Exchange of Letters for Arrangement V

August 20, 2013

Ms. Mignon L. Clyburn
Acting Chairwoman
Federal Communications Commission
445 Twelfth Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
USA

Lawrence E. Strickling
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information
United States Department of Commerce
1401 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC.
USA

Dear Ms. Clyburn and Mr. Strickling:

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 fixed services operating in the bands 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, 92-94 GHz and 94.1-95 GHz along our common border.

Like you, I believe that the operational provisions reflected in new draft Arrangement V 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 V, 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), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and Industry Canada (IC) have discussed and exchanged information in an effort to reach a new arrangement regarding the sharing and coordination of frequency spectrum for the establishment and operation of fixed services operating in the bands 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, 92-94 GHz and 94.1-95 GHz along the Canada-United States border. During these meetings, FCC, NTIA and IC staff reached an understanding on proposed draft text for the new arrangement entitled "Arrangement V" (attached to this letter).

Arrangement V 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. Proposed Arrangement V could become a part of that agreement or part of a potential replacement agreement. That issue and the proposed text is 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 and NTIA that the technical and procedural provisions provide a basis for allowing licensees to implement services.

Taking the above into account, the FCC and the NTIA intend to apply the operational provisions of the attached Arrangement V, on an interim basis, to facilitate sharing and coordination of the frequency spectrum. We ask Canada to confirm that it intends to take the same course of action in this regard so that IC, NTIA, and FCC can start to implement the appropriate inter-agency procedures.

Sincerely,

Enclosure

Draft Arrangement V: Draft Sharing Arrangement between the Department of Industry of Canada and the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the United States of America Concerning the Use of the Frequency Bands 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, 92-94 GHz and 94.1-95 GHz by the Fixed Service along the Canada-United States Border.