How to get SACFA Approval for Site Registration from SACFA committee?

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How to get SACFA Approval for Site Registration from SACFA committee?

What is SACFA?

SACFA stands for Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations. It is the Committee that issues SACFA Approval. The Secretary (DOT) or the Chairman of the Telecom Commission chairs it as a high-level committee.

What constitutes a SACFA committee?

The following entities are the members of the SACFA committee:

• Heads of major wireless users
• Administrative Ministries of the Indian Government
• Member (Technology)
• Telecom Commission
• Wireless Adviser to the Indian Government
• Joint Secretary of the DoT

The WPC wing of the Department of Communications provides secretarial help to the SACFA committee. And the Joint Wireless Adviser of the WPC wing is the member-secretary of the SACFA Committee. Also, the Executive Director-Telecom Development ( ED-TD) Railway Board is a member of SACFA, representing the Ministry of Railways.

What are the supposed functions of SACFA?

The following are the advisories on which the SACFA committee provides its suggestions:

• Frequency Allocation in Major Chunks,
• National Frequency Allocation Plan Formulation,
• Recommendations on issues related to International Telecommunications Union or ITU,
• Asia Pacific Telecommunity, and
• Problems by various wireless users, e.g., SACFA site clearance for wireless installations in the country

How does one get SACFA Approval from the Committee?

The SACFA clearance certificate is obtained after getting 'no objection' from SACFA members who have to perform a detailed technical evaluation. They have to obtain all the evaluations from their field units. These technical evaluations are done primarily for

• Aviation hazards
• Obstruction to the line of sight of existing or planned networks
• Interference with existing as well as proposed networks

Site Application Filing for SACFA Approval

To obtain SACFA clearance for all sitting categories, you must file the application form from the SACFA secretariat. The applicant must also furnish the necessary information, keeping in view the following:

Arrange Site Coordinates for SACFA Approval

The six-digit coordinates of the site are necessary. These six-figure coordinates must be taken with the help of GPS or any other method for accuracy.

Obtain the Site Height

The applicant must obtain the height of the site Above the Mean Sea Level (AMSL) from the Survey of India or any other agency. The only exception is the additional antenna category, for which a copy of the earlier SACFA clearance and the AAIs clearance is mandatory.

Site's Nearest Airport Details

The applicant must mention the name of the nearest airport and its distance from the site in the application for categories of siting.

Distance Authentication from the Authority

Suppose the site is within 5 km of the airport. In that case, the following authorities must authenticate the site map, the nearest airport authority, other government organization(s), or organizations like a municipal corporation, local town planning committee, etc. Also, the distance of the site from the airport must be authenticated.

Site Application Verification for SACFA approval

Application Submission

The applicant must submit the SACFA clearance application as well as their soft copy for examination. But, the applicants can submit a maximum of five applications in one bunch.

Separate Filing

The applicant must fill out separate application forms for different frequency bands and sites.

Application Circulation

Firstly, after issuing IDs, the applicant must circulate the siting application as per the list applicable to each category of siting clearance. Secondly, the applicant must attach a forwarding letter that the SACFA committee issues with the siting application for SACFA. Also, the applications for additional antenna categories must be circulated to all members of SACFA. However, no NOC from any member is necessary for approval of the site. But, the only exception is sites that fall in the DIZ area for which NOC from JCES is necessary.

The applicant must attach a copy of the agreement letter assigning the frequencies from WPC with the application. He must also endorse a copy of DOT's license agreement in case of value-added service.

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