Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 January 5, 2012 DA 12-10 Kenton Sturdevant Vice President Land Mobile Communications Council 8484 West Park Drive Suite 630 McLean, Virginia 22102 Dear Mr. Sturdevant: On February 14, 2011, you wrote to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (collectively, the Bureaus) on behalf of the Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) concerning non-standard frequency pairs in the 450-470 MHz band.1 In your letter, LMCC proposes that the Bureaus accept applications, under certain conditions, from applicants seeking two channels of 4 kHz occupied bandwidth with their center frequencies offset by 3.125 kHz above and below the center frequency of a designated 12.5 kHz frequency,2 so that the entire occupied bandwidth of the two 4 kHz channels is within the pass band of the designated 12.5 kHz frequency’s 11.25 kHz authorized channel bandwidth. The LMCC asserts that “FCC formal recognition and approval” of the procedures “will support technical innovation, contribute to narrowbanding objectives, and promote spectrum efficiency.”3 We reiterate the specific procedures and conditions here: · Non-standard frequency pairs are defined as 6.25 kHz digital frequencies with 4K00F1E, 4K00F1D, 4K00F2D and 4K00F7W emission designations that are offset by 3.125 kHz from designated 12.5 kHz channel centers within the 450-470 MHz band listed within FCC Rule Sections 90.20 and 90.35; · Licensing applicability is limited to 12.5 kHz (FB8) exclusive use channels certified by frequency advisory committees to be deployed for use by Industrial/Business and Public Safety entities within trunked systems pursuant to FCC Rule Section 90.187; · Frequency advisory committees will certify and submit license applications listing both the 12.5 kHz and non-standard channel centers; and · The FCC will verify or, if necessary, modify ULS [the Universal Licensing System] to ensure that both the 12.5 kHz and non-standard channel centers are reported within ULS and appear on all affected licenses issued by the FCC.4 By this letter, the Bureaus accept LMCC’s procedures and conditions for non-standard frequency pairs as specified herein. We clarify that all rules and limitations that apply to the designated 12.5 kHz 1 Letter from Kenton Sturdevant, President, Land Mobile Communications Council, to Ruth Milkman, Esq., Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and James Arden Barnett, Jr., Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, dated Feb. 14, 2011 (LMCC Letter). 2 Designated 12.5 kHz frequencies or channels generally include all frequencies in the 450-470 MHz band except the 6.25 kHz offset frequencies. In 47 C.F.R. § 90.20(c)(3), 12.5 kHz frequencies do not carry limitation 44, and in 47 C.F.R. § 90.35(b)(3), 12.5 kHz frequencies do not carry limitation 33. Paging only, itinerant, airport terminal use (ATU), MED, central station, railroad primary, and co/adjacent-channel public safety interoperability channels are excluded for the purpose of applications for non-standard frequency pairs. 3 LMCC Letter at 1. 4 Id. Mr. Kenton Sturdevant 2 frequencies also will apply to the non-standard frequency pairs. This channel configuration will be assigned with a mobile “pair” separated by 5 MHz pursuant to Section 90.173(i) of the Commission’s rules.5 The mobile frequencies will carry the MO8 station class code. Although the 12.5 kHz center frequencies would not be used for actual communication in this framework, these frequencies will appear on such licenses for database search and interference protection purposes.6 A licensee of a non-standard frequency pair will have the same interference protection rights as an exclusive licensee of a designated 12.5 kHz frequency with 11.25 kHz authorized bandwidth. In closing, ULS is now ready to accept such applications. Any applications for non-standard frequency pairs that do not meet all the conditions specified herein may be dismissed or returned for improper frequency coordination. If you have any questions, please contact Scot Stone of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418-0638 or Zenji Nakazawa of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at (202) 418- 7949. Sincerely, Roger Noel Thomas J. Beers Chief, Mobility Division Chief, Policy Division Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau 5 47 C.F.R. §90.173(i). For example, center frequency 453.2625 MHz and non-standard frequency pair 453.259375 and 453.265625 MHz for base/mobile operations would be paired with center frequency 458.2625 MHz and non- standard frequency pair 458.259375 and 458.265625 MHz for mobile operations. 6 For the designated 12.5 kHz frequency, applicants should specify “11K3” bandwidth and the same technical parameters (power, transmitter coordinates, antenna height, last three characters of the emission designators) that apply to the non-standard frequency pairs. The individual frequencies in a non-standard frequency pair may not be separated to operate at two different locations, or at a location different from the location authorized for the designated 12.5 kHz frequency. In construction notifications, licensees should list the designated 12.5 kHz frequencies as constructed along with the non-standard frequency pairs.