§ 101.129 - Transmitter location.

§ 101.129 Transmitter location.

(a) The applicant must determine, prior to filing an application for a radio station authorization, that the antenna site specified therein is adequate to render the service proposed. In cases of questionable antenna locations, it is desirable to conduct propagation tests to indicate the field intensity which may be expected in the principal areas or at the fixed points of communication to be served, particularly where severe shadow problems may be expected. In considering applications proposing the use of such locations, the Commission may require site survey tests to be made pursuant to an experimental license under part 5 of this chapter. In such cases, propagation tests should be conducted in accordance with recognized engineering methods and should be made with a transmitting antenna simulating, as near as possible, the proposed antenna installation. Full data obtained from such surveys and its analysis, including a description of the methods used and the name, address and qualifications of the engineer making the survey, must be supplied to the Commission.

(b) In the 12.2-12.7 GHz band, licensees must not locate MVDDS transmitting antennas within 10 km of any qualifying NGSO FSS receiver unless mutual agreement is obtained between the MVDDS and NGSO FSS licensees. Such agreements must be retained by the licensees and made available for inspection by interested parties upon request.

(1) A qualifying NGSO FSS receiver, for the purposes of this section, is deemed to be one that is in regular use by an NGSO FSS subscriber for normal reception purposes in the 12.2-12.7 GHz band and not one for monitoring or testing purposes. In addition, qualifying receivers must either be in operation on the date or already be under construction and then operating within thirty days of the date that the MVDDS licensee notifies the NGSO FSS licensee of its intent to construct a new MVDDS transmitting antenna at a specified location.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the 10 kilometer spacing requirement for each MVDDS transmitting antenna site shall not apply with respect to NGSO FSS receivers that might be installed or become operational (except for those under construction and operating within thirty days as specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section) subsequent to the original date that the MVDDS licensee provided notice of its intention to construct a given transmission facility.

(3) In the event that a proposed MVDDS transmitting antenna for which notice has been duly given to the NGSO FSS licensees has not been placed in normal operation within one calendar year of the date of notice, then the MVDDS licensee loses the benefit of the original notice. Upon such anniversary, the MVDDS licensee must re-determine compliance with the minimum 10 kilometer spacing requirement based upon locations of qualifying NGSO FSS receivers on that anniversary date. A new determination of compliance with the spacing requirement shall be made for each succeeding anniversary of non-operation for each proposed MVDDS transmission site or additional antenna. This provision contemplates that failure to commence normal operation at a given MVDDS transmitting antenna site within one year of the date of NGSO FSS notification may require successive relocations of the proposed transmitter site in order to meet the minimum spacing distance as determined on each anniversary of non-operation.

[61 FR 26677, May 28, 1996, as amended at 63 FR 68983, Dec. 14, 1998; 67 FR 43038, June 26, 2002; 78 FR 25176, Apr. 29, 2013]