WCS/BRS/EBS Spectrum Overview July 2006 NextWave Wireless

WCS/BRS/EBS Spectrum Overview
July 2006
NextWave Wireless

1.0 WCS Spectrum
Wireless Communications Service (WCS) spectrum may be utilized to deliver advanced, two-way fixed
and/or mobile data, voice and video communication services.
1.1 WCS Spectrum Allocation
Licenses
128 licenses.
2 licenses in each of 52 Major Economic Areas (MEAs) (See
http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/data/maps/mea.pdf for MEA map)
2 licenses in each of 12 Regional Economic Area Groupings (REAGs)
(See http://wireless.fcc.gov/auctions/data/maps/reag.pdf for REAG map)
Spectrum
30 MHz divided into four blocks
Block A: 2305-2310 MHz paired with 2350-2355 MHz
Block B: 2310-2315 MHz paired with 2355-2360 MHz
Block C: 2315-2320 MHz
Block D: 2345-2350 MHz
Bandwidth
Block A & B - 10.0 MHz ea. in 52 MEAs
Block C & D - 5.0 MHz ea. in 12 REAGs
Table 1 – WCS Band Plan
2.2 Permissible Use
WCS spectrum may be used for any fixed, mobile (except aeronautical mobile), radiolocation or
broadcast-satellite use consistent with the international agreements concerning spectrum allocations, and
subject to the technical rules of Part 27, Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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2.3 License Period and Construction Requirements
WCS licenses are granted for ten-year license terms, and licensees are required to demonstrate that they
are providing “substantial service” in their license area within the initial ten-year license term. Substantial
service is defined as “service which is sound, favorable, and substantially above a level of mediocre
service which just might minimally warrant renewal.” For virtually all WCS licensees, the renewal
deadline and the substantial service build-out deadline is July 21, 2007. Failure to make the substantial
service demonstration, without seeking and obtaining an extension from the FCC, would result in license
forfeiture. On March 22, 2006, the WCS Coalition, on behalf of almost all of the 2.3 GHz WCS licensees,
including NextWave Wireless, filed a Consolidated Request for Limited Extension of Deadline for
Establishing WCS Compliance with Section 27.14 Substantial Service Requirement. This request seeks
to extend the current substantial service deadline by three years from the current deadline (of July 21,
2007) or the finalization of formal rules governing the operation of satellite Digital Audio Radio Service
repeaters, whichever occurs later. The request is currently under consideration by the FCC.
2.0 BRS/EBS Spectrum
The Broadband Radio Service (BRS), formerly known as the Multipoint Distribution Service, and the
Educational Broadband Service (EBS), formerly known as the Instructional Television Fixed Service, are
located in the 2.5 GHz band. As depicted in Table 2 below, these services were originally licensed as
interleaved, 6 MHz channels, which were used primarily to provide high-site, high-power, one-way video
operations. Over time, however, these uses evolved to include fixed and mobile, digital, two-way systems
capable of providing high-speed, high-capacity broadband service, including two-way Internet access
service, via low-power, cellularized communications systems or high power single-cell systems.
Optimization of these evolving uses, however, was inhibited by the band plan and service rules that
governed the BRS/EBS spectrum until 2004.
Until 1996, BRS spectrum was licensed according to Geographic Service Areas with a 35-mile radius.
These “incumbent” licenses continue to exist today. In 1996, the FCC conducted an auction and sold
licenses for available BRS spectrum according to Basic Trading Areas (BTA) of various sizes (there are
493 BTAs). These BTA licenses were granted subject to the prior rights of the incumbent BRS license
holders. EBS spectrum is licensed only as Geographic Service Areas with a 35-mile radius, although in
the future, vacant EBS spectrum may be auctioned and licensed as BTAs. EBS spectrum is licensed
exclusively to accredited educational institutions, governmental organizations engaged in the formal
education of enrolled students (e.g., school districts), and nonprofit organizations whose purposes are
educational. The FCC rules and policies, however, have long permitted EBS licensees to lease up to
95% of their EBS spectrum to non-EBS entities for commercial purposes, subject to compliance with
certain requirements.
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2.1 New BRS/EBS Spectrum Band Plan
In 2004 the FCC adopted new, flexible BRS/EBS service rules to facilitate the growth of new and
innovative wireless technologies and services, including fixed and mobile wireless broadband services.
In addition, the FCC reconfigured the 2.5 GHz band plan to combine previously interleaved BRS/EBS
channels, and create upper- and lower-band segments for low-power uses, and a mid-band segment for
high-power operations. By creating contiguous channel blocks, and grouping high- and low-power users
into separate portions of the band, the new band plan reduces the likelihood of interference caused by
incompatible uses and creates incentives for the development of innovative services, which were inhibited
by the prior band plan.
The new BRS/EBS band plan will allow licensees to use the 2496-2690 MHz spectrum in a more
economically efficient manner and will support the introduction of next-generation wireless technologies.
Under the new regulations, after giving effect to the transition of the spectrum to the new band plan
(which should occur in the next 4 years), the total spectrum bandwidth licensed by the FCC for EBS and
BRS spectrum is 194 MHz. Approximately 75% of this spectrum is licensed for the Educational
Broadband Service and 25% is licensed for the Broadband Radio Service. Individual channels and
channel groups of EBS and BRS spectrum will range from 5.5 MHz to 23.5 MHz of spectrum. The new
rules also preserve the operations of existing licensees, including educational institutions currently
offering instructional television programming, and continue the FCC’s long-standing policy of allowing up
to 95% of EBS spectrum to be leased for commercial purposes. Licensees must transition to the new
band plan by October 19, 2010 (barring certain disputes in the transition planning process), which
includes relocating licensees from their current channel assignments to new spectrum designations in the
band.
Table 2 – RBS-EBS Band Plan
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2.2 BRS/EBS Spectrum Transition
The transition period has three phases: (1) the Initiation Planning Period, which runs for 30 months from
July 19, 2006, during which an Initiation Plan must be filed with the FCC; (2) the Transition Planning
Phase, which is a ninety-day period that commences upon the filing of the Initiation Plan; and (3) the
Transition Completion Phase, which commences after the Transition Planning Period ends, and provides
eighteen (18) months within which the transition must be completed to complete the physical transition to
the new band plan. Accordingly, assuming no disputes among affected licensees concerning a given
transition plan, the transition period for any given market could last 51 months. Thus, for example, if the
amended rules become effective on July 19, 2006, the transition period for any given market (barring
disputes) could last until October 19, 2010 (see Table 3).
Until a market is transitioned, licensees may continue to operate in accordance with their currently
licensed operations.
Table 3 – BRS/EBS Transition Timeline
BRS/EBS Transition Timeline
[July 19, 2006-------------------- ---------------------------------------Jan. 19, 2009]
|___________________|_________________|_____________________|
Effective Pre-transition Transition Initiation
Date of rule data request(s) Notices Plan Filed
Amendments
[---------------------------------------------- 90 days--------------------------------------]
[------------- 60 days----][----------------20 days-------][------10 days------------]
|___________________|______________________|________________|
Transition Transition Counteroffers Transition
Planning Plan Planning
Period Begins Sent Period
Ends
[------------------------------------18 months ------------------------------------------]
|________________________________________________________|
Transition
Transition
Planning Period ends
Completed
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3.0 More Information
To learn more about WCS, BRS and EBS spectrum, visit these useful sites:
Federal Communications Commission - www.fcc.gov
National ITFS Association (NIA) - www.itfs.org
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