August 20, 2013
Ms. Mignon L. Clyburn
Acting Chairwoman
Federal Communications Commission
445 Twelfth Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
USA
Dear Ms. Clyburn:
Thank you for your letter of August 20, 2013, regarding discussions by the U.S.-Canada Radio Technical Liaison Committee (RTLC) concerning the sharing and coordination of land mobile services operating in the bands 896-901 MHz and 935-940 MHz along our common border.
Like you, I believe that the operational provisions reflected in draft Arrangement U will be mutually beneficial to both of our countries. I, therefore, confirm that we intend to apply the technical and procedural provisions of the understanding set out in the draft Arrangement U, attached to your letter, on an interim basis. This will allow licensees to implement services along the Canada-United States border.
I look forward to our continued collaboration in the future.
Yours Sincerely,
Kelly Gillis
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications
August 20, 2013
Ms. Kelly Gillis
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister
Spectrum, Information Technologies and Telecommunications
Industry Canada
Jean Edmonds Tower North
300 Slater Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C8
Dear Ms. Gillis:
In connection with the ongoing meetings of the United States of America-Canada Radio Technical Liaison Committee (RTLC), officials of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Industry Canada (IC) have discussed and exchanged information in an effort to reach a new arrangement regarding the sharing and coordination of spectrum for the establishment and operation of land mobile radio services operating in the frequency bands 896-901 MHz and 935-940 MHz along the Canada-United States border. During these meetings, FCC and IC staff reached an understanding on proposed draft text for such a new arrangement entitled "Arrangement U" (enclosed with this letter).
Arrangement U was drafted to be consistent with the Agreement between the United States of America and Canada on the Coordination and Use of Radio Frequencies Above 30 Megacycles per Second, effected by exchange of notes at Ottawa on October 24, 1962. The proposed Arrangement U could become a part of that agreement or part of a potential replacement agreement. That issue and the proposed text are to be further reviewed by the respective Governments, including their legal officers in this regard. Pending the outcome of such review, it is the view of the FCC that the technical and procedural provisions reflected in the attached Arrangement U provide a sound basis for allowing licensees to implement services.
Taking the above into account, the FCC intends to apply the operational provisions of Arrangement U, on an interim basis, to facilitate sharing and coordination of the frequency bands 896-901 MHz and 935-940 MHz. I would ask IC to confirm that it intends to take the same course of action in this regard so that IC and FCC can start to implement the appropriate inter-agency procedures.
Sincerely,
Ms. Mignon L. Clyburn
Acting Chairwoman
Enclosure
Draft Arrangement U: Sharing Arrangement between the Department of Industry of Canada and the Federal Communications Commission of the United States of America Concerning the Use of the Frequency Bands 896 to 901 MHz and 935 to 940 MHz Along the Canada-United States Border.