Pending an ongoing FCC inquiry, the International, Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus (Bureaus) have announced a temporary freeze effective April 19, 2018, on applications for new/modified fixed-satellite service earth station licenses, receive only earth station registrations, and fixed microwave licenses in the 3.7-4.2 GHz frequency band. The freeze is intended to preserve the landscape as the FCC considers potential opportunities for wireless broadband services in its 2017 Mid-Band Spectrum proceeding. As a limited exception to the freeze, the International Bureau (IB) opened a 90-day window until July 18, 2018, for entities to file applications for existing constructed and operational earth stations as of April 19, 2018, that are not registered/licensed. As many receive-only earth station operators are deterred from registering their stations due to the cost of coordination, the IB also temporarily waives the frequency coordination requirement. The freeze does not extend to renewal or cancellation applications or modifications to correct location or other data. The Bureaus will consider requests for waiver of the freeze on a case-by-case basis.
