Frequently Asked Questions

A Fixed Service licensee is an incumbent licensee with a point-to-point Fixed Service license(s) in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band for fixed microwave services. Because the FCC adopted rules to sunset incumbent point-to-point Fixed Service use in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band in the contiguous United States, existing licensees, as of April 19, 2018, of licenses for permanent Fixed Service operations will have until December 5, 2023 to self-relocate their point-to-point links out of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band. Licensees with temporary Fixed Service licenses also have until December 5, 2023 to modify or replace their temporary fixed 3.7-4.2 GHz band equipment with comparable equipment that operates in other bands.

Incumbent Fixed Service licensees that relocate out of the 3.7-4.2 GHz band by December 5, 2023 are eligible for reimbursement of their reasonable costs based on the “comparable facilities” standard used for the transition of microwave links out of other bands. “Comparable facilities” are defined generally by the FCC as facilities possessing certain characteristics in terms of throughput, reliability, and operating costs as compared to the incumbent’s pre-transition facilities. The Cost Catalog released by the FCC on July 30, 2020 identifies potential relocation costs that Fixed Service licensees may incur in Section IV Fixed Service Costs and provides a range of reasonable cost estimates for those items.

An eligible Fixed Service licensee may seek reimbursement for its reasonable relocation costs by submitting a claim to the RPC. All reimbursement claims to the RPC will be submitted and evaluated through the RPC’s claim system, Coupa. A Fixed Service licensee must first set up a claimant profile in Coupa. A Fixed Service licensee would need to provide the following information and documentation to the RPC to set up a profile: Email, Business Name, Business Entity Type, Primary Contact Person’s Name and Phone Number, Address, Technical Contact, Authorization to Submit Claims Form, Federal Tax Identification Number (TIN) / Employer Identification Number (EIN), Bank Information, W-9, Business License (or articles of incorporation filed with the Secretary of State, certificate of good standing, or similar document that recognizes the claimant as a business entity), FCC License, Tax Exemption Certification (if applicable), Claimant Type (Fixed Service licensee), and Operations Type (Permanent or Temporary).

To submit a claim, a Fixed Service licensee will complete the requisite fields in Coupa and attach the applicable supporting documentation in Coupa. The RPC’s C-band Handbook describes the documentation that will be required in Appendix Section II. Examples of the supporting documentation include vendor invoices and receipts, proof of invoice payment, and timesheets for eligible labor costs. At its discretion, the RPC may request additional information as necessary to assess the reasonableness of costs submitted for reimbursement.

A Fixed Service licensee must demonstrate that it was an incumbent Fixed Service licensee. The RPC has interpreted the term incumbent Fixed Service licensee to be those licensees that held licenses that, based on a review of the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), were likely among the group of 87 licenses referred to in the draft of the FCC’s Report and Order, released on February 7, 2020.