FCC Seeks To Reform And Modernize Cellular Licensing Requirements

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took steps to promote government efficiency and eliminate burdensome regulatory processes by providing licensees with greater flexibility to provide advanced communications service in areas currently unlicensed in the 800 MHz Cellular Service (Cellular Service).

The FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and adopted an Order proposing to revise the licensing model for the Cellular Service from a site-based to a geographically-based approach. This proposal would first reduce regulatory requirements in the most licensed markets while preserving the current model for a period to foster the provision of service in less licensed markets. The proposal for a geographically-based model would bring the Cellular Service into harmony with more flexible licensing schemes used successfully by other similar mobile services, such as PCS, the 700 MHz Service, and AWS. This proposal would eliminate burdensome application filings for even minor technical system changes and would allow for greater licensee ability to adapt to technological and marketplace changes.