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FCC Releases Order Resolving C-Band Incumbent Earth Station Petitions/Waiver Requests

On October 23, 2020, the International Bureau (“Bureau”) released an Order addressing waiver requests filed by incumbent earth station operators seeking permission to add existing co-located antennas for purposes of interference protection in the 4.0-4.2 GHz portion of the C-band pursuant to the September 16 Waiver Guidance Public Notice.  The Order also resolves several pending petitions for reconsideration and waiver requests filed in response to the August 3 Incumbent Earth Station Public Notice.

 

The Bureau takes the following actions regarding the nearly 70 requests for waiver relief:

  • The Bureau grants waiver requests submitted by the following entities to allow for the registration of additional antennas for interference protection only, and not for reimbursement of relocation expenses, as long as the antennas meet the required criteria: Ace Telephone Association, AMC Networks Broadcasting & Technology, Blooming Prairie Farm Radio, Inc., Blue Ridge Cable Technologies, BTC Multimedia, LLC, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. – Auburn site, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. – Western Blvd. site, City of Lakes Media Inc, Clarity Telecom, LLC dba Vast Broadband, Communication Construction Services, Inc., Community Telecom Services, Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc., DCI II, Inc., Evening Telegram Company dba Morgan Murphy Media, GlobeCast Americas, Incorporated, Graham Media Group, Inc., Gray Television, LLC, Gridley Cable, Inc., Griffin Licensing, L.L.C., Hargray CATV Co., Inc., HTC Communications Co., Iowa State University of Science and Technology, KMHL Broadcasting Company, Lafayette City Parish Consolidated Government, Lakeland Broadcasting Company, Madison County Cable Inc., Midwest Communications Inc., Minnesota Valley Broadcasting Company, Montclair Communications, Inc., Mountain Broadcasting Corporation, MTCO Communications Inc., NBC Telemundo License LLC, Newcom International, Inc., Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Northeast Oklahoma Broadcast Network and Caleb Corporation, Northland Cable Properties, Inc., Vyve Broadband A, LLC and Vyve Broadband J, LLC, Pathway Com-Tel, Inc., PSSI Global Services LLC, RCN Companies15 Service Electric Cablevision, Inc., South Carolina Educational Television Commission (SCETV), Sparta-Tomah Broadcasting Company, Sunbeam Television Corporation, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (WILL), The Walt Disney Company, Univision Communications, Inc., Urban One, Inc., Verizon, WCMC-FM, LLC, Weigel Broadcasting Co., WHDH-TV, Wire Tele-View Corporation, Woods Communications Corporation, WPSD-TV, LLC, WPXI-TV, LLC, WRIG, Inc., and WTVQ-DT, LLC.
  • The Bureau notes that it is still evaluating the waiver requests of Comcast Corporation and TEGNA, Inc., and will likely issue a decision by the end of October.
  • The Bureau denies the waiver requests for: HC2 Station Group, Vermont Broadcast Association, Gray, Arizona Western, Globecast, and Maine Public Broadcasting Company.
  • The Bureau denies the petitions for waiver and the petitions for reconsideration filed by: Press Communications, Woods TV, NAB/NCTA, Massillon, KDNL, WSYX, KMPH, and RCN.
  • The Bureau grants Ziply and Fox’s waiver requests to allow each to receive interference protection in the 4.0-4.2 GHz band due to unique circumstances.

 

The Order also takes the following actions:

  • The Bureau accepts Gridley Cable and South Dakota Networks/DHE LLC’s modification applications, noting the technical errors they experienced.
  • The Bureau grants Community Agency’s petition for reinstatement of its registration based on certification issues.
  • The Bureau denies the petitions for waiver filed by NAB/NCTA, Canby, Westar, and Univision as well as the alternative request for waiver filed by WLRN.
  • The Bureau grants Venture’s request to waive the certification requirement.
  • The Bureau denies the petitions for waiver filed by Gainesboro CATV, Sunman, Media Gateway Facility, and Orion.
  • The Bureau denies the petitions for waiver from operators that purchased unregistered earth stations after the registration deadline.
  • The Bureau also dismisses three requests for review or reconsideration of the Bureau’s decision not to place certain earth stations on the August 3, 2020 incumbent earth station list for failure to timely file payment of the registration fee.

 

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