build out demonstration & engineering methodology …

Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, Inc. Call Sign: WPWU902_CMA315_AK1_Wade-Hampton_Sub_0

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BUILD OUT DEMONSTRATION & ENGINEERING METHODOLOGY WPWU902_CMA315_AK1-Wade-Hampton L700C (WZ)

Showing of Substantial Service

(Safe Harbor 20% Pops Covered Mobile or Fixed Wireless Service) Build-Out Performance: 68.7%

Summary Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, Inc. ("ASTAC") is licensed under call sign WPWU902 to operate a WZ lower 700 MHz system on Block C in Submarket 0 of CMA315–Alaska 1, Wade Hampton. This market consists of the following Alaska boroughs or census areas that are treated as county equivalents (collectively referred to as counties and individually as a county) and Population:

The seven (7) counties licensed under WPWU902 which comprise CMA315 have a total 2010 Census count of 145,928 pops, of which ASTAC, collectively through its own activities and the activities of its spectrum lessee, is providing coverage with FCC minimum Broadband speeds of 1Mb/S DL and 200 Kb/S UL at cell edge to precisely 100,212 pops or 68.7% of the total


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population of CMA315. The calculated percentage of coverage of 68.7% of pops exceeds the FCC L700C WZ substantial service safe harbor threshold of coverage for 20% of the pops under fixed wireless point-to-multipoint or mobile services. ASTAC – Leases WPWU902 AT&T Mobility Spectrum LLC L000023101 – ASTAC is licensed to operate this lower 700 MHz system on Block C in the Alaska 1-Wade Hampton Cellular Market Area (“CMA”). This license is subject to a De Facto Transfer Lease Agreement with AT&T Mobility Spectrum LLC (“AT&T”). Pursuant to Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) rule section 1.9030(d)(5)(i), ASTAC may attribute to itself the build-out or performance activities of its spectrum lessee for purposes of complying with the build-out or performance requirement for this license. This exhibit is based, in large part, upon information from AT&T and coverage from AT&T’s network deployment pursuant to the lease. As shown herein, ASTAC has satisfied its construction benchmark by utilizing AT&T’s activities. OTZ Telecommunications L000020290 – The license also is subject to a De Facto Transfer Lease Agreement with OTZ Telecommunications (“OTZ”), however, ASTAC does not seek to attribute to itself any buildout activities of OTZ, and this exhibit includes no contribution from the OTZ lease. Engineering This Engineering Exhibit has been prepared to demonstrate ASTAC’s compliance with the final build-out obligations in Section 27.14(a) of the Rules by demonstrating that ASTAC provides coverage that exceeds the substantial service safe harbors which the Commission adopted in FCC 01-364 Section E, paragraph 151. Section 27.14(a) of the Rules requires Lower 700 MHz licensees holding cellular market area authorizations for Block C in the 710-716 MHz and 740-746 MHz bands to provide substantial service no later than June 13, 2019. In FCC 01-364, the Commission adopted a safe harbor pursuant to which a licensee may demonstrate substantial service by demonstrating that the licensee provides signal coverage and offers fixed point-to-multipoint or mobile services to at least 20 percent of the population of the licensed area (“Safe Harbor”). Section 1.946(d) of the Commission’s rules requires licensees to demonstrate substantial service by filing a construction notification no later than 15 days after the build-out deadline. ASTAC serves the licensed area with a RSSI signal level sufficient enough to provide coverage and offer substantial service (Safe Harbor) to 100,212 potential subscribers. A coverage map is included with this performance showing. As of the date of this filing, ASTAC is covering and offering Broadband Service to 68.7% of the licensed area population, fulfilling its final L700C Safe Harbor build-out obligations.


Exhibit 1 of 27

Radio Access Network (RAN) Design Objectives ASTAC has chosen to deploy 4G Long Term Evolution (“LTE”) Fixed Wireless Radio Access Network (“RAN”) and/or 4G LTE Mobile Wireless RAN in various areas within its licensed area with two main objectives:

• First to provide Wireless 4G LTE minimum Broadband data services to the rural subscribers of CMA315 _ Alaska_1_Wade-Hampton_C_ Sub_0 who lack high speed internet access capability.

• Second to provide coverage to a minimum of 20% of population of the licensed area with Broadband coverage to comply with the FCC L700C (WZ) Safe Harbor licensing requirements.

As part of the RF design objective ASTAC has chosen a Cell-Edge RSSI representing the FCC minimum Broadband throughput of 1 Mb/S Down Link and 200 Kb/S Up Link as its minimal coverage objective. Calculations and methodology information provided below contain the information supporting this demonstration of compliance with ASTAC’s final build-out obligations.

Mobile LTE (AT&T Lease) Equipment Deployed, Technology Employed and Services Available (AT&T Lease) ASTAC (through the AT&T Lease) has implemented an LTE outdoor Mobile Wireless RAN manufactured by Ericsson and UE LTE FCC Power Class 3 (200mw) Handsets from various manufacturers. The RAN equipment utilizes LTE technology for digital signal transmission over the air between Ericsson’s LTE BTS Tri-Sector Controller using tower mounted RRHx2 700MHz MIMO Radios with the following licensed capabilities:

• 10 UL X 10 MHz (B and C blocks combined) DL operational bandwidth at Band 17 (UL 704-716 & DL 734-746 MHz)

• 30 Watt (+44.8 dBm) per each branch of MIMO E-Node-B radio (two) • Downlink 100 Mb/S Throughput, Uplink 50 Mb/S per E-Node-B • Connected Users 100 per site (Expandable with License Upgrade) • Cell-Range 32 Km or 20.5 miles (Maximum Licensed Distance-Expandable)

And the following E-Node-B Equipment Specifications:

• Shelter mounted E-Node-B RRU radios • Two transmit and two receive antenna elements at 13.8 dBi gain (lowest gain model

used) • Half inch super-flex jumpers and RF connectors </= -2.2 dB loss


Exhibit 1 of 27

The UE Handset FCC Power Class 3 (200 mw) Smart Phone models 4G LTE outdoor unit with 0 dBi (unity gain) integrated antenna at the subscriber height of five feet above ground level. Typical Mobile Hand Set Performance Capabilities (AT&T Lease)

• Operational Bandwidth: 1-3-5-10-15-20 MHz • Two MIMO Capable Radios • B12&17 Bands: (L700A 698-704 UL & 728-734 MHz) or L700B (UL 704-710 & DL

734-740 MHz) or L700C (UL 710-716 & 740-746 MHz) • Transmit Power: 200 mWatt (+23 dBm) FCC Power Class 3 Transmit Power • Throughput: DL 100 Mb/S & Uplink 50 Mb/S

ASTAC believes that the FCC’s 4G minimum Broadband requirements of 200 Kb/S Uplink and 1 Mb/S Downlink is a good cell edge minimum throughput value for licensing an LTE mobile wireless RAN. The LTE Link budget below incorporates both E-Node-B, and UE Transmit powers, Noise Figures, antenna gains, jumper and connector losses, and fade margins for 70% cell edge – 90% Area coverage (wireless industry accepted standard), along with resource blocks, radio bearer, occupied bandwidth, and Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (“SINR”) to determine the E-Node-B and UE receiver sensitivities and the Uplink and Downlink Maximum Allowable Path Loss.


Exhibit 1 of 27

The above link budget calculates that the RAN will be uplink limited given the specified throughput requirements, SINR considerations, and all the associated gains and losses. A calculated maximum allowable path loss of approximately 144.5 dB is needed to meet the Minimum Broadband Uplink objective of better than 200 Kb/S at Cell Edge. Since the Uplink MAPL is the limiting link, calculating a Balanced Path will determine the potential Downlink Cell Edge Throughput. This calculation is provided in the Balanced Path Link Budget below.


Exhibit 1 of 27

The Balance Path Link Budget indicates that over 90% of the LTE Fixed Wireless cell edge coverage footprint, the Downlink can support 3 Mb/S or greater, and the Uplink can support 234 Kb/S or greater. Note: Subscriber units located closer to the transmitting Base-Station will experience more robust overall Uplink and Downlink throughputs. The Reference Signal (“RS”) is utilized continuously in LTE as the radio channel estimator to estimate the RF Channel strength and quality and assign an appropriate radio bearer to the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (“PDSCH”). The RS represents only a small fraction of the total power of the RF carrier such that EiRP of the RS is 27.8 dB below Maximum EiRP. This calculated reduction for RS, along with the link budget maximum path loss calculation or 144.5 dB results in the cell edge target predicted Outdoors RSRP threshold of >-116.7 dBm.


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Calculated RS power reduction 27.8 dB = (10 Log (50[resource blocks] X 12[resource elements])) Calculation RSRP = ((59.2(Max EiRP]-27.8)-144.5[MAPL]) = -116.7 dBm RSRP predicted. A LTE Reference Signal Receive Power (“RSRP”) signal level of -116.7 dBm is considered by ASTAC and the Ericsson Base-station equipment (RSRP used at > -124 dBm by Ericsson RBS) as the appropriate RSRP threshold to provide a typical Outdoors hand held UE at 5 ft. above ground level coverage, as discussed above in the link budgets for the specified cell edge throughputs. The Reference Signal along with the other Physical Controlling Channels are required for continual LTE channel estimation and is a vital portion of the LTE technology. However, the Data Sessions (the actual downloading by multiple connected users of data files such as Netflix, photographs, and emails) are handled by PDSCH. Once again using the Uplink Maximum Allowable Path Loss of 144.7 dB is the limiting link, the RSSI of the LTE Physical Channels can be calculated and is shown below. Calculation RSSI (All Physical Channels) RSSI = 56.4 dBm (Max EiRP) – 144.5 dB (MALP) = >-88.1 dBm for Outdoor Mobile Hand-held Propagation Modeling Outdoors Mobile (AT&T Lease) ASTAC has utilized Forsk’s ATOLL RF propagation tool that is widely used in the wireless industry. ASTAC is using the Okumura-Hata propagation model, 30-meter USGS terrain, and 19 class USGS Alaska clutter to determine reliable coverage areas where ASTAC (AT&T Lease) is offering Outdoors Mobile Data Service. The RF environment in AT&T’s leased area in CMA315 is considered Suburban to Quasi-open consisting of mainly distributed forest lands. Below is a breakdown of the 19 Class Clutter morphologies, Okumura-Hata Model used for morphology, and the total area and percentage of defined morphology classes.

Morphology Rural Model Area (mi2) Percentage

High Intensity Developed Urban (Medium-Small City) 2.45 0.1

Medium Intensity Developed Suburban 3.63 0.16

Low Intensity Developed Rural-quasi-open 56.16 2.41

Open Space Developed - Roads Rural-Open 34.38 1.48


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Cultivated Crops Rural-quasi-open 41.21 1.77

Forest Evergreen Suburban 477.0 20.46

Pasture Hay Rural-Open 4.59 0.2

Forest Deciduous Suburban 220.7 9.47

Shrub Rural-Quasi-Open 442.27 19.0

Forest Mixed Rural-Quasi-Open 117.9 5.06

Open Water Rural-Open 159.7 6.85

Barren Land Rural-Open 141.7 6.08

Herbaceous Wetlands Rural- Open 30.56 1.31

Herbaceous Grasslands Rural-Open 100.38 4.3

Woody Wetlands Rural-Quasi-Open 466.12 20.0

Dwarf Shrub * AK Only Rural-Open 29.36 1.27

Sedge * AK Only (Wetland growth)

Rural-Open 1.63 0.07

Moss * AK Only Rural-Open 0.04 0.0

Perennial Ice-Snow Rural-Open 0.93 0.04

Seventy-four (74.0) percent of the area is various forest lands and populated areas of this RF environment, therefore, ASTAC believes that a Suburban to Quasi-Open modeling is good for the forest lands and the populated areas, and a Rural-Open Area modeling is valid for the remaining clutter morphologies of the remainder of the market Clutter Classes. The small areas (approximately, 96.6 Sq. Miles) of High and Medium Intensity Developed were assigned Urban (Medium-Small City) and Suburban propagation models respectively. The Okumura/Hata propagation models utilized by the ATOLL for the ASTAC Outdoors Mobile Wireless Data System are defined as follows:


Exhibit 1 of 27

As part of the RF propagation, the Licensed LTE feature of “Cell Range” must be addressed. ASTAC has utilized a Cell Range of 32 Km or 20.5 in this WPWU902 Construction Notice. Using ATOLL’s propagation distance calculation settings, all contributing site’s RF Coverage footprints are within the link budget throughput estimates at the specified RSSI for target throughputs. However, commercial service and the population coverage calculated for this Construction Notice are limited to the licensed “Cell Range” distance. License Pops Calculation – Methodology (AT&T Lease) As noted above, ASTAC has leased spectrum to AT&T in a portion of CMA315. The boundary of the leased area is defined by a polygon in the FCC ULS. ASTAC utilized the ATOLL RF propagation prediction tool to determine areas of Mobile Wireless Broadband


Exhibit 1 of 27

coverage within the AT&T leased area. This coverage was then over-laid on the 2010 Tiger Census Block population data, and pops under coverage are calculated in ATOLL, using the methodology that the percentage of Census Block covered by Broadband Coverage is equal to the same percentage of Pops covered.

Area Coverage Calculation (AT&T Lease) The Outdoors Mobile Wireless Broadband service area coverage is overlaid on the attached map of the licensed geographic area. As demonstrated herein, ASTAC (AT&T Lease) is currently providing signal coverage, i.e., an RSSI (all LTE physical channels) of -88.1 dBm or higher, and offering Outdoors Minimum Broadband Mobile Data Service to a geographic area of 2,331 square miles and 93,210 Pops in the AT&T leased area. ASTAC (through its lessee, AT&T) provides this coverage and service utilizing fifty-three (53) Mobile Wireless transmitter facilities within the AT&T leased area.


Exhibit 1 of 27

Fixed Wireless Desktop Modem LTE (ASTAC)

Equipment Deployed, Technology Employed and Services Available (ASTAC FW Desktop) ASTAC has implemented an LTE Fixed Wireless Desktop Modem RAN manufactured by Nokia and Cisco 819 4G LTE Desktop Modem, which is an FCC Power Class 3 (200mw) Desktop Modem. The RAN equipment utilizes LTE technology for digital signal transmission over the air between Nokia’s LTE BTS Tri-Sector Controller using tower mounted RRHx2 700MHz MIMO Radios with the following licensed capabilities:

• 5 UL X 5 MHz C blocks DL operational bandwidth at Band 17 – Band 13 (UL 710-716 & DL 740-746 MHz)

• 20 Watt (+43.0 dBm) per each branch of MIMO E-Node-B radio (two) • Downlink 50 Mb/S Throughput, Uplink 25 Mb/S per E-Node-B • Connected Users 100 per site (Expandable with License Upgrade) • Cell-Range 32 Km or 20.5 miles (Maximum Licensed Distance-Expandable)


• Shelter mounted E-Node-B RRU radios • Two transmit and two receive antenna elements at 14.3 dBi gain (lowest gain model

used) • Half inch super-flex jumpers and RF connectors </= -1.2 dB loss

The UE is an FCC Power Class 3 (200 mw) Desktop model 4G LTE unit with +1 dBi integrated antenna at the subscriber height of five feet above ground level. The Cisco 819 Desktop Modem Performance Capabilities (ASTAC FW Modem)

• Operational Bandwidth: 5-10-15-20 MHz • Two MIMO Capable Radios • B12&17 Bands: (L700A 698-704 UL & 728-734 MHz) or L700B (UL 704-710 & DL

734-740 MHz) or L700C (UL 710-716 & 740-746 MHz) • Transmit Power: 200 mWatt (+23 dBm) FCC Power Class 3 Transmit Power • Throughput: DL 100 Mb/S & Uplink 50 Mb/S

ASTAC believes that the FCC’s Minimum Broadband requirements of 200 Kb/S Uplink and 1 Mb/S Downlink is a good cell edge minimum throughput value for licensing an LTE fixed wireless RAN with an in-building UE Desktop Modem. The LTE Link budget below incorporates both E-Node-B, and UE Transmit powers, Noise Figures, antenna gains, jumper and connector losses, and fade margins for 70% cell edge – 90% Area coverage (wireless industry


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accepted standard), along with resource blocks, radio bearer, occupied bandwidth, and Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (“SINR”) to determine the E-Node-B and UE receiver sensitivities and the Uplink and Downlink Maximum Allowable Path Loss.

The above link budget calculates that the RAN will be uplink limited given the specified throughput requirements, SINR considerations, and all the associated gains and losses. A calculated maximum allowable path loss of approximately 133.9 dB is needed to meet the Minimum Broadband Uplink objective of better than 200 Kb/S at Cell Edge.


Exhibit 1 of 27

Since the Uplink MAPL is the limiting link, calculating a Balanced Path will determine the potential Downlink Cell Edge Throughput. This calculation is provided in the Balanced Path Link Budget below.

The Balance Path Link Budget indicates that over 90% of the LTE Fixed Wireless cell edge coverage footprint, the Downlink can support 2.9 Mb/S or greater, and the Uplink can support 213 Kb/S or greater. Note: Subscriber units located closer to the transmitting Base-Station will experience more robust overall Uplink and Downlink throughputs.


Exhibit 1 of 27

The Reference Signal (“RS”) is utilized continuously in LTE as the radio channel estimator to estimate the RF Channel strength and quality and assign an appropriate radio bearer to the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (“PDSCH”). The RS represents only a small fraction of the total power of the RF carrier such that EiRP of the RS is 24.8 dB below Maximum EiRP. This calculated reduction for RS, along with the link budget maximum path loss calculation or 133.9 dB results in the cell edge target predicted In-Building RSRP threshold of >-102.6 dBm. Calculated RS power reduction 24.8 dB = (10 Log (25[resource blocks] X 12[resource elements])) Calculation RSRP = ((56.1(Max EiRP]-24.8)-133.9[MAPL]) = -102.6 dBm RSRP predicted at the Desktop Modem. An LTE Reference Signal Receive Power (“RSRP”) signal level of -102.6 dBm is considered by ASTAC and the Nokia Base-station equipment (RSRP used at > -124 dBm by Nokia RBS) as the appropriate RSRP threshold to provide a typical In-Building FW Desktop Modem at 5 ft. above ground level coverage, as discussed above in the link budgets for the specified cell edge throughputs. The Reference Signal along with the other Physical Controlling Channels are required for continual LTE channel estimation and is a vital portion of the LTE technology. However, the Data Sessions (the actual downloading by multiple connected users of data files such as Netflix, photographs, and emails) are handled by the PDSCH. Once again using the Uplink Maximum Allowable Path Loss of 133.9 dB is the limiting link, the RSSI of the LTE Physical Channels can be calculated and is shown below. Calculation RSSI (All Physical Channels) RSSI = 56.1 dBm (Max EiRP) – 133.9 dB (MALP) = >-77.8 dBm – In-Building Desktop Modem Propagation Modeling Outdoors Mobile (ASTAC FW Desktop Modem) ASTAC has utilized Forsk’s ATOLL RF propagation tool that is widely used in the wireless industry. ASTAC is using the Okumura-Hata propagation model, 30-meter USGS terrain, and 19 class USGS Alaska clutter to determine reliable coverage areas where ASTAC is offering In-Building Desktop Modem Data Service. In ASTAC’s non-leased areas in the North Slope of Alaska in CMA315, the RF environment is considered Rural-Open consisting of mainly of low lying Coastal Open Water, Wetlands, and Alaska Sedge (wetland vegetation growth). Below is a breakdown of the 19 Class Clutter morphologies, Okumura-Hata Model used for morphology, and the total area and percentage of defined morphology classes within a 20.5 mile North-Slope Fixed Wireless cell range.


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High Intensity Developed Urban (Medium-Small City) 0 0


Low Intensity Developed - Roads Rural-quasi-open 4.62 0.53

Open Space Developed Rural-Open 0.15 0.02

Cultivated Crops Rural-quasi-open 0 0

Forest Evergreen Suburban 0 0

Pasture Hay Rural-Open 0 0

Forest Deciduous Suburban 0 0


Forest Mixed Rural-Quasi-Open 0 0




Herbaceous Grasslands Rural-Open 0 0

Woody Wetlands Rural-Quasi-Open 0 0

Dwarf Shrub * AK Only Rural-Open 0.06 0.01


Rural-Open 543.7 63.0



Ninety-one (91.0) percent of the area is various low-lying coastal wetlands and wetland vegetation growth (Sedge) which is assigned Rural Open Modeling and a very small area (5 Sq. Mile) of Medium and Low Intensity populated areas in this North-Slope RF environment, and a Suburban to Rural-Quasi-Open Area. The proposed modeling is valid for the remaining clutter morphologies of the remainder of the market Clutter Classes. The Okumura/Hata propagation models utilized by the ATOLL for the ASTAC Outdoors Mobile Wireless Data System are defined as follows:


Exhibit 1 of 27

As part of the RF propagation, the Licensed LTE feature of “Cell Range” must be addressed. ASTAC has utilized a Cell Range of 32 Km or 20.5 in this WPWU902 Construction Notice. Using ATOLL’s propagation distance calculation settings all contributing site’s RF Coverage footprints are within the link budget throughput estimates at the specified RSSI for target


Exhibit 1 of 27

throughputs. However, commercial service and the population coverage calculated for this Construction Notice are limited to the licensed “Cell Range” distance. License Pops Calculation – Methodology (ASTAC FW Desktop) In the non-leased North-Slope Prudhoe Bay area of CMA315, Fixed Wireless In-Building Desktop Modem Coverage is limited to 20.5 miles (Cell Range) for determining the population for which ASTAC is providing Minimum Broadband coverage. ASTAC utilized the ATOLL RF propagation prediction tool to determine areas of Fixed Wireless Desktop Modem Broadband coverage within the cell range. This was then over-laid on the 2010 Tiger Census Block population data, and pops under coverage were calculated in ATOLL, using the methodology that the percentage of Census Block covered by broadband signal is equal to the same percentage of Pops covered.


Exhibit 1 of 27

Area Coverage Calculation (ASTAC’s FW Desktop Modem) The Fixed Wireless Desktop Modem Broadband service area coverage is overlaid on the attached map of the licensed geographic area. As demonstrated herein, ASTAC is currently providing coverage, RSSI (all LTE physical channels) of -77.8 dBm or higher, and offering In-Building Minimum Broadband Mobile Data Service, to an area of 863 square miles and 1,560 Pops. This level of In-Building Desktop Modem Minimum Broadband Wireless Data Service is provided by seven (7) Fixed Wireless transmitter facilities within the Prudhoe Bay Area of the market.

Mobile LTE (ASTAC) Equipment Deployed, Technology Employed and Services Available ASTAC also has implemented an LTE outdoor Mobile Wireless RAN manufactured by Ericsson and UE LTE FCC Power Class 3 (200mw) Handsets from various manufacturers. The RAN equipment utilizes LTE technology for digital signal transmission over the air between Ericsson’s LTE BTS Tri-Sector Controller using tower mounted RRHx2 700MHz MIMO Radios with the following licensed capabilities:

• 10 UL X 10 MHz (B and C blocks combined) DL operational bandwidth at Band 17 (UL 704-716 & DL 734-746 MHz)

• 40 Watt (+46 dBm) per each branch of MIMO E-Node-B radio (two) • Downlink 100 Mb/S Throughput, Uplink 50 Mb/S per E-Node-B • Connected Users 100 per site (Expandable with License Upgrade) • Cell-Range 32 Km or 20.5 miles (Maximum Licensed Distance-Expandable)


• Shelter mounted E-Node-B RRU radios • Two transmit and two receive antenna elements at 16.8 dBi gain • Half inch super-flex jumpers and RF connectors </= -2.2 dB loss

The UE Handset FCC Power Class 3 (200 mw) Smart Phone models 4G LTE outdoor unit with 0 dBi (unity gain) integrated antenna at the subscriber height of five feet above ground level. Typical Mobile Hand Set Performance Capabilities

• Operational Bandwidth: 1-3-5-10-15-20 MHz • Two MIMO Capable Radios • B12&17 Bands: (L700A 698-704 UL & 728-734 MHz) or L700B (UL 704-710 & DL

734-740 MHz) or L700C (UL 710-716 & 740-746 MHz)


Exhibit 1 of 27

• Transmit Power: 200 mWatt (+23 dBm) FCC Power Class 3 Transmit Power • Throughput: DL 100 Mb/S & Uplink 50 Mb/S

ASTAC believes that the FCC’s 4G minimum Broadband requirements of 200 Kb/S Uplink and 1 Mb/S Downlink is a good cell edge minimum throughput value for licensing an LTE mobile wireless RAN. The LTE Link budget below incorporates both E-Node-B, and UE Transmit powers, Noise Figures, antenna gains, jumper and connector losses, and fade margins for 70% cell edge – 90% Area coverage (wireless industry accepted standard), along with resource blocks, radio bearer, occupied bandwidth, and Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (“SINR”) to determine the E-Node-B and UE receiver sensitivities and the Uplink and Downlink Maximum Allowable Path Loss.


Exhibit 1 of 27

The above link budget calculates that the RAN will be uplink limited given the specified throughput requirements, SINR considerations, and all the associated gains and losses. A calculated maximum allowable path loss of approximately 146.9 dB is needed to meet the Minimum Broadband Uplink objective of better than 200 Kb/S at Cell Edge. Since the Uplink MAPL is the limiting link, calculating a Balanced Path will determine the potential Downlink Cell Edge Throughput. This calculation is provided in the Balanced Path Link Budget below.


Exhibit 1 of 27

The Balance Path Link Budget indicates that over 90% of the LTE Fixed Wireless cell edge coverage footprint, the Downlink can support 4 Mb/S or greater, and the Uplink can support 234 Kb/S or greater. Note: Subscriber units located closer to the transmitting Base-Station will experience more robust overall Uplink and Downlink throughputs. The Reference Signal (“RS”) is utilized continuously in LTE as the radio channel estimator to estimate the RF Channel strength and quality and assign an appropriate radio bearer to the


Exhibit 1 of 27

Physical Downlink Shared Channel (“PDSCH”). The RS represents only a small fraction of the total power of the RF carrier such that EiRP of the RS is 27.8 dB below Maximum EiRP. This calculated reduction for RS, along with the link budget maximum path loss calculation or 146.9 dB results in the cell edge target predicted Outdoors RSRP threshold of >-116.7 dBm. Calculated RS power reduction 27.8 dB = (10 Log (50[resource blocks] X 12[resource elements])) Calculation RSRP = ((60.0(Max EiRP]-27.8)-146.9[MAPL]) = -114.7 dBm RSRP predicted. A LTE Reference Signal Receive Power (“RSRP”) signal level of -114.7 dBm is considered by ASTAC and the Ericsson Base-station equipment (RSRP used at > -124 dBm by Ericsson RBS) as the appropriate RSRP threshold to provide a typical Outdoors hand held UE at 5 ft. above ground level coverage, as discussed above in the link budgets for the specified cell edge throughputs. The Reference Signal along with the other Physical Controlling Channels are required for continual LTE channel estimation and is a vital portion of the LTE technology. However, the Data Sessions (the actual downloading by multiple connected users of data files such as Netflix, photographs, and emails) are handled by PDSCH. Once again using the Uplink Maximum Allowable Path Loss of 146.9 dB is the limiting link, the RSSI of the LTE Physical Channels can be calculated and is shown below. Calculation RSSI (All Physical Channels) RSSI = 60.0 dBm (Max EiRP) – 146.9 dB (MALP) = >-86.9 dBm for Outdoor Mobile Hand-held Propagation Modeling Outdoors Mobile ASTAC has utilized Forsk’s ATOLL RF propagation tool that is widely used in the wireless industry. ASTAC is using the Okumura-Hata propagation model, 30-meter USGS terrain, and 19 class USGS Alaska clutter to determine reliable coverage areas where ASTAC is offering Outdoors Mobile Data Service. The RF environment in ASTAC’s Mobile Wireless Service area in CMA315 is considered Suburban to Quasi-open consisting of mainly small coastal communities surrounded by open water or tundra. Below is a breakdown of the 19 Class Clutter morphologies, Okumura-Hata Model used for morphology, and the total area and percentage of defined morphology classes (note: Clutter Classes below were prepared for only this Area shown)


Exhibit 1 of 27


Exhibit 1 of 27


High Intensity Developed Urban (Medium-Small City) 0.0 0.0


Low Intensity Developed Rural-quasi-open 1.5 0.0

Open Space Developed Rural-Open 0.02 0.0

Cultivated Crops Rural-quasi-open 0.0 0.0

Forest Evergreen Suburban 128.9 0.25

Pasture Hay Rural-Open 0.0 0.0

Forest Deciduous Suburban 27.4 0.0


Forest Mixed Rural-Quasi-Open 4.9 0.0




Herbaceous Grasslands Rural-Open 1.4 3.0

Woody Wetlands Rural-Quasi-Open 309.3 0.8

Dwarf Shrub * AK Only Rural-Open 26,921.5 54.6


Rural-Open 14,044.9 28.9



Approximately ninety-eight (98.0) percent of the area is various wetlands, AK shrub, barren land, open water, and perennial snow areas of this RF environment, therefore, ASTAC believes that a Rural-Open model is accurate for most of the market. A Suburban to Quasi-Open modeling is good for the approximate 470 sq. miles of forest lands and the 3.3 sq. miles of populated area were assigned Suburban model for the medium intensity developed area and Quasi-Open model for the low intensity developed area.


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The Okumura/Hata propagation models utilized by the ATOLL for the ASTAC Outdoors Mobile Wireless Data System are defined as follows:


Exhibit 1 of 27

As part of the RF propagation, the Licensed LTE feature of “Cell Range” must be addressed. ASTAC has utilized a Cell Range of 32 Km or 20.5 in this WPWU902 Construction Notice. Using ATOLL’s propagation distance calculation settings, all contributing site’s RF Coverage footprints are within the link budget throughput estimates at the specified RSSI for target throughputs. However, commercial service and the population coverage calculated for this Construction Notice are limited to the licensed “Cell Range” distance. License Pops Calculation – Methodology The three ASTAC remote village locations within CMA315 where ASTAC itself provides Outdoors Mobile Wireless Data are all coastal communities. The calculation boundaries of these three remote village sites are shown below. ASTAC utilized the ATOLL RF propagation prediction tool to determine areas of Mobile Wireless Broadband coverage around these remote villages. This coverage was then over-laid on the 2010 Tiger Census Block population data, and pops under coverage are calculated in ATOLL, using the methodology that the percentage of Census Block covered by Broadband Coverage is equal to the same percentage of Pops covered.


Exhibit 1 of 27

Area Coverage Calculation The Outdoors Mobile Wireless Broadband service area coverage is overlaid on the attached map of the licensed geographic area. As demonstrated herein, ASTAC is currently providing signal coverage, i.e., an RSSI (all LTE physical channels) of -86.9 dBm or higher, and offering Outdoors Minimum Broadband Mobile Data Service to a geographic area of 1,033 square miles and 5,442 Pops in the Barrow, Pt. Hope, and Wainwright remote village locations. ASTAC provides this coverage and service utilizing three (3) Mobile Wireless transmitter facilities within CMA315. Conclusion As demonstrated above and in the associated coverage maps, ASTAC has met the final L700C WZ substantial service build-out requirement, by providing Mobile Wireless or Fixed Wireless Data Service, either directly or through the activities of its lessee, to a combined 100,212 out of 145,928 pops, 68.7%, of the population of the licensed area, thus exceeding the 20% Safe Harbor requirements.

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