The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today released a public notice clarifying how it “will accept applications for expanded coverage or additional channels from public safety licensees that elected to remain in the 800 MHz Expansion Band (815-816/860-861 MHz).”

The bureau said “that applications from public safety licensees that chose to remain on Expansion Band channels will be subject to the same process established for other licensees seeking to license Expansion Band channels. Thus, public safety licensees that chose to remain on Expansion Band channels retain the privileges established in the Expansion Band Guidance PN, but their applications for expanded coverage or additional channels will be subject to pre-coordination and will only be accepted on or after the filing date established by the Bureaus for each NPSPAC region.

The Bureaus find this to be in the public interest because it will maintain a stable spectral environment for the Expansion Band prior to the announcement of a filing date and will enable frequency coordinators to precoordinate applications and resolve any conflicts.”