Targeted News Service

WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission issued the following news release:

The FCC and its Canadian counterpart, Industry Canada, have agreed, through a process known as an exchange of letters, on 10 interim spectrum sharing arrangements covering operations in their common border area.

These arrangements will aid in the deployment and use of mobile broadband and improve public safety communications along the U.S.-Canada border by facilitating the efficient sharing of spectrum and avoiding potential interference.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, “I am pleased to conclude these important arrangements with Canada, as they are critical to preventing interference to commercial and public safety licensees in the border region. I appreciate the effort put forth by staff from the FCC, State Department and Industry Canada,” stated FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Among the technical sharing arrangements is an arrangement reached on the 3650-3700 MHz band, which allows wireless broadband and high-speed Internet services to coexist along the U.S.-Canada border. In this band, the United States and Canada agreed upon a spectrum sharing arrangement which includes, among other things, the use of “contention-based protocols” to avoid harmful interference while sharing the spectrum more efficiently. Contention-based

protocols allow multiple users to share the same spectrum by defining the events that must occur when two or more devices attempt to simultaneously access the same channel and establishing rules by which each device is provided a reasonable opportunity to operate.

The technical sharing arrangement reached on the 700 MHz band will allow public safety licensees on both sides of the border to fully implement their 700 MHz narrowband systems. The arrangement reflects the harmonization of the U.S. and Canadian public safety 700 MHz narrowband channel plans, thus providing more efficient, interference-free public safety operations in the border area.

In addition, the United States and Canada have agreed upon several other spectrum sharing arrangements including Personal Communications Services; Advanced Wireless Services; public safety operations in the 4940-4990 MHz band; and railway communications systems.

These arrangements provide coordination and sharing protocols for spectrum used for Wireless LAN, Mesh Network and Wi-Fi hotspots, fixed point-to-point/multipoint services and broadband traffic.

The arrangements and exchange of letters can be downloaded at:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320902A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320902A2.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320902A3.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320903A1.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320903A2.pdf

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-320903A3.pdf

They are available at www.fcc.gov/international-bureau and available for reference in the FCC’s Reference Information Center at 445 12th Street, S.W., Courtyard Level, Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies may be purchased by contacting the FCC’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington D.C. 20554,

telephone 1-800-378-3160, facsimile 202-488-5563, or via e-mail at www.bcpiweb.com.

Contacts: Larry Olson, International Bureau at (202) 418-2142, Brian Marenco, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at (202) 418-0838, Tim Maguire, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418-2155, and Stephen Buenzow, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (717) 338-2647.

Contact: Thomas Sullivan, 202/418-0437, thomas.sullivan@fcc.gov 

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