[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 153 (Friday, August 7, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47965-47966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-17292]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[GN Docket No. 18-122, DA 20-828; FRS 16982]
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on Whether
Proposed 3.7-4.2 GHz Band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse Satisfies
Selection Criteria
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
(Bureau) seeks comment on whether the proposed 3.7-4.2 GHz band
Relocation Payment Clearinghouse satisfies the selection criteria
established by the Commission in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order.
DATES: Comments are due August 18, 2020 and reply comments are due
August 28, 2020.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by GN Docket No. 18-122,
by any of the following methods:
Electronic Filers: Elections may be filed electronically
using the internet by accessing the ECFS: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/ in
docket number GN 18-122.
Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must
file an original and one copy of each filing.
Filings can be sent by commercial overnight courier, or by first-
class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be
addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary,
Federal Communications Commission.
Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive,
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.U.S.
Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail
must be addressed to 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554.
Effective March 19, 2020, and until further notice, the
Commission no longer accepts any hand or messenger delivered filings.
This is a temporary measure taken to help protect the health and safety
of individuals, and to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. See FCC
Announces Closure of FCC Headquarters Open Window and Change in Hand-
Delivery Policy, Public Notice, DA 20-304 (March 19, 2020). https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-closes-headquarters-open-window-and-changes-hand-delivery-policy.
During the time the Commission's building is closed to the
general public and until further notice, if more than one docket or
rulemaking number appears in the caption of a proceeding, paper filers
need not submit two additional copies for each additional docket or
rulemaking number; an original and one copy are sufficient.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Mort, Wireless
Telecommunications Bureau, at Susan.Mort@fcc.gov or 202-418-2429.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's
document (Public Notice), GN Docket No. 18-122, DA 20-828, released on
August 3, 2020. The complete text of this document is available on the
Commission's website at https://www.fcc.gov/document/wtb-seeks-comment-c-band-relocation-payment-clearinghouse-selection or by using the
search function for GN Docket No. 18-122 on the Commission's ECFS web
page at www.fcc.gov/ecfs.
Pursuant to Sec. Sec. 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules,
47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments or reply
comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this
document.
People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic
files, audio format), send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (tty).
Synopsis
With this Public Notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
(the Bureau) seeks comment on whether the proposed 3.7-4.2 GHz band
Relocation Payment Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) satisfies the
selection criteria established by the Commission in the 3.7 GHz Report
and Order.
On March 3, 2020, the Commission released the 3.7 GHz Band Report
and Order, which adopted new rules to make available 280 megahertz of
mid-band spectrum for flexible use through a Commission-administered
public auction of overlay licenses, plus a 20
[[Page 47966]]
megahertz guard band, throughout the contiguous United States by
transitioning existing services out of the lower portion and in to the
upper 200 megahertz of the C-band.
The 3.7 GHz Report and Order established a search committee to
select a Clearinghouse that would be responsible for handling all cost-
related aspects of the transition. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order
required the search committee to select, no later than July 31, 2020,
an entity that must be able to demonstrate its ability to perform the
duties of the Clearinghouse, including: (1) Engaging in strategic
planning and adopting goals and metrics to evaluate its performance,
(2) adopting internal controls for its operations, (3) using enterprise
risk management practices, and (4) using best practices to protect
against improper payments and to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in its
handling of funds. The Commission also required that the selected
entity create written procedures for its operations and that it use the
Government Accountability Office's (GAO) Green Book to serve as a guide
in satisfying such requirements.
The 3.7 GHz Report and Order required the search committee to
ensure that the Clearinghouse adopt robust privacy and data security
best practices in its operations, given that it will receive and
process information critical to ensuring a successful and expeditious
transition. The selected entity will be required to hire a third-party
firm to independently audit and verify, on an annual basis, the
Clearinghouse's compliance with privacy and information security
requirements. The Clearinghouse will also be required to: Provide
recommendations based on any audit findings; correct any negative audit
findings and adopt any additional practices suggested by the auditor;
and report the results to the Bureau.
The Commission also required the search committee, in notifying the
Commission of its selection for the Clearinghouse, to: (a) Fully
disclose any actual or potential organizational or personal conflicts
of interest or appearance of such conflict of interest of the
Clearinghouse or its officers, directors, employees, and/or
contractors; and (b) detail the salary and benefits associated with
each position.
On July 31, 2020, the search committee announced that they had
selected CohnReznick and subcontractors Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP
(Squire Patton Poggs), and Intellicom Technologies, Inc. (Intellicom),
to serve as the Clearinghouse. We seek comment on whether CohnReznick,
Squire Patton Boggs, and Intellicom satisfy the criteria established by
the Commission in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order.
As directed by the Commission in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order,
following the comment period, the Bureau will issue an order announcing
whether the selection criteria have been satisfied. Should the Bureau
be unable to find that the criteria have been satisfied, the 3.7 GHz
Report and Order required that the selection process will start over
and the search committee will submit a new proposed entity.
Federal Communications Commission.
Amy Brett,
Chief of Staff, Competition and Infrastructure Policy Division,
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2020-17292 Filed 8-6-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P