GUARD BAND CHANNELS IN THE 800 MHZ BAND

On April 22, 2021, the Commission adopted an order terminating the 800 MHz rebanding program. Accordingly, by this public notice, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau and the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureaus) announce the post-rebanding availability of 800 MHz channels in all National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee (NPSPAC) regions as follows:

(a) NPSPAC regions in which 800 MHz rebanding is newly complete: Attachment A lists 14 NPSPAC regions in which rebanding has been declared complete by the Termination Order. In these regions, channels in the interleaved segment of the band that have been vacated by Sprint Corporation (Sprint) are now available for licensing to public safety entities and, later, to critical infrastructure entities, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Public Notice. In addition, unoccupied channels in the Expansion Band and Guard Band are available for licensing.

(b) NPSPAC regions in which 800 MHz rebanding was previously declared complete: Attachment B lists NPSPAC regions in which rebanding was declared complete by prior public notice. Although some 800 MHz channels in these regions have previously been made available, this Public Notice announces the availability of the remaining channels vacated by Sprint in these regions for licensing to public safety entities and, later, to critical infrastructure entities.

(c) Counties previously subject to application freeze: Attachment C lists counties in four NPSPAC regions that were subject to a freeze on 800 MHz applications in order to preserve vacant channels for rebanding licensees in the US-Mexico border region. This application freeze is now lifted. As a result, Sprint-vacated channels and Expansion and Guard Band Channels are available in these counties.

Background

In the 800 MHz Report and Order, the Commission ordered 800 MHz rebanding to resolve interference caused by commercial systems to public safety and other non-cellular architecture systems in the band. The Commission provided for the rebanding process to be completed on a region by region basis. The Commission also established rules in the 800 MHz Report and Order requiring enhanced specialized mobile radio (ESMR) and cellular telephone system operators to address and resolve interference their systems caused to public safety and non-cellular licensees in the band.

On March 5, 2021, the 800 MHz Transition Administrator (TA) submitted a notice of program completion noting that, subject to two exceptions, “all activities associated with the 800 MHz relocation have been completed.” On April 22, 2021, the Commission adopted the Termination Order which accepted the TA’s notice of program completion and terminated the rebanding program.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE: PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU AND WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ANNOUNCE THE POST-REBANDING AVAILABILITY FOR LICENSING OF ADDITIONAL SPRINT-VACATED, EXPANSION BAND, AND GUARD BAND CHANNELS IN THE 800 MHZ BAND

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