Federal Communications Commission Operating Authority

1. Federal Geographic Data Committee’sCoordination GroupMay 6, 2003Presented byDonald Draper CampbellElectronic EngineerTechnical Analysis BranchElectromagnetic Compatibility DivisionOffice of Engineering and TechnologyFederal Communications Commission445 12th Street, SW, Room 7-A263Washington, DC 20554202-418-2405 / donald.campbell@fcc.gov

2. Federal Communications Commission Operating Authority • Communications Act of 1934 (created the Federal Communications Commission) • Limited to the regulation non-federal government entities, (i.e., local governmental bodies (states, counties, cities), airlines, railroads, common carriers, manufactures, general business) • Directed by five Commissioners (One Commissioner serve as Chairperson) • Regulation of Federal Government entities is carried out by Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC)

3. International Bureau (IB) - Regulates satellite telecommunication services (satellites and Earth stations) and international telecommunications (undersea cables, international broadcasting, etc.) • Media Bureau (MB) - regulates AM, FM radio and television broadcast stations, and cable television operations. • Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) - oversees cellular, PCS, pager services and the licensing of two-way radios. This Bureau also regulates the use of radio spectrum to fulfill the two-way communications needs of businesses, local and state governments, public safety service providers, aircraft and ship operators, and individuals. • Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) - responsible for rules and policies concerning telephone companies that provide interstate services, and under certain circumstances intrastate, telecommunications services to the public through the use of wireline and fiber optic based transmission facilities. • Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) - allocates spectrum for non-Government use, collects and analyzes network outages and provides expert advice on technical issues before the Commission. OET also licenses experimental radio stations.

4. Non-radio Authorizations, i.e., wireline services • The FCC regulates and authorizes ALL inter-state and international common carrier telephone, telegraph and other wire line telecommunications services. • Services wholly within a given states are regulated and authorized by the state public utility commission (PUC). • Common carrier entities applying for authority to operate wireline facilities are not required to provide geodetic details on the location and deployment of switch centers, cable routing, etc. used to provide inter-state telecommunication services. • It is unknown whether or not state PUCs require the filing of geodetic details by common carriers. • There are private, that is to say non-common carrier, wireline and fiber optic systems, both inter-state and intra-state, which are not regulated by the Commission. These systems are used to provide internal communications services and are general deployed along the users right-of-way. Examples are railroads, electric power companies, pipeline companies, etc.

5. Alternates Sources of Data on Wireline Facilities • Telcordia is a consulting firm that provides technical and operational support for telecommunications companies. Among its products is a database known as the Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG), see <http://www.trainfo.com/> . It contains street addresses and vertical and horizontal (V&H) coordinates for each central office switch owned and operated by local exchange carriers. The data is used primarily to aid telecommunications carriers in sending telecommunications traffic to distant central office switches. The data is also used by regulators and the National Communications System (NCS), which have responsibilities regarding the protection of critical telecommunications infrastructure and for administering emergency telecommunications programs • There are also several source of similar data

6. Non-Federal Government Radio Authorizations • Because radio waves cross states lines, the FCC regulates ALL non-federal government use of the radio spectrum. Authorization to operate non-federal government radio communications facilities are authorized by either of two means – by rule or by license. • Cordless telephones, citizen band (CB) radio and wireless LANs are examples authorized by rule. That is, the user of the radio transmitter is not required to apply to the FCC for a radio license to operate the transmitter. • All other users of radio transmitter are required have license to operated the transmitter. Radio licenses are of two flavors – market based and site specific. • Market based authorizations – The potential licensee applies to the FCC for authority to construct and operate a radio telecommunications service in a given geographical area. • Site specific authorizations – The potential licensee must apply to the FCC for authority to construct or modify and operate each transmitter facility.

7. FCC Radio Licensing Systems • Media Bureau (MB) Consolidated Database System (CDBS): AM, FM and TV Cable Operations and Licensing System (COALS): Cable Television Relay Service and other Cable functions • International Bureau (IB) International Bureau Filing System (IBFS): satellite space station authorizations, Satellite Earth Station licenses • Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) Broadband Licensing System (BLS): Instructional Television Fixed Service and Multipoint Distribution Service Universal Licensing System (ULS): Aircraft, Amateur Radio, Antenna Structure Registration, Cellular, General Mobile Radio Service, Land Mobile Services, Market Based Services, Microwave, Paging and Personal Communications Service The FCC publishes extracts of these databases on the Commission’s web site, see <http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/database/fadb.html>

8. What Data is Collected in the Radio Licensing Process? • A typical licensing systems collects two types of data – administrative information and technical information. • Administrative Information (Both site and market based) Licensee (application) name and address information including telephone number and e-mail address. Information of defining eligibility to hold a radio license in the applied for radio service. • Technical Information (Site based) Operating frequency and emission type Transmitter output power Antenna make and model number Power radiated by the antenna Transmitter antenna location (latitude, longitude, ground elevation, antenna center line height above mean sea level) Receiver antenna location (latitude, longitude, ground elevation, antenna center line height above mean sea level) if this is a fixed link. • Technical Information (Market based) Operating frequency band Geographical Service Area, see <www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/areas/>

9. Medadata • Datum Standards WTB’s Universal Licensing System is NAD 83. MB’s Consolidated Database System is NAD 27. The other licensing system have data in both forms, NAD 27 and NAD 83. The Commission is in the process of switching over to NAD 83 only. • Significant digits standards Coordinates are entered in as degrees, minutes and seconds. All the systems accommodate decimal seconds (tenths of a second) except for MB’s Consolidated Database System which only accommodates integer seconds. When CDBS converts to NAD 83, it too will handle decimal seconds. • Accuracy Standards Only two radio services impose positional accuracy standards Systems licensed under Part 101 – Antenna sites: ± 1 second in the horizontal dimension (latitude and longitude) and ± 1 meter in vertical dimension (ground elevation) with respect to the National Spacial Reference System. See, §101.103(d)(2)(ii) Systems licensed under Part 24 – Antenna sites: ±5 meters in both the horizontal (latitude and longitude) and vertical (ground elevation) dimensions with respect to the National Geodetic Reference System. See, §24.53(e). • Liner Measurements Standards Ground elevations, antenna heights above ground or mean sea level are in integer meters.