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FCC approves Google’s request for American Samoa

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reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The US Federal Communications Commission has approved Google LLC’s application to operate as a Spectrum Access System (SAS) administrator in the 3.5 GHz band (3550-3700 MHz) in American Samoa.

The approval was issued last Friday by FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and the Office of Engineering and Technology, following an earlier request by Google, which has been providing commercial SAS services continuously since Initial Commercial Deployment was authorized in September 2019.

In it’s May 4th request letter, Google noted that on April 26th the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the US Department of Defense (DoD) notified FCC that it has defined a Dynamic Protection Area (DPAs) for the coastal areas surrounding American Samoa.

According to the FCC, instead of employing an Environmental Sensing Capability to protect the DPAs, a scheduling portal will be used. The portal-activated DPAs will be referred to as P-DPAs.

The federal agency also says that SAS administrators in American Samoa are required to communicate with the portal on a regular basis and protect any P-DPA during scheduled activities. Consistent with the methodology that is used to protect certain federal facilities in the contiguous United States, federal operators may schedule operations in given frequency ranges using the portal.

In its American Samoa request, FCC says Google agreed to immediately implement the P-DPA approach and communicate with the scheduling portal on a regular basis and protect any P- DPA during scheduled activities.

In conclusion, FCC says Google is approved to provide service consistent with the methodology described in NTIA’s American Samoa Protection Letter in the 3550-3650 MHz band in American Samoa for the remainder of its five-year term subject to ongoing compliance with the FCC’s rules and instructions.