SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The FCC may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. No person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information subject to the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1275.

Title: Upper C-band Clearinghouse; Upper C-band Relocation Coordinator; 3.7 GHz Band Space Station Operators.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not for profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 16,512 respondents and 34,871 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 0.5 hours-64 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; on occasion, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reporting requirements; third-party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 316 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 316.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 123,465 hours.

Total Annual Costs: $10,705,353.

Needs and Uses: On July 22, 2026, in furtherance of the goal of releasing more mid-band spectrum into the market to support and enable next-generation wireless networks, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, Order of Proposed Modification, and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 26-46 ( Upper C-band R&O). The Upper C-band R&O calls for the relocation of existing FSS operations in the Upper C-band, making 160 megahertz (3.98-4.14 GHz) available for flexible-use terrestrial wireless service throughout the contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public auction of licenses that must be completed by July 4, 2027, pursuant to a mandate in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The Commission adopted a robust transition schedule to achieve an expeditious clearing and relocation of FSS operations and ensure that a significant amount of spectrum is made available quickly for next-generation ( printed page 63558) wireless deployments, while also ensuring effective accommodation of relocated incumbent users. Pursuant to the Upper C-band R&O, all incumbent FSS operations in the contiguous United States must clear the 4.0-4.16 GHz portion of the C-band by December 30, 2030, or June 30, 2031, to ensure a timely transition process.

To facilitate an efficient transition, the Commission adopted a process for reimbursing eligible space station operators for the reasonable and necessary costs of the relocation and for offering incentive payments in the event of a timely transition. New flexible-use licensees in the Upper C-band from 3.98-4.14 GHz (Upper C-band Licensees) will be required to reimburse eligible space station operators, as well as incumbent earth station operators, for their reasonable and necessary relocation costs associated with clearing 4.0-4.16 GHz. Incumbent earth station operators will also have the option to elect a lump sum reimbursement option in lieu of actual cost reimbursement.

Upper C-band Licensees must also provide rebates to defined classes of eligible aircraft owners and operators to facilitate their compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration's radio altimeter retrofit requirements. These requirements are designed to foster a successful coexistence environment between new Upper C-band wireless operations and radio altimeters in the adjacent 4.2-4.4 GHz band. The Upper C-band R&O establishes an Upper C-band Clearinghouse to oversee the cost-related aspects of the transition, including administration of actual cost reimbursement, lump sum, and incentive payments, as well as radio altimeter rebates. The Upper C-band R&O also establishes a Relocation Coordinator to take actions necessary to facilitate the migration of incumbent earth stations to ensure uninterrupted service during and following the transition.

The Commission concluded in the Upper C-band R&O that the Upper C-band Clearinghouse and Relocation Coordinator are critical to ensuring that the band reconfiguration is administered in a fair, transparent manner and that the transition occurs as expeditiously as possible. To accomplish these goals most effectively, the Commission is seeking approval for this revised information collection to collect information from the Upper C-band Clearinghouse, the Relocation Coordinator, and eligible space station operators, and to allow the Upper C-band Clearinghouse and Relocation Coordinator to collect information, as described below:

Upper C-Band Clearinghouse

The Commission concluded in the Upper C-band R&O that an independent Upper C-band Clearinghouse is necessary to administer the cost-related aspects of the transition in a fair, transparent manner and, pursuant to Commission rules and oversight, to mitigate financial disputes among stakeholders, and to collect and distribute payments in a timely manner. The clearinghouse will be responsible for collecting and distributing actual cost reimbursement. lump sum, and incentive payments, collecting and distributing radio altimeter retrofit rebate payments, auditing incoming and outgoing invoices, mitigating disputes among parties, and generally acting as a clearinghouse.

To that end, the Upper C-band R&O calls for the clearinghouse to create and submit the following information: (1) quarterly reports that detail the status of reimbursement funds available, the payments issued, the amounts collected from the Upper C-band Licensees, and similar information for the adjacent band radio altimeter retrofit rebates, account for all funds spent in both contexts, and include the descriptions of any disputes and the manner in which they were resolved; (2) 30 days' notice to Upper C-band Licensees of the additional pro-rata shares they must contribute; (3) requests for additional documentation from claimants to determine whether their claims are reasonable and to ensure they comply with the requirements adopted in section 27.1416(a) of the Commission's rules; (4) notice to a claimant that the amount sought is unreasonable, and notice of the amount the clearinghouse deems eligible for payment; (5) following a determination on a reimbursement, lump sum, or rebate claim, invoices of approved claims, which it shall issue to each relevant licensee indicating the amount to be paid; (6) when referring an unresolved issue to the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, the entire record on any disputed issues, including such dispositions thereof; and (7) prompt notice to Upper C-band Licensees following validation of the Certification of Completion set forth in section 27.1412(b) of the Commission's rules.

The Upper C-band Clearinghouse will also collect the following information from claimants and Upper C-band Licensees, as required by the Upper C-band R&O: documentation of claims, including where appropriate actual expenses, and objections by parties disputing a cost estimate, approved claim invoice, or payment or cost-sharing obligation. The clearinghouse will collect payments from Upper C-band Licensees to replenish the reimbursement and rebate funds and will notify licensees when eligible space station operators' Certifications of Completion are validated in connection with incentive payments. Finally, the Upper C-band Clearinghouse must file a request with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to wind down and suspend operations.

Relocation Coordinator

The Upper C-band R&O sets forth specific obligations, filing requirements, and deadlines for eligible space station operators that must clear by the Transition Deadlines in order to ensure that incumbent earth station operators, other C-band satellite customers, and prospective Upper C-band Licensees are adequately informed and accommodated throughout the transition.

The Commission found that making each eligible space station operator responsible for its clearing obligations would promote an efficient and effective transition process. Nevertheless, in light of the complicated interdependencies involves in transitioning incumbent earth station operations out of 4.0-4.16 GHz, as well as the extensive number of incumbent earth stations, the Commission determined that a Relocation Coordinator is necessary to ensure that all eligible space station operators relocate in a timely manner.

The Relocation Coordinator will be responsible for performing several duties, which include:

(1) coordinating the schedule for clearing the band; (2) performing engineering analysis, as necessary, to determine necessary earth station migration actions; (3) assigning obligations, as necessary, for earth station migrations; (4) coordinating with the Upper C-band Licensees throughout the transition process; (5) assessing and tracking the completion of the transition in each PEA and determining the Upper C-band wireless licensees' ability to commence operations; and (6) mediating scheduling disputes. In short, the Relocation Coordinator may establish a timeline and take actions necessary to migrate incumbent earth stations to ensure uninterrupted service during and following the transition.

Accordingly, the Upper C-band R&O requires that the Relocation Coordinator create, collect, and/or provide the following: (1) financial information as requested by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to satisfy the Commission's oversight ( printed page 63559) responsibilities and/or agency specific/government-wide reporting obligations; (2) receive and review the Transition Plans filed by all eligible space station operators and recommend any changes to those plans to the Commission to the extent needed to ensure a timely transition; (3) receive notice from incumbent earth station operators or other satellite customers of any disputes related to comparability of facilities, workmanship, or preservation of service during the transition, which it shall notify to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and provide recommendation for resolution; (4) status reports on the overall status of clearing efforts, on a quarterly basis, beginning after the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau confirms its selection; and (5) additional information requested by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Each eligible space station operator shall be eligible to appoint one member to a selection committee that will seek proposals for an entity with technical experience in understanding and working on earth stations to serve as a Relocation Coordinator. The committee should proceed by consensus; however, if a vote on selection of a Relocation Coordinator is required, it shall be by a majority. In the event that the search committee fails to select a Relocation Coordinator and to notify the Commission by January 1, 2027, the search committee will be dissolved without further action by the Commission, and the Commission will initiate a procurement of a Relocation Coordinator to facilitate the transition.

Eligible Space Station Operators

The Upper C-band R&O establishes rules to transition incumbent FSS C-band users out of 4.0-4.16 GHz. The Commission's approach requires eligible space station operators to lead this transition process and, if they complete the requisite clearing process by each Transition Deadline, they will become eligible for incentive payments. To this end, the Commission requires the following information from each eligible space station operator: (1) status of its clearing efforts on a quarterly basis, beginning March 31, 2027; (2) a timely Certification of Completion that certifies it has completed the necessary clearing actions to satisfy the relevant Transition Deadline. The certification must be filed once the eligible space station operator completes its obligations but no later than the relevant Transition Deadline referenced in section 27.1412(a) of the Commission's rules. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will prescribe the form of such certification; and (3) notice of any incumbent earth station transition delays, which must be submitted to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau within seven days of discovering an inability to accomplish the assigned earth station transition task. Such a request must include supporting documentation to allow for resolution as soon as practicable and must be submitted before the relevant Transition Deadline.

OMB Control Number: 3060-1281.

Title: 3.7 GHz Service Licensee and Earth Station Operator Agreements; 3.7 GHz Service Licensee Engineering Analysis.

Form Number: N/A.

Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities; Not for profit institutions; State, Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents and Responses: 30 respondents and 30 responses.

Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours-5 hours.

Frequency of Response: Recordkeeping requirement; on occasion reporting requirement; third-party disclosure requirement.

Obligation to Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this information collection is contained in sections 1, 2, 4(i), 4(j), 5(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 316 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 152, 154(i), 154(j), 155(c), 201, 302, 303, 304, 307(e), 309, and 316.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 120 hours.

Total Annual Costs: No costs.

Needs and Uses: On February 28, 2020, in furtherance of the goal of releasing more mid-band spectrum into the market to support and enable next-generation wireless networks, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 20-22 ( 3.7 GHz Report and Order), in which it reallocated the use of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, also known as the C-band. Prior to the 3.7 GHz Report and Order, the 3.7-4.2 GHz band was allocated in the United States exclusively for non-Federal use on a primary basis for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Fixed Service. Domestically, space station operators used the entire 3.7-4.2 GHz band to provide downlink signals of various bandwidths to licensed transmit-receive, registered receive-only, and unregistered receive-only earth stations throughout the United States.

The 3.7 GHz Report and Order called for the relocation of existing FSS operations in the band into the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0-4.2 GHz) and made available the lower 280 megahertz (3.7-3.98 GHz) for flexible use terrestrial wireless services throughout the contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public auction of overlay licenses. The Commission adopted a robust transition schedule to facilitate the prompt relocation of FSS operations so that a significant amount of spectrum could be made available quickly for next-generation wireless deployments.

On July 22, 2026, once again in furtherance of the goal of releasing more mid-band spectrum into the market to support and enable next-generation wireless networks, the Commission adopted a Report and Order, FCC 26-46 ( Upper C-band R&O), in which it further reallocated the use of the 4.0-4.2 GHz portion of the C-Band. The 4.0-4.2 GHz band currently is allocated in the United States exclusively for non-Federal use on a primary basis for Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) and Fixed Service. Domestically, eligible space station operators use the 4.0-4.2 GHz band to provide downlink signals of various bandwidths to licensed transmit-receive, registered receive-only, and unregistered receive-only earth stations throughout the United States.

The Upper C-band R&O again calls for the relocation of existing FSS operations in the C-band, making an additional 160 megahertz (3.98-4.14 GHz) available for flexible-use terrestrial wireless service throughout the contiguous United States through a Commission-administered public auction of licenses that must be completed by July 4, 2027, pursuant to a mandate in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As before, the Commission adopted a robust transition schedule to achieve an expeditious clearing and relocation of FSS operations and ensure that a significant amount of spectrum is made available quickly for next-generation wireless deployments, while also ensuring effective accommodation of relocated incumbent users. Pursuant to the Upper C-band R&O, all incumbent FSS operations in the contiguous United States must clear the 4.0-4.16 GHz portion of the C-band by December 30, 2030, or June 30, 2031, to ensure a timely transition process. Some residual incumbent FSS links or services will remain in the 4.16-4.2 GHz portion of the band, while others will be relocated to other spectrum bands.

In both the 3.7 GHz Report and Order and Upper C-band R&O, the Commission concluded that, once the transitions are complete, coordination measures are needed to protect any incumbent FSS operations that remain in the C-band. To accomplish this goal ( printed page 63560) most effectively, the Commission is seeking approval for a revised information collection to collect information from existing and new 3.7 GHz Service licensees as described below:

3.7 GHz Service Licensee and Earth Station Operator Agreements—(47 CFR 27.1424)

The Commission determined that 3.7 GHz Service licensees are required to comply with certain technical rules and coordination practices designed to reduce the risk of interference to incumbent operations. Specifically, 3.7 GHz Service licensees are required to comply with specific power flux density (PFD) limits to protect incumbent earth stations from out-of-band emissions and blocking and to coordinate frequency usage with incumbent Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) earth stations. The 3.7 GHz Report and Order and the Upper C-band R&O allow 3.7 GHz Service licensees and FSS C-Band earth station operators to modify these PFD limits, but they require a 3.7 GHz Service licensee that is a party to such an agreement to maintain a copy of the agreement in its station files and disclose it, upon request, to prospective license assignees, transferees, or spectrum lessees, and to the Commission. This information collection promotes safety of operations in the band and ensures that all relevant stakeholders have access to important coordination and technical aspects of the transition.

3.7 GHz Service Licensee Engineering Analysis—(3.7 GHz Report and Order at Paragraph 384, Upper C-Band R&O at Paragraph 86)

The Commission concluded in the 3.7 GHz Report and Order and the Upper C-band R&O that 3.7 GHz Service licensees shall be required, post-transition, to comply with certain rules to coordinate operations, minimize interference, and protect C-band incumbents. To that end, the 3.7 GHz Report and Order and the Upper C-band R&O required any 3.7 GHz Service licensee with base stations located within the appropriate coordination distance to provide upon request an engineering analysis to the TT&C operator to demonstrate their ability to comply with the applicable −6 dB I/N criteria.

91 FR 63557