Future Development of SMR Systems in the 800 MHz Frequency Band

This Second Report and Order resolves issues raised in the Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and completes the process by establishing technical and operational rules for the lower 230 800 MHz channels. Specifically, this order establishes the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis Economic Areas (EAs) as the relevant geographic service area for licensing these channels and defines the rights of incumbent SMR licensees already operating on the lower 230 channels. It also provides further details concerning the mandatory relocation rules adopted in the 800 MHz Report and Order, and establishes rules for partitioning and disaggregation of EA licenses. Coupled with the rules adopted in the 800 MHz Report and Order, the decisions reached in this order complete the process of converting to new rules for the 800 MHz SMR service and enable us to commence geographic area licensing of the service. These rule revisions not only eliminate a cumbersome and outdated regulatory regime, they will promote competition and provide SMR licensees with flexibility to deploy multiple technologies in response to a changing marketplace, and they further the Congressionally mandated goal of establishing regulatory symmetry between 800 MHz SMR licensees and other competing providers of Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS).