Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB)Licensing System Overview

May 19, 2015

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WTB SystemsPrimary Responsibility Universal Licensing

System Antenna Structure

Registration System TCNS/Section 106 Spectrum Dashboard

Support Responsibility CORES Pay Fees Genesis

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ULShttp://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/

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What is ULS?

Access: Electronic filing system that provides secure, world-wide access to licensing information through the Internet

Searches: ULS is a search engine to research application and license records

Major Components: Filing Batch ProcessesScreeningApplication ProcessingSearchesOutputs

Interfaces: ULS interfaces with other systems

Other Systems: ULS also includes the Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) filing process, Ownership, and the Unlicensed Wireless Microphone Registration process

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Services from 11 Rule Parts

Rule Part Examples13 Commercial operator

22 Two-way paging, 800 MHz cellular (cell phones)

24 1.9 GHz (cell phones)

27 700 MHz (cell phones, BRS/EBS (fixed broadband)

74 Broadcast support (insert)

80 Ship

87 Aviation

90 Land mobile (public safety, utilities, business)

95 Personal/hobby (GMRS, C/B radio)

97 Amateur

101 Microwave (backhaul)

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2,000,000 Active Licenses

64%

35%

1%

65%

25%

10%

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Entity Types Categories

Non Technical

Sites

MarketsGovernment

Individuals

Businesses

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Licensing Information

Exclusive Use Site/frequency Market/channel block

Shared Use Site/frequency Non technical

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Site-By-Site vs. Markets

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Application Overview

40%

26%

21%

13%

Categories of Applications in ULS

Admin

Modifications

New

Other

Almost 500,000

Applications Per Year

ULS Interaction

Universal Licensing System

• ASR

• CORES

• Pay Fees

• Genesis/Redlight

• IRAC

• COSER

• Auctions Bidding10

Licensing Process

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Application is Filed online, paper, batch

Form 601 Application for Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Radio Service Authorization

Form 602 FCC Ownership Disclosure Information for the Wireless Telecommunications Services

Form 603 FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Application for Assignments of Authorization and Transfers of Control

Form 605Quick-Form Application for Authorization in the Ship, Aircraft, Amateur, Restricted and Commercial Operator, and General Mobile Radio Services

Form 608 Application or Notification for Spectrum Leasing Arrangement or Private Commons Arrangement

Form 609-TFCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Application To Report Designated Entity Eligibility Event

Form 611-T FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Annual Report Related to Eligibility for Designated Entity Benefits

On-Line Filing in ULShttps://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

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Electronic Authorization Selection

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Licensing Process (cont.)

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Back end processing 1000’s of validations

• Front end validations occur prior to application submittal

• More complex validations run during nightly batch process• Edits for all applications (e.g. fees, ASR)• Service specific edits (e.g. technical edits, international

coordination)• Purpose specific edits (e.g. name changes, transfers,

assignments)

Back End Processing -Batch

Nightly:

Validations

Public Notice

Offline Applications

Auto Process

Other Scheduled Times:

Auto Term

Auto Expire Licenses

Delete Saved Applications

Generate Reminder Letters (Renewal & Buildout)

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Back End Processing - Screening

Major Screening Process

ASR CanadaIRACMexicoQuiet ZoneFee Sufficiency (Genesis)DCIA Red Light

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Licensing Process (cont.)

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Manual processing70% of applications

auto-processed

• 30 % of applications require FCC staff• Coordination• Engineering analysis• Legal review

• Applications go to Inbox

• Manually take action on application (grant, dismiss, return) once review is completed

Licensing Process (cont.)

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Output licenses, letters

• Licenses are available electronically with the option for printed license

• Letters are printed and mailed

• ULS has additional outputs not related to application (public notices, renewal reminder letters, construction reminder letters, etc.)

Outputs – Electronic AuthorizationsLicensees can download electronic versions of the authorization from

within License Manager.

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Outputs – Weekly Public Notices (PNs)

ULS generates 20 separate public notices on a weekly basis.

The 10 PNs listed below for each of the two bureaus (WTB and PSHSB).

http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=weekly_pns_home

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Data Access

ULS Data Structure

Applications Licenses Licenses Archive Form 602 Ownership

ULS Public Access

Application Search License Search License Archive

Search 602 Ownership Search License Search API Data downloads

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Data – Public Access Download Files

The Public Access Download Files are located at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/index.htm?job=downloads

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http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/searchAppl.jsp

Application Search

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License Search

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp

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New Map Feature

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Help and Assistancehttp://esupport.fcc.gov

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Adaptive Modulation

• Uses different modulation rates and types

• ULS stores modulation rate and type with emission

• ULS allows multiple emissions to be stacked on a single frequency

• List each unique emission designator, modulation rate, and modulation type

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Adaptive Modulation (cont.)

• Uses different EIRPs, modulation rates and types

• Must list each Frequency/EIRP combination separately on a path

• If variation in EIRP is no greater than 3db can provide only the highest EIRP

• Licensee would want to consider whether mod schemes with lower EIRP would be adequately protected in an IX analysis

• Must still list each unique emission designator, modulation rate, and modulation type

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Adaptive Modulation (cont.)

• 101.141 payload capacity requirements apply, but with adaptive modulation the payload capacity is allowed to drop below the minimum for short periods of time

• If low order modulation schemes are used then the applicant must attach a certification that the path is designed to operate with a modulation scheme that meets the minimum payload capacity requirements at least 99.95% of the time

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Q&A

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