Federal Register: August 19, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 159)
DOCID: fr19au09-57 FR Doc E9-19861
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Federal Communications Commission
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCID: fr19au09-57
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission, Comments Requested.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Public Information Collections
DATES: Written PRA comments should be submitted on or before October 19, 2009. If you anticipate that you will be submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the period of time allowed by this notice, you should advise the contact listed below as soon as possible.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
The Federal Communications Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork burden invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on the following information collection(s), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35013520. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) that does not display a valid control number. Comments are requested concerning (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Commission's burden estimate; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on the respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
SUMMARY:
Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposals, Submissions, and Approvals
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
OMB Control No.: 30601106.
Title: Licensing and Service Rules for Vehicle Mounted Earth Stations (VMES).
Form No.: Not Applicable.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Respondents: Business or other forprofit entities.
Number of Respondents: 10 respondents; 40 responses.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour 1.5 hours.
Frequency of Response: On occasion reporting requirement; Recordkeeping requirement; Third party disclosure requirement.
Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. The
Commission has statutory approval for the information collection
requirements under Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), 7(a), 301, 303(c), 303(f),
303(g), 303(r), 303(y) and 308 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. Sections 151, 154(i), 154(j), 157(a), 301, 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), 303(r), 303(y), and 308.
Total Annual Burden: 171 hours.
Total Annual Cost: $101,300 annual costs.
Privacy Act Impact Assessment: No impact(s).
Nature and Extent of Confidentiality: There is no need for confidentiality pertaining to the information collection requirements in this collection.
Needs and Uses: On July 31, 2009, the Federal Communications Commission (''Commission'') released a Report and Order titled, ``In the Matter of Amendment of Parts 2 and 25 of the Commission's Rules to Allocate Spectrum and Adopt Service Rules and Procedures to Govern the Use of VehicleMounted Earth Stations in Certain Frequency Bands Allocated to the FixedSatellite Service,'' IB Docket No. 07101, FCC 0964 (hereinafter referred to as ``VMES Report and Order'').
The VMES Report and Order adopts Part 2 allocation rules and Part 25 technical and licensing rules for a new domestic Kuband VMES service. VMES service has the potential to deliver advanced mobile applications through satellite technology, including broadband, which will be beneficial for public safety and commercial purposes.
The PRA information collection requirements contained in the VMES Report and Order are as follows:
1. 47 CFR 25.226(b)(1)(i) OR 47 CFR 25.226(b)(1)(ii) (i) Any VMES applicant filing an application pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall file three tables showing the offaxis EIRP level of the proposed earth station antenna in the direction of the plane of the GSO; the copolarized EIRP in the elevation plane, that is, the plane perpendicular to the plane of the GSO; and cross polarized EIRP. Each table shall provide the EIRP level at increments of 0.1[deg] for angles between 0[deg] and 10[deg] offaxis, and at increments of 5[deg] for angles between 10[deg] and 180[deg] offaxis.
OR
2. (ii) A VMES applicant shall include a certification, in Schedule B, that the VMES antenna conforms to the gain
[[Page 41903]]
pattern criteria of Sec. 25.209(a) and (b), that, combined with the
maximum input power density calculated from the EIRP density less the
antenna gain, which is entered in Schedule B, demonstrates that the
offaxis EIRP spectral density envelope set forth in paragraphs
(a)(1)(i)(A) through (a)(1)(i)(C) of this section will be met under the
assumption that the antenna is pointed at the target satellite.
3. 47 CFR 25.226(b)(1)(iii)
(iii) A VMES applicant proposing to implement a transmitter under
paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(A) of this section shall provide a certification
from the equipment manufacturer stating that the antenna tracking
system will maintain a pointing error of less than or equal to 0.2[deg]
between the orbital location of the target satellite and the axis of
the main lobe of the VMES antenna and that the antenna tracking system
is capable of ceasing emissions within 100 milliseconds if the angle
between the orbital location of the target satellite and the axis of the main lobe of the VMES antenna exceeds 0.5[deg].
4. 47 CFR 25.226(b)(1)(iv)(A), (B)
A VMES applicant proposing to implement a transmitter under paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section shall:
(A) declare, in its application, a maximum antenna pointing error
and demonstrate that the maximum antenna pointing error can be achieved
without exceeding the offaxis EIRP spectraldensity limits in
paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section; and (B) demonstrate that the VMES
transmitter can detect if the transmitter exceeds the declared maximum
antenna pointing error and can cease transmission within 100
milliseconds if the angle between the orbital location of the target
satellite and the axis of the main lobe of the VMES antenna exceeds the
declared maximum antenna pointing error, and will not resume
transmissions until the angle between the orbital location of the
target satellite and the axis of the main lobe of the VMES antenna is
less than or equal to the declared maximum antenna pointing error.
5. 47 CFR 25.226(b)(2)(i), (ii), (iii), (iv)
A VMES applicant proposing to implement a transmitter under
paragraph (a)(2) of this section and using offaxis EIRP spectral
densities in excess of the levels in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this
section shall provide the following certifications and demonstration as exhibits to its earth station application:
(i) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying that
the proposed operation of the VMES has the potential to create harmful
interference to satellite networks adjacent to the target satellite(s) that may be unacceptable.
(ii) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying that
the powerdensity levels that the VMES applicant provided to the target
satellite operator are consistent with the existing coordination
agreements between its satellite(s) and the adjacent satellite systems within 6[deg] of orbital separation from its satellite(s).
(iii) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying
that it will include the powerdensity levels of the VMES applicant in all future coordination agreements.
(iv) A demonstration from the VMES operator that the VMES system is
capable of detecting and automatically ceasing emissions within 100
milliseconds when the transmitter exceeds the offaxis EIRP spectral densities supplied to the target satellite operator.
6. 47 CFR 25.226(b)(3)
A VMES applicant proposing to implement a VMES system under
paragraph (a)(3) of this section and using variable powerdensity
control of individual simultaneously transmitting cofrequency VMES
earth stations in the same satellite receiving beam shall provide the
following certifications and demonstration as exhibits to its earth station application:
(i) The applicant shall make a detailed showing of the measures it
intends to employ to maintain the effective aggregate EIRPdensity from
all simultaneously transmitting cofrequency terminals operating with
the same satellite transponder at least 1 dB below the EIRPdensity
limits defined in paragraphs (a)(1)(i)(A)(C) of this section. In this
context the term ``effective'' means that the resultant copolarized
and crosspolarized EIRPdensity experienced by any GSO or nonGSO
satellite shall not exceed that produced by a single VMES transmitter
operating at 1 dB below the limits defined in paragraphs (a)(1)(i)(A)
(C) of this section. The International Bureau will place this showing on Public Notice along with the application.
(ii) An applicant proposing to implement a VMES under (a)(3)(ii) of
this section that uses offaxis EIRP spectraldensities in excess of
the levels in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section shall provide the
following certifications, demonstration and list of satellites as exhibits to its earth station application:
(A) A detailed showing of the measures the applicant intends to
employ to maintain the effective aggregate EIRPdensity from all
simultaneously transmitting cofrequency terminals operating with the
same satellite transponder at the EIRPdensity limits supplied to the
target satellite operator. The International Bureau will place this showing on Public Notice along with the application.
(B) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying that
the proposed operation of the VMES has the potential to create harmful
interference to satellite networks adjacent to the target satellite(s) that may be unacceptable.
(C) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying that
the aggregate power density levels that the VMES applicant provided to
the target satellite operator are consistent with the existing
coordination agreements between its satellite(s) and the adjacent
satellite systems within 6[deg] of orbital separation from its satellite(s).
(D) A statement from the target satellite operator certifying that
it will include the aggregate powerdensity levels of the VMES applicant in all future coordination agreements.
(E) A demonstration from the VMES operator that the VMES system is
capable of detecting and automatically ceasing emissions within 100
milliseconds when an individual transmitter exceeds the offaxis EIRP
spectraldensities supplied to the target satellite operator and that
the overall system is capable of shutting off an individual transmitter
or the entire system if the aggregate offaxis EIRP spectraldensities exceed those supplied to the target satellite operator.
(F) An identification of the specific satellite or satellites with which the VMES system will operate.
(iii) The applicant shall acknowledge that it will maintain
sufficient statistical and technical information on the individual
terminals and overall system operation to file a detailed report, one
year after license issuance, describing the effective aggregate EIRP
density levels resulting from the operation of the VMES system.
7. 47 CFR 25.226(a)(5), (b)(6)
Applicant shall include in application point of contact with authority and ability to cease all emissions from VMES terminals.
8. 47 CFR 25.226 (a)(6), (b)(7)
VMES licensee shall provide data (record of vehicle location, transmit frequency, channel bandwidth and satellite used for each relevant VMES transmitter) to Commission, NTIA, FSS operator, FS operator, or frequency coordinator within 24 hours upon request.
The information collection requirements accounted for in this [[Page 41904]]
collection are necessary to prevent regulatory uncertainty with respect
to VMES and other satellite services that operate in the Kuband within
the United States. Prior to this rulemaking, the lack of rules for VMES
posed an administrative burden on those entities attempting to provide
VMEStype services and on Commission staff because such services could
be granted only through the use of waivers and Special Temporary
Authority (STA) authorizations for a sixmonth period of time. The
approval of fifteenyear licenses for VMES operators significantly
reduces the burden imposed upon both licensees and Commission staff who
review and approve the waivers and STAs. Furthermore, without such
information the Commission would not be able to take the necessary
measures to prevent harmful interference to satellite services from
VMES. Finally, the Commission would not be able to advance its goals of
managing spectrum efficiently and promoting broadband technologies to benefit American consumers throughout the United States.
Federal Communications Commission.
Alethea Lewis,
Information Specialist.
[FR Doc. E919861 Filed 81809; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 671201S
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
For additional information about the information collection(s), contact Cathy Williams at (202) 4182918 or send an email to PRA@fcc.gov and/or Cathy.Williams@fcc.gov.