Under the FCC's new Rules, EBS Licensees are required to resolve any co-channel protected service area (PSA) overlap by "splitting the football," in order to avoid harmful electronic interference. BIAfn offers a custom mapping service to determine the EBS or BRS license’s GSA and resolve overlapping coverage issues.

Further Clarification of the Initial (2004) BRS/EBS Order

Agency Actions

Continued efforts to transform the rules and policies governing the licensing of the Educational Broadband Service (EBS) and the Broadband Radio Service (BRS) in the 2495-2690 MHz (2.5 GHz band), Order and Memorandum Opinion, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, WT Docket 03-66, 02-68, 23 FCC Rcd 5992, 73 FR 54324.

FCC 08-83 Order: pdf - Word - Erratum (DOC-281542A1_Erratum.doc)

FCC News Release: FCC Advances Rules for Broadband Radio Service (BRS) and Educational Broadband Service (EBS) in the 2496-2690 MHz Band (3/20/08) pdf - Word

Executive Summary

In 2008 the FCC took the following actions in response to petitions for reconsideration of its BRS/EBS Order:

Adopt the small business size standards and bidding credits proposed in the BRS/EBS Notice of Proposed Rule Making.

“Small business” -- an entity with attributed average annual gross revenues not exceeding $40 million for the preceding three years;

“Very small business” -- an entity with attributed average annual gross revenues not exceeding $15 million for the same period; and

An “entrepreneur” -- an entity with attributed annual average gross revenues not exceeding $3 million for the same period).

Affirm that ITFS/EBS excess capacity leases executed before January 10, 2005, cannot run in perpetuity and are limited to 15 years

Amend its rules to permit lessees to offer EBS licensees/lessors the actual equipment used or comparable equipment on lease termination.

Adopt a rule to clarify that commercial EBS licensees are not subject to special EBS leasing restrictions or educational programming requirements.

Clarify how the “splitting-the-football” process is used to divide overlapping geographic service areas with licenses that expired and are later reinstated.

Request public comments on various alternatives for licensing unassigned EBS spectrum, including spectrum auctions.