_______________________________________
WSKF976 - La28.org - (2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games)
Radio Service: IG - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional
09/29/2025 License Issued (Special Temporary) Expiration: 09/01/2028
The STA is effective for the period of March 5, 2028 to September 1, 2028.
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSea ... ey=5205147
https://www.radioreference.com/db/fcc/callsign/WSKF976
FRN: 0037190022
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File Number 0011641696 - La28.org
https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/Applic ... D=15657337
REQUEST FOR SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY
The Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028
d/b/a LA28 (FRN: 0037190022), the non-profit organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and
Paralympic Games to be held between July 14, 2028 and August 27, 2028 in and around various
supporting U.S. cities, hereby requests Special Temporary Authority (“STA”) from March 5,
2028 until September 1, 2028 pursuant to Section 1.931, 47 C.F.R. § 1.931, of the Federal
Communications Commission’s (“FCC” or “Commission”) rules. The purpose of the STA is to
allow access to all Part 90 Land Mobile radio spectrum and Part 22 Public Mobile Services
spectrum that overlaps with Part 90, in order to facilitate communications at the Olympic and
Paralympic Games. That would include communications necessary for safety and security, as
well as to support the significant media interest in the event.
LA28 intends to utilize one or more FCC-certified Public Land Mobile Radio (“PLMR”)
frequency coordinators to help facilitate efforts to access available spectrum, work on potential
interference issues, and to find tune the geographic scope of the request. As of now, LA28
requests that the STA cover a radius identified from coordinates identified in the table below.
Furthermore, pursuant to Section 1.925(b)(3), 47 C.F.R. § 1.925(b)(3), of the
Commission’s rules, LA28 requests waivers of the Part 90 technical, usage, and eligibility rules,
including waiver of the general technical standards, waivers to allow operations in bands not
designated as general business, waiver of any short-spacing/separation rules, and waiver of the
contour requirements. In addition, LA28 requests waivers of the Part 22 technical, usage, and
eligibility rules, including waiving the allocation table requirements to allow Part 22 spectrum to
be used for PLMR. Furthermore, LA28 seeks a waiver of Section 90.179, 47 C.F.R. § 90.179, of
the FCC’s Rules, to allow LA28 to share and redistribute spectrum held by others. Finally, LA28
requests a waiver from any additional FCC rule the Commission deems necessary to waive in
order to accomplish the purpose of this STA and accompanying waiver request.
The Commission is permitted to grant a waiver when (1) The underlying purpose of the
rule(s) would not be served or would be frustrated by application to the instant case, and that a
grant of the requested waiver would be in the public interest; or (2) In view of unique or unusual
factual circumstances of the instant case, application of the rule(s) would be inequitable, unduly
burdensome or contrary to the public interest, or the applicant has no reasonable alternative.
LA28’s request qualifies under the second prong, as the scale of hosting the Olympic and
Paralympic Games is unique and unusual and represents a monumental endeavor. As to
communications in particular, the crowded spectrum environment in Los Angeles exacerbates the
complexity and difficulty of successfully hosting the Games. The United States government is
supporting the Games, and the STA and waiver request will facilitate their success. See Exhibit
A, September 30, 2016 Letter re Los Angeles Candidature Questionnaire Olympic Games 2024
as amended and ratified by February 18, 2020 Letter re 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Thank you for your consideration of this STA and waiver request.
September 30, 2016
Thomas Bach
President
International Olympic Committee
Chateau de Vidy
1007 Lausanne
Switzerland
Re: Los Angeles Candidature Questionnaire Olympic Games 2024 - Stage 2 (G2.27 and G2.28)
Dear President Bach:
As the Chaim1an of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, I offer support of Los
Angeles' candidature to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Games). As the federal
government agency charged with regulating radio communications in the United States of
America, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has helped prior Organizing
Committees stage interference-free Olympic and Paralympic Games and obtain the necessary
spectrum for broadcasters and members of the Olympic and Paralympic Family. We similarly
stand ready to support the effo11s of Los Angeles 2024 to obtain the designation for the 2024
Games, and to assist the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic
Games (LAOCOG) in attaining the spectrum needed to support and broadcast the 2024 Games.
Most recently, the FCC designated the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) as the auxiliary
broadcast frequency coordinator for a 16-month period leading up to the 2002 Olympic Winter
Games, waived all fees for temporary spectrum holders, and provided a variety of services and
equipment to the SLOC, free of charge. The FCC similarly supported the Los Angeles 1984
Olympic Games and the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, and commits to cooperating with the Los
Angeles 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
On behalf of the FCC, I hereby confinn and undertake the following:
• The FCC agrees to work with the LAOCOG and U.S. facility/service providers at
affected locations to provide assistance in support of their efforts to:
o Secure essential telecommunications infrastructure and services enhancement
capabilities that will be needed at the Games;
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
February 18, 2020
As part of Los Angeles' candidature for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, you received
the enclosed letters of support from our Department of the Treasury, Department of Defense,
Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal
Communications Commission, Federal Aviation Administration, and United States Mint. Based
on recent communication between the White House and these agencies, I can enthusiastically
assure you that each of these letters-and any guarantee or representation contained thereinapplies with equal force to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games awarded to Los Angeles in
September 201 7.
As I noted in my letter of August 18, 2017, the International Olympic Committee can count on
the complete support of the United States Government in ensuring a successful 2028 Games,
which will be a great source of pride for the American people and create incredible opportunity
for the United States and the broader Olympic movement. I was pleased to help bring these
Games to our country and my Administration is committed to making them a tremendous and
unforgettable event. - Trump
____________________________________________________
Issued: September 29, 2025 Effective: September 29, 2025
By the Chief, Mobility Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Chief, Policy and Rules
Division, Office of Engineering and Technology:
I. INTRODUCTION
1. By this Order, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and Office of Engineering
and Technology (OET) conditionally grant the request of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the
Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028 (LA28) for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) and waiver of
certain Commission rules.1
The STA and waivers will provide LA28, in partnership with one or more
FCC-certified frequency coordinator(s),2
with enhanced flexibility to facilitate the vital communications
needs of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games through primary access to the part 90 Land Mobile
Radio spectrum (excluding frequencies dedicated to public safety use) and available part 22 Public
Mobile Services spectrum in the VHF and UHF bands.3
As part of the United States’ bid to host the
Games the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) has pledged to help “secure
sufficient fixed and mobile telecommunication capacity and service quality to support Games
operations…” and is “committed to facilitating the availability of spectrum for all users in connection
with” the 2028 Games.4
President Trump has affirmed a government-wide commitment by establishing a
White House Task Force to ensure a unified government-wide approach to supporting the Games.5
Accordingly, we issue an STA and waivers to facilitate communications during the Games while
minimizing the potential for harmful interference. In light of the strong commitment of the US federal
government and for the reasons discussed below, we find that granting these waivers and issuing this STA
will serve the public interest. This STA will be in effect from March 5, 2028, through September 1, 2028.
Recognizing the importance of providing certainty for LA28 to prepare for the Games, WTB plans to
include a condition on future part 90 license grants for the spectrum and geographic areas covered by this
STA establishing protections for LA28 during the STA period.
II. BACKGROUND
2. STA and Waiver Request. On July 9, 2025, LA28 submitted a request to the Commission for
an STA to “allow access to all Part 90 Land Mobile radio spectrum and Part 22 Public Mobile Services
spectrum that overlaps with Part 90, in order to facilitate communications at the Olympic and Paralympic
Games.”7
Noting that the STA is requested for the dates of March 5, 2028, to September 1, 2028, LA28
also specifies geographic boundaries for the special temporary authority. LA28 indicates that this request
“would include communications necessary for safety and security, as well as to support the significant
media interest in the event.”8
LA28 specifies that it will utilize one or more FCC-certified Private Land
Mobile Radio (PLMR) frequency coordinator(s) “to help facilitate efforts to access available spectrum,
work on potential interference issues,” and to precisely define the geographic scope of the request.9
LA28
also requests waivers of:
• part 90 technical, usage, and eligibility rules, including waiver of the general technical
standards, waivers to allow operations in bands not designated as general business,
waiver of any short-spacing/separation rules, and waiver of the contour requirements;10
• part 22 technical, usage, and eligibility rules, including waiver of the allocation table
requirements to allow part 22 spectrum to be used for PLMR;
• section 90.179 of the rules to allow LA28 to share and redistribute spectrum held by
others; and
• any additional FCC rule the Commission deems necessary to waive in order to
accomplish the purpose of this STA and accompanying waiver request.11
3. LA28 argues that the public interest supports the issuance of this STA and grant of the
requested waivers, noting the “unique” nature of this “monumental endeavor” and highlighting the dearth
of spectrum available in the Los Angeles area for critical communications during the Games. In further
support, LA28 includes a letter from the President pledging the “complete support of the United States
Government in ensuring a successful 2028 Games,” as well as a letter from the FCC indicating that the
Commission will facilitate the availability of spectrum, among other commitments.12
4. Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Olympic and Paralympic Games provide a “premier
opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism and drive economic prosperity,”13 and involve years of
complex planning and logistics coordination.14 With about five billion expected viewers, communications
will be key for the Games—from team radio communications to wireless cameras to aerial footage.15 The
FCC Chairman is among the participants in a White House Task Force chaired by the President to
facilitate the smooth operation of the Games, further highlighting the critical importance of
communications to the Games’ success. These communications require wireless spectrum, which is a
limited resource in the densely populated areas, particularly as to the spectrum for which LA28 seeks
STA relief and waivers. The Games require a wide variety of radio technologies including short range
(low power) technologies, modern 4G/5G technologies used by wireless carriers, and longer-range voice
and data communications offered under our part 90 (and part 22) rules. For the last several
Olympic/Paralympic Games held in other countries, organizers have utilized a portal to centrally
organize, authorize, and manage the spectrum usage of the various stakeholders within the Olympic
venues.16 Given the unique spectrum environment, the Games depend on advance planning and an
approach that maximizes efficient use of the scarce spectrum resources and avoiding harmful interference
that could disrupt event operations and broadcasting, and organizers in prior Games have taken a handson approach to managing stakeholders’ wireless spectrum usage.
5. PLMR and Public Mobile Service Spectrum. PLMR systems are used to meet a wide range of
communication requirements over a given geographic area, including coordination of people and
materials, important safety and security needs, and quick response in times of emergency. These systems
often share frequencies with other private users.17 Generally, particular sets of PLMR frequency
assignments, or “pools,” are associated with specific categories of users, as delineated in the part 90
rules.18 In addition, with limited exceptions, frequency coordination is required in advance of the
Commission’s grant of a PLMR license.19 In this arrangement, a private, Commission-certified frequency
coordinator first recommends frequencies that will most effectively meet the applicant’s needs while
minimizing the potential for harmful interference to existing licensees, saving Commission resources and
streamlining the Commission’s issuance of these licenses. This system is not readily compatible with the
centralized portal that past Olympic and Paralympic Games have used to manage spectrum. Additionally,
Public Mobile Service spectrum is addressed under part 22 rules. Public Mobile Radio spectrum includes
auctioned spectrum that shares similar characteristics with part 90 spectrum and comprises some unused
spectrum that has been returned to the Commission’s inventory.20 With this STA, we only permit private
wireless service uses under our part 90 rules subject to the conditions and waivers herein.
III. DISCUSSION
6. In the private wireless service, the Commission may grant a 180-day STA for “a temporary,
non-recurring service where a regular authorization is not appropriate.”21 Section 1.925(b)(3) of the
Commission’s rules states that the Commission may grant a waiver when the Commission finds that
either (i) “[t]he underlying purpose of the rule(s) would not be served or would be frustrated by
application to the instant case, and that a grant of the requested waiver would be in the public interest,” or
(ii) “n view of unique or unusual factual circumstances of the instant case, application of the rule(s)
would be inequitable, unduly burdensome or contrary to the public interest, or the applicant has no
reasonable alternative.”22 After consideration of the monumental importance of this unique event and the
infeasibility of combining LA28’s centralized spectrum management approach with the provisions of the
part 90 rules, we find that LA28 has shown that the circumstances warrant application of section
1.925(b)(3) and, accordingly, we waive several Commission’s rules, subject to the conditions set forth
below.
7. The successful execution of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a matter of high
national priority.23 In order to achieve success, we need effective wireless communication. Specifically,
PLMR frequencies, which are typically used for handheld radio communication, are expected to be in
great demand by key Games stakeholders, including the event organizer, Olympics Broadcasting
Services, and participants. It is crucial that PLMR frequencies be available to LA28 in support of this
broad range of stakeholders, especially given that these frequencies are heavily utilized, and our
conditions are designed to minimize the potential for harmful interference and to address it quickly if it
occurs. Further, the regular licensing model for PLMR includes longer license terms, strict rules
reserving certain frequencies for specific user bases, and as-needed frequency assignments and license
boundaries. Here, these features present significant challenges, burdens, and costs for those seeking to
use it in specific geographic areas for a limited period of time for these significant events.
8. The overall PLMR spectral environment and regulatory regime calls for an approach to
leverage all spectrum that remains available in Los Angeles and the other venue areas, and imposing the
typical licensing process and the usual part 90 rules here is both unduly burdensome and contrary to the
public interest. Thus, we issue this STA to LA28, centralizing the PLMR licensing, giving LA28 a
greater degree of operational control, leveraging the vast experience of the PLMR frequency coordinators,
and providing a path to maximize the spectrum available. The STA includes waivers designed to allow
LA28 to maximize its use of any and all available spectrum, including spectrum previously auctioned for
part 22 services that is now in FCC’s inventory. While LA28 is free to further divide and share spectrum
under the STA for purposes of supporting communications during the Games, LA28 remains responsible
for operations under this authority.
9. With such a densely populated physical and spectral environment in each location identified
by LA28’s STA application, there could be potential risk of harmful interference to other PLMR users
and to critical public safety and government activities in co-located and adjacent bands. Thus, we require
that LA28 must engage one or more FCC-certified PLMR frequency coordinators, which are expert in the
local spectral environment(s) and knowledgeable of the FCC rules and underlying technical principles.
While this Order includes waiver of the technical rules, we nonetheless require LA28 to engage the
frequency coordinators that will advise LA28 how to execute its operations without harmful interference
to the surrounding radiofrequency ecosystem. The engagement of the frequency coordinator(s) is a key
condition to safeguard and protect the public interest.
10. For the reasons discussed above, we issue to LA28 an STA for Part 90 Land Mobile radio
spectrum and available Part 22 Public Mobile Services spectrum in the UHF and VHF bands, effective
March 5, 2028, through September 1, 2028, in an 80-mile radius of a central point in Los Angeles, CA,
and the other geographic areas referenced in LA28’s ULS application.25 The exact geographic parameters
of the STA coverage are delineated in LA28’s STA request
11. This grant is subject to the following conditions:
(1) The STA and waivers cover only the following spectrum: 72-76 MHz, 150-174 MHz, and
450-512 MHz.
(2) The STA and waivers apply only to the geographic areas referenced in LA28’s application
and included in the Appendix.29
(3) For spectrum regulated under part 22 in the above bands, the STA and waiver covers only that
spectrum which is available in the Commission’s inventory or that which existing licensees make
available to LA28 through contractual arrangements.
(4) The STA and waiver cover only private wireless service under part 90.30
(5) All operations under the STA and waivers must be recommended by an FCC-certified PLMR
frequency coordinator.
(6) LA28 must ensure that, when recommending operation under the rule waivers above, the
frequency coordinator(s) documents good cause and reaches a finding that the potential for
harmful interference to other primary licensees is either unlikely, or consent has been obtained;
(7) LA28 must maintain control of all operations under the STA, particularly those operations
involving a foreign government or representative thereof.
(8) Upon receipt of complaints of interference, LA28 must evaluate and attempt to resolve the
matter in the first instance and if unable to resolve the issue, forward to the Commission.
(9) All radiofrequency transmitting equipment operated under the STA and waivers must be
approved via the FCC’s Part 2 Equipment Authorization process.
(10) Section 2.106, the Table of Frequency Allocations, is waived only to the extent necessary to
use part 22 spectrum for PLMR.
12. To protect operations authorized under this STA and waivers and permit spectrum to be
available for the Games, WTB plans to include a condition on future part 90 license grants for the
spectrum and geographic area covered by this STA establishing protections for LA28 during the STA
period.
APPENDIX: Geographic Areas Covered by this Special Temporary Authority
Latitude Longitude Radius (mi) Major City
34.05374471 -118.24266671 80 Los Angeles, CA
35.46905589 -97.52067746 10 Oklahoma City, OK