47 CFR Chapter I, Subchapter C - BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Ocean State Television, LLC (Petitioner or OST), licensee of television station WPXQ-TV, channel 17, Block Island, Rhode Island (WPXQ). WPXQ operates on channel 17 on a shared basis with commercial television station WLWC, New Bedford, Massachusetts, also licensed to OST. OST requests an amendment of the DTV Table of Allotments to delete channel 17 at Block Island, Rhode Island, and substitute channel 17 at Newport, Rhode Island. Petitioner also requests modification of WPXQ's license to specify Newport as its community of license pursuant to agency rules. The Petitioner asserts that substantial public interests weigh heavily in favor of reallocating WPXQ to Newport. Newport has a population of 24,027 while Block Island's population consists of approximately 1,000. Petitioner asserts that the proposed reallotment will cause no public harm because Block Island will not only continue to be served by five full-power commercial and one full-power non-commercial television stations, but will also continue to receive the exact same over-the-air service from Petitioner that they are receiving currently. The proposal would result in a preferential allotment by providing Newport with its first local full-power television services in satisfaction of the Commission's second allotment priority, which is also consistent with Commission precedent and consistent with the public interest.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the new information collection associated with the Commission's Promoting Spectrum Access for Wireless Microphone Operations, Order on Reconsideration, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This document is consistent with the Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

In this document, and pursuant to the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless Act (MOBILE NOW Act), the Office of Engineering and Technology and the International and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus (Bureaus) seek comment for an upcoming Commission report that will address the feasibility of allowing commercial wireless services to use or share use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz spectrum band.

At the request of Wind River Broadcasting, Inc., the Audio Division amends the FM Table of Allotments by adding Channel 274C2 at Cora, Wyoming. We find that the public interest would be served by allotting a first local service at Cora, Wyoming. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 274C2 can be added at Cora, Wyoming, as proposed, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules without a site restriction. The reference coordinates are 43-03-24 NL and 110-08-07 WL.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by The Chickasaw Nation, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 247A at Connerville, Oklahoma, as the first local Tribal-owned commercial service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 247A can be allotted to Connerville consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules. The reference coordinates are 34-25-00 NL and 96-43-53 WL with a site restriction of 9.40 km (5.84 miles) southwest of the community.

The International, Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus (Bureaus) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announce a temporary freeze, effective April 19, 2018, on the filing of new or modification applications for fixed-satellite service (FSS) earth station licenses, receive-only earth station registrations, and fixed microwave licenses in the 3.7-4.2 GHz frequency band. As a limited exception to the freeze, the International Bureau concurrently opens a 90-day window during which entities that own or operate existing FSS earth stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band may file an application to register or license the earth station if it is currently not registered or licensed, or may file an application to modify a current registration or license, in the International Bureau Filing System (IBFS).

In 2002, the Commission allocated the 4940-4990 MHz (4.9 GHz) band for fixed and mobile use and designated the band for public safety broadband communications. Since then, the band has experienced relatively light usage compared to the heavy use of other public safety bands. In this document, the Commission proposes several rule changes and seeks comment on alternatives with the goal of promoting increased public safety use of the band while opening up the spectrum to additional uses that will encourage a more robust market for equipment and greater innovation. The Commission proposes rules on channel aggregation, aeronautical mobile use, frequency coordination, site-based licensing, regional planning, and technical rule changes with the goal of promoting increased use of the band. The Commission seeks comment on alternatives such as expanding eligibility, spectrum leasing, sharing, and redesignating the band for commercial use.