Federal Communications Commission FCC 15-138 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Use of Spectrum Bands Above 24 GHz For ) GN Docket No. 14-177 Mobile Radio Services ) ) Establishing a More Flexible Framework to ) IB Docket No. 15-256 Facilitate Satellite Operations in the 27.5-28.35 ) GHz and 37.5-40 GHz Bands ) ) Petition for Rulemaking of the Fixed Wireless ) RM-11664 Communications Coalition to Create Service ) Rules for the 42-43.5 GHz Band ) ) Amendment of Parts 1, 22, 24, 27, 74, 80, 90, 95, ) WT Docket No. 10-112 and 101 To Establish Uniform License Renewal, ) Discontinuance of Operation, and Geographic ) Partitioning and Spectrum Disaggregation Rules ) and Policies for Certain Wireless Radio Services ) ) Allocation and Designation of Spectrum for ) IB Docket No. 97-95 Fixed-Satellite Services in the 37.5-38.5 GHz, ) 40.5-41.5 GHz and 48.2-50.2 GHz Frequency ) Bands; Allocation of Spectrum to Upgrade Fixed ) and Mobile Allocations in the 40.5-42.5 GHz ) Frequency Band; Allocation of Spectrum in the ) 46.9-47.0 GHz Frequency Band for Wireless ) Services; and Allocation of Spectrum in the 37.0- ) 38.0 GHz and 40.0-40.5 GHz for Government ) Operations ) NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING Adopted: October 22, 2015 Released: October 23, 2015 Comment Date: January 26, 2016 Reply Comment Date: February 23, 2016 By the Commission: Chairman Wheeler and Commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel approving and issuing separate statements; Commissioners Pai and O’Rielly approving in part and dissenting in part and issuing separate statements. TABLE OF CONTENTS Heading Paragraph # I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 1 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................... 4 III. BA4 ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Federal Communications Commission FCC 15-138 A. The Millimeter-Wave Mobile Opportunity...................................................................................... 5 B. Notice of Inquiry.............................................................................................................................. 7 C. Recent Technological Developments............................................................................................. 12 D. World Radio Conference ............................................................................................................... 13 IV. DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................................................... 15 A. Bands Above 24 GHz for Mobile Use........................................................................................... 15 1. Criteria for Examining Bands for Mobile and Other Uses...................................................... 15 2. Bands Proposed for Mobile Use.............................................................................................. 25 a. 27.5-28.35 GHz Band ....................................................................................................... 25 b. 38.6-40 GHz Band ............................................................................................................ 35 c. 37-38.6 GHz Band ............................................................................................................ 47 d. 64-71 GHz Band ............................................................................................................... 54 3. Other Bands............................................................................................................................. 60 a. 24 GHz Bands (24.25-24.45 GHz and 25.05-25.25 GHz)................................................ 61 b. 29.1-29.25 GHz and 31-31.3 GHz.................................................................................... 67 c. 31.8-33 GHz...................................................................................................................... 71 d. 42-42.5 GHz...................................................................................................................... 75 e. 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz............................................................................................... 81 f. Above 86 GHz .................................................................................................................. 89 B. Rules for Licensed Operations in the 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 37 GHz Bands – Creation of the Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service .................................................................................. 92 1. 28 GHz and 39 GHz Bands - Geographic Area Licensing...................................................... 93 2. 37 GHz – Hybrid Authorizations ............................................................................................ 99 3. License Area Size for the 28 GHz, 39 GHz, and 37 GHz Bands .......................................... 107 4. Band Plan for the 28 GHz, 27 GHz, and 39 GHz Bands....................................................... 116 5. License Term......................................................................................................................... 119 C. Facilitating Satellite Use of the 27.5-28.35 GHz and 37.5-40 GHz bands .................................. 124 1. Background (Current Framework) ........................................................................................ 124 2. Ka-Band Gateway Earth Stations.......................................................................................... 127 a. Request for Upgraded Status in 28 GHz Band ............................................................... 127 3. Repealing Restriction on FSS Fixed User Equipment in 28 GHz Band................................ 147 a. Spectrum Access System................................................................................................ 150 b. Beacon Signaling ............................................................................................................ 154 c. Limiting Satellite or Terrestrial Operations.................................................................... 156 d. Active Signal Cancelling ................................................................................................ 157 e. Movable FSS User Equipment........................................................................................ 159 4. 37.5-40 GHz Band Sharing Issues......................................................................................... 160 D. Federal Sharing Issues ................................................................................................................. 166 1. 39.5-40 GHz .......................................................................................................................... 168 2. 37-38.6 GHz .......................................................................................................................... 170 3. Passive Services Below 37 GHz............................................................................................ 173 E. Licensing, Operating, and Regulatory Issues............................................................................... 177 1. Creation of New Rule Service and Part................................................................................. 177 2. Regulatory Status .................................................................................................................. 179 3. Foreign Ownership Reporting............................................................................................... 185 4. Eligibility............................................................................................................................... 189 5. Mobile Spectrum Holdings Policies...................................................................................... 190 6. Performance Requirements ................................................................................................... 193 a. Introduction..................................................................................................................... 193 b. Geographic Performance Requirements at the County Level......................................... 199 c. Performance Metrics....................................................................................................... 203 d. Performance Milestones ................................................................................................. 212 e. Penalty ............................................................................................................................ 214 2 Federal Communications Commission FCC 15-138 f. Use-or-Share Obligation................................................................................................. 215 g. Service after the Initial License Term............................................................................. 218 h. Treatment of Incumbent Licenses................................................................................... 219 i. Alternatives to Construction-Based Performance Requirements.................................... 220 j. Performance Requirements and Part 25 Operations ....................................................... 224 7. Permanent Discontinuance