Deadline for Submission of Information on Earth Station Use of the 3.7 – 4.2 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC" or the "Commission") issued a Public Notice on April 11, 2019 (DA 19-278) in the proceeding relating to the use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz band (referred to as the "C-band"). In its July 13, 2018 Order, the Commission announced that it would issue an information collection requirement for earth stations regarding their current use of the C-band. The requirements for the information collection were finally announced in the Public Notice establishing the information required for the different types of operations and the requirement that the information must be filed electronically by May 28, 2019.

Operators of fixed-satellite service (FSS) earth stations in the C-band that are licensed or registered in the International Bureau Filing System (IBFS) - including temporary-fixed or transportable earth stations - must certify the accuracy of all information reflected in IBFS on their licenses or registrations. The certification is notrequired for new or modified licenses filed in the recent C-band filing window from April 19, 2018 to October 31, 2018. All other operators of FSS earth stations in the C-band must provide certifications in the form mandated by the Commission and which includes:

1. Relevant call sign(s);
2. File numbers;
3. Applicant or registrant name; and
4. Signed certification statement in the form required by the Commission.

Temporary fixed or transportable earth station operators in the C-band that are licensed or registered in IBFS must provide additional information regardless of when they were licensed or registered including:

1. Earth station call sign;
2. Address where the equipment is typically stored;
3. Area within which the equipment is typically used;
4. How often the equipment is used and the duration of such use;
5. Number of transponders typically used in the C-band and extent of use on both the uplink and downlink; and
6. Licensee/registrant and point of contact information.

Further, all earth station operators - including those exempt from the filing requirement as they filed in the last C-band filing window - are required to update their information in IBFS in the event of a change in the contact information of any of the operational parameters.

The Commission has stated in its Order that licensees and registrants for whom their licenses or registrations were granted prior to the C-band filing window will only be protected to the extent that they have certified as to the accuracy of the information in IBFS so filing the certifications are important to all licensees and registrants that obtained their authorizations prior to the C-band filing window.