On October 13, 2023, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (“Bureau”) released a Public Notice seeking comment on the C-Band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse’s (“RPC”) proposed final claims submission deadlines. The RPC has proposed the following final claims submission deadlines:
- February 5, 2024, for all reimbursement claims for costs incurred and paid by claimants as of December 31, 2023, including all lump sum election claims by incumbent earth station operators.
- September 30, 2024, for all reimbursement claims for costs incurred and paid by claimants after December 31, 2023, with the exhortation that claims be submitted to the RPC on a rolling basis within 30 days of being incurred.
The RPC reports that these deadlines would facilitate timely conclusion of the reimbursement program and winddown of the RPC’s operations, which it currently targets as June 30, 2025. The RPC further proposed that it would not process or reimburse any C-band transition reimbursement claims it received after the relevant final claims submission deadline as untimely, to ensure stakeholders, including incumbents and licensees that are responsible for reimbursement payments, have a certain and predicable timeframe within which to discharge their remaining transition responsibilities.
The Bureau seeks comment on the RPC’s proposed final submission deadlines, whether there are other milestones the Bureau should consider adopting, and whether there are other steps the Bureau should take to facilitate the conclusion of the C-band transition reimbursement program?
Comments will be due 15 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register.
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