Introduction

This article is a complete walk-through for users wanting to register and license LigoWave’s 3.65GHz products for use in the United States. The four main steps include:

  1. Obtaining an FRN (FCC Registration Number)
  2. Obtaining a nationwide 3650 license
  3. Examining ULS for nearby 3650 registrations
  4. Registering each LigoWave 3.65 radio with ULS
If any of the details provided in this guide are unclear of if any questions arise, please send us an e-mail to [email protected] and we will gladly provide assistance.
Legal Disclaimer: this guide is offered as an example walkthrough for the FCC process to register and license LigoWave’s 3.65GHz products for use in the United States. LigoWave offers this guide as an example process only and it is not guaranteed to be complete or accurate for every scenario. By completing and submitting these applications, you are electronically signing a legally binding agreement. Please consult your legal advisor before signing anything.
History & rules

In order to stimulate the rapid expansion of broadband services, the FCC has opened the 3650 – 3670 band for terrestrial wireless broadband operations. The band contains a non-exclusive licensing scheme which strikes a balance between an unlicensed approach and an expensive exclusive licensing scheme. Since every fixed station must be licensed, the band will not contain unknown sources of interference (portable phones, SOHO wireless routers, etc). At the same time, the method provides low entry cost and minimal regulatory delay.

For more information on the 3,650–3,670MHz band, follow this link.

Contention-based protocol

LigoPTP 3 products include a restricted contention-based protocol. This means that LigoPTP 3 products are only operable within 3,650–3,675MHz.

3650 cooperation

In order to promote an effective shared use of the spectrum, all 3650 MHz licensees must cooperate and make every effort to avoid harmful interference. There is no first come, first serve rule in this band. If one user has 3650 equipment on a tower, and a competitor wants to install on the same tower, the original user must do what is necessary to work together with the competitor. To facilitate with this process. All radios are licensed in the FCC database (ULS).

Grandfathered satellite earth stations

The 3.65GHz band is also home to a handful of grandfathered FSS (Fixed Satellite Service) operators. In order to protect these band incumbents, then FCC has imposed exclusion zones in which terrestrial broadband operators are not allowed. There are approximately 100 grandfathered earth stations which have 150km circular protection zones. In order to operate these zones approval must be given by the incumbent FSS operator. Additionally, there are three Federal Government radio location stations that have 80km circular protection zones; usage in these zones will only be approved upon successful coordination by the FCC with the NTIA.

The three grandfathered stations are located at:

  • St. Inigoes, MD 38 10 00 N 76 23 00 W
  • Pascagoula, MS 30 22 00 N 88 29 00 W
  • Pensacola, FL 30 21 28 N 87 16 26 W

To see a list of grandfathered stations follow this link.

Obtaining an FRN (FCC Registration Number)

Before applying for a license to operate in the 3.65GHz band in the US, the company or individual applying for the license must obtain an FRN (FCC Registration Number). This is basically the user account for the FCC ULS (Universal Licensing System).

To register an FRN, navigate to the FCC’s official website located here.

Once on the FCC’s website, locate the option FCC Registration Number (FRN) Commission Registration System (CORES) in the main menu (see image). Click on the link to be transferred to the FCC Registration System.

Once in the main menu of the FCC Registration System, select the option to Register and receive your FRN.

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In the next form, select the appropriate responses (whether you are filing as an individual or as a corporation). If filing as an individual, you will be required to submit your personal social security number. If filing as a corporation, you will be required to submit your corporate tax identification information.

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You will then be directed to a registration form where you will be required to enter registration/contact information for you and/or your organization.

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After completing the registration, you will be provided your FRN number. You will need this FRN number in order to apply for licenses, so print or save the form for your records.

 Obtaining a 3.65GHz nationwide license

To apply for a nationwide 3.65GHz license, navigate to the ULS (Universal Licensing System) website located here.

ULS

You will then see the ULS Menu. Since you have already obtained an FRN number, you will want to click the LOG IN option. If you do not have this information, see the section Obtaining an FRN (FCC Registration Number).

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On the login screen, enter the FRN number and the password that you have submitted when obtaining the FRN number.

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After a successful login, you will be redirected to your license manager. To apply for a new license, click the Apply for a New License option in the menu

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New license

The first option asks what type of radio service the new license will accommodate. In this case you need to choose NN – 3650-3700 MHz.

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You will then begin the registration process.

Applicant information

The first section requests applicant information. Here you will be asked to enter information such as business/individual information, address, etc.

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Contact information

The second section requests corporate/individual contact information.

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Application information

The third section marks the beginning of the application information form. In most cases, you will mark no for any exemptions or rule wavers. You also do not need to enter a renewal date, since the 3650 license is good for ten years.

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The second part of the third section continues with the application information. On this page, verify that the type of license you are applying for is listed as Nationwide & 3650-3700 MHz.

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General information

The fourth section requests general information about the usage of the license. Check each applicable box and continue.

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Alien ownership information

The fifth section requests alien ownership information.

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Basic qualification information

The sixth section requests basic qualification information.

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Summary

The seventh section displays a summary of information provided and displays the fees due to complete the application. Please make sure that all of the information is correct.

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Certification

The eighth and final step in the application process is the electronic signature. Make sure you read and understand all of the certification statements before agreeing and signing the document. After signing, press Submit Application to complete the application process.

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Confirmation

After submitting the application, continue through the following menus to submit the payment to the FCC. Once the payment is complete, you will be provided with a confirmation of your application’s submission and payment.

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You have now completed the application for the 3,650MHz nationwide license. Once the FCC processes and approves the application, you will then be eligible to operate in the 3,650MHz restricted band.

Once granted nationwide license, it is still necessary to register each LigoPTP radio before using them.
Registering each radio location in ULS

Once the nationwide 3.65GHz license has been obtained, it is then necessary to register each location in the FCC ULS (Universal Licensing System) system.

It is required to register each fixed station in the ULS. This means that both the master and the slave sides must be registered.
Logging into the ULS

After logging into the ULS, the Licenses at a Glance section will be displayed. On the right side of the screen, you will see the Work on this License menu. From this menu, select Register Locations.

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Locations

Clicking Register Locations will display a list of your current locations. If you are adding a new location, click Add New Location.

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Application questions

If you are filing for a waiver of the commission’s rules or need to upload attachments, you can do so here.

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Location questions

If there is a possibility that the transmitter may have an environmental effect or if it is located in one of the grandfathered earth station areas, you must enter this info here.

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Site data

In this section, you must enter general information about your transmitter’s site and location.

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  • FCC ASR Number – the antenna structure registration number. If you have already registered this location in the ULS, you can use the previous ASR information you have on file.
  • Site Name – a friendly name that you want to have associated with each location.
  • Transmitter Latitude – the transmitter’s latitude in minutes-seconds.
  • Transmitter Longitude – the transmitter’s longitude in minutes-seconds.
  • City – the city that the transmitter resides in.
  • County/Borough/Parish – the county, borough or parish that the transmitter resides in.
  • State – the state that the transmitter resides in.
  • Elevation of the Site AMSL – the elevation of the site (above mean sea level).
  • Overall Height AGL Without Appurtenances – the height (above ground level) to the highest point of the supporting structure only (without appurtenances).
  • Overall Height AGL With Appurtenances – the overall height (above ground level) of the entire antenna structure to the highest point, including any appurtenances.
  • Support Structure Type – the type of structure the transmitter and antenna will be located on.
Transmitter antenna data

This section contains information about the antenna you will be using with LigoPTP 3 products.

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  • Manufacturer – the manufacturer of the antenna you are using. (If you are using the integrated LigoPTP 3-18, you may indicate LigoWave).
  • Model Number – the model number of the antenna you are using. (If you are using the integrated LigoPTP 3-18, you may indicate LigoPTP 3-18).
  • Gain – the gain of the antenna you are using (in dBi).
  • Beamwidth – the beamwidth of the antenna you are using. For the LigoPTP 3-18, the beamwidth is 22 degrees.
  • Center Line – the height (above ground level) of the center of the antenna.
  • Azimuth – enter the azimuth of the transmit antenna (in degrees; rounded to one decimal place) clockwise from True North. For omni-directional antennas, indicate the value 360.
  • Elevation Angle – the angle of elevation of the antenna.
  • Polarization – select from the following values:
    • E – elliptical
    • F – 45 degrees
    • H – horizontal
    • J – linear
    • L – left-hand circular
    • R – right-hand circular
    • S – horizontal and vertical
    • T – right and left-hand circular
    • V – vertical
    • X – other (provide a description in an attachment)
Equipment data

This section requests more specific information about the radio transmitter.

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LigoPTP 3 and LigoPTP 3 R2 products contain different FCC IDs! Be sure to enter the appropriate FCC ID off the label of your device!
  • FCC ID Number – the FCC ID of the product you are using.
    • For LigoPTP 3 products, it is V2V-PTP3.
    • For LigoPTP 3 R2 products, it is V2V-WMR370.
  • Lower/Center Frequency – the lowest frequency you may use at this location.
  • Upper Frequency – the highest frequency you may use at this location.
  • EIRP – indicate the EIRP (in dBm) radiated by the transmitting antenna.
  • Emission Designator – this designates the transmitter bandwidth (5/10/20MHz) and the emission type. Choose from this list of emission designators based on what bandwidth you will be using:
    • For LigoPTP 3 use:
      • 5MHz: 4M14D7D
      • 10MHz: 8M25D7D
      • 20MHz: 16M7D7D
    • For LigoPTP 3 R2 use:
      • 5MHz: 4M24D7D
      • 10MHz: 8M44D7D
      • 20MHz: 17M2D7D
  • Modulation Scheme – the modulation scheme you will be implementing (BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, etc).
  • Restricted/Unrestricted protocol – LigoWave LigoPTP 3 uses a restricted protocol, meaning it can only operate in 3,650-3,675MHz.
  • Name of transmission protocol – Select Other
  • Description of transmission protocol – in this field, you can enter choose one of the following: Dynamic TDD with Selective Repeat ARQ. Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance for sensing clear wireless medium.
Summary

This section displays a summary of information provided and shows the fees due to complete the application. Please make sure that all of the information is correct.

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Confirmation

If everything is accepted, you will see a confirmation page acknowledging that your application has been submitted. Please allow 2–3 days for the registration to be officially complete.

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