[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 47, Volume 2]

[Revised as of October 1, 2004]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 47CFR22.99]



[Page 109-113]

 

                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION

 

                    CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

                         COMMISSION (CONTINUED)

 

PART 22_PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES--Table of Contents

 

                      Subpart A_Scope and Authority

 

Sec. 22.99  Definitions.



    Terms used in this part have the following meanings:

    Air-Ground Radiotelephone Service. A radio service in which common 

carriers are authorized to offer and provide radio telecommunications 

service for hire to subscribers in aircraft.

    Airborne station. A mobile station in the Air-Ground Radiotelephone 

Service authorized for use on aircraft while in flight or on the ground.

    Antenna structure. A structure comprising an antenna, the tower or 

other structure that exists solely to support antennas, and any 

surmounting appurtenances (attachments such as beacons or lightning 

rods).

    Antenna. A device that converts radio frequency electrical energy to 

radiated electromagnetic energy and vice versa; in a transmitting 

station, the device from which radio waves are emitted.

    Authorized bandwidth. The necessary or occupied bandwidth of an 

emission, whichever is more.

    Authorized spectrum. The spectral width of that portion of the 

electromagnetic spectrum within which the emission power of the 

authorized transmitter(s) must be contained, in accordance with the 

rules in this part. The authorized spectrum comprises one channel 

bandwidth or the bandwidths of two or more contiguous channels.

    Auxiliary test transmitter. A fixed transmitter used to test Public 

Mobile systems.

    Base transmitter. A stationary transmitter that provides radio 

telecommunications service to mobile and/or fixed receivers, including 

those associated with mobile stations.

    Blanketing interference. Disturbance in consumer receivers located 

in the immediate vicinity of a transmitter, caused by currents directly 

induced into the consumer receiver's circuitry by the relatively high 

field strength of the transmitter.

    Build-out transmitters. In the Cellular Radiotelephone Service, 

transmitters added to the first cellular system authorized on a channel 

block in a cellular market during the five year build-out period in 

order to expand the coverage of the system within the market.

    Cardinal radials. Eight imaginary straight lines extending radially 

on the ground from an antenna location in the following azimuths with 

respect to true North: 0[deg], 45[deg], 90[deg], 135[deg], 180[deg], 

225[deg], 270[deg], 315[deg].

    Carrier frequency. The frequency of the unmodulated electrical wave 

at the output of an amplitude modulated (AM), frequency modulated (FM) 

or phase modulated (PM) transmitter.

    Cell. The service area of an individual transmitter location in a 

cellular system.

    Cellular Geographic Service Area. The geographic area served by a 

cellular system, within which that system is



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entitled to protection and adverse effects are recognized, for the 

purpose of determining whether a petitioner has standing. See Sec. 

22.911.

    Cellular markets. Standard geographic areas used by the FCC for 

administrative convenience in the licensing of cellular systems. See 

Sec. 22.909.

    Cellular Radiotelephone Service. A radio service in which common 

carriers are authorized to offer and provide cellular service for hire 

to the general public. This service was formerly titled Domestic Public 

Cellular Radio Telecommunications Service.

    Cellular repeater. In the Cellular Radiotelephone Service, a 

stationary transmitter or device that automatically re-radiates the 

transmissions of base transmitters at a particular cell site and mobile 

stations communicating with those base transmitters, with or without 

channel translation.

    Cellular service. Radio telecommunication services provided using a 

cellular system.

    Cellular system. An automated high-capacity system of one or more 

multichannel base stations designed to provide radio telecommunication 

services to mobile stations over a wide area in a spectrally efficient 

manner. Cellular systems employ techniques such as low transmitting 

power and automatic hand-off between base stations of communications in 

progress to enable channels to be reused at relatively short distances. 

Cellular systems may also employ digital techniques such as voice 

encoding and decoding, data compression, error correction, and time or 

code division multiple access in order to increase system capacity.

    Center frequency. The frequency of the middle of the bandwidth of a 

channel.

    Central office transmitter. A fixed transmitter in the Rural 

Radiotelephone Service that provides service to rural subscriber 

stations.

    CGSA. See Cellular Geographic Service Area.

    Channel. The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum assigned by the 

FCC for one emission. In certain circumstances, however, more than one 

emission may be transmitted on a channel. See, for example, Sec. 

22.161.

    Channel bandwidth. The spectral width of a channel, as specified in 

this part, within which 99% of the emission power must be contained.

    Channel block. A group of channels that are assigned together, not 

individually.

    Channel pair. Two channels that are assigned together, not 

individually. In this part, channel pairs are indicated by an ellipsis 

between the center frequencies.

    Communications channel. In the Cellular Radiotelephone and Air-

ground Radiotelephone Services, a channel used to carry subscriber 

communications.

    Construction period. The period between the date of grant of an 

authorization and the date of required commencement of service.

    Control channel. In the Cellular Radiotelephone Service and the Air-

ground Radiotelephone Service, a channel used to transmit information 

necessary to establish or maintain communications. In the other Public 

Mobile Services, a channel that may be assigned to a control 

transmitter.

    Control point. A location where the operation of a public mobile 

station is supervised and controlled by the licensee of that station.

    Control transmitter. A fixed transmitter in the Public Mobile 

Services that transmits control signals to one or more base or fixed 

stations for the purpose of controlling the operation of the base or 

fixed stations, and/or transmits subscriber communications to one or 

more base or fixed stations that retransmit them to subscribers.

    Dead spots. Small areas within a service area where the field 

strength is lower than the minimum level for reliable service. Service 

within dead spots is presumed.

    Dispatch service. A radiotelephone service comprising communications 

between a dispatcher and one or more mobile units. These communications 

normally do not exceed one minute in duration and are transmitted 

directly through a base station, without passing through mobile 

telephone switching facilities.

    Effective radiated power (ERP). The effective radiated power of a 

transmitter (with antenna, transmission line,



[[Page 111]]



duplexers etc.) is the power that would be necessary at the input 

terminals of a reference half-wave dipole antenna in order to produce 

the same maximum field intensity. ERP is usually calculated by 

multiplying the measured transmitter output power by the specified 

antenna system gain, relative to a half-wave dipole, in the direction of 

interest.

    Emission. The electromagnetic energy radiated from an antenna.

    Emission designator. An internationally accepted symbol for 

describing an emission in terms of its bandwidth and the characteristics 

of its modulation, if any. See Sec. 2.201 of this chapter for details.

    Emission mask. The design limits imposed, as a condition or 

certification, on the mean power of emissions as a function of frequency 

both within the authorized bandwidth and in the adjacent spectrum.

    Equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP). The equivalent 

isotropically radiated power of a transmitter (with antenna, 

transmission line, duplexers etc.) is the power that would be necessary 

at the input terminals of a reference isotropic radiator in order to 

produce the same maximum field intensity. An isotropic radiator is a 

theoretical lossless point source of radiation with unity gain in all 

directions. EIRP is usually calculated by multiplying the measured 

transmitter output power by the specified antenna system gain, relative 

to an isotropic radiator, in the direction of interest.

    Extension. In the Cellular Radiotelephone Service, an area within 

the service area boundary of a cellular system, but outside of the 

market boundary. See Sec. Sec. 22.911(c) and 22.912.

    Facsimile service. Transmission of still images from one place to 

another by means of radio.

    Fill-in transmitters. Transmitters added to a station, in the same 

area and transmitting on the same channel or channel block as previously 

authorized transmitters, that do not expand the existing service area, 

but are established for the purpose of improving reception in dead 

spots.

    Five year build-out period. A five year period during which the 

licensee of the first cellular system authorized on each channel block 

in each cellular market may expand the system within that market. See 

Sec. 22.947.

    Fixed transmitter. A stationary transmitter that communicates with 

other stationary transmitters.

    Frequency. The number of cycles occurring per second of an 

electrical or electromagnetic wave; a number representing a specific 

point in the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Ground station. In the Air-ground Radiotelephone Service, a 

stationary transmitter that provides service to airborne mobile 

stations.

    Gulf of Mexico Service Area (GMSA). The cellular market comprising 

the water area of the Gulf of Mexico bounded on the West, North and East 

by the coastline. Coastline, for this purpose, means the line of 

ordinary low water along that portion of the coast which is in direct 

contact with the open sea, and the line marking the seaward limit of 

inland waters. Inland waters include bays, historic inland waters and 

waters circumscribed by a fringe of islands within the immediate 

vicinity of the shoreline.

    Height above average terrain (HAAT). The height of an antenna above 

the average elevation of the surrounding area.

    In-building radiation systems. Supplementary systems comprising low 

power transmitters, receivers, indoor antennas and/or leaky coaxial 

cable radiators, designed to improve service reliability inside 

buildings or structures located within the service areas of stations in 

the Public Mobile Services.

    Initial cellular applications. Applications for authority to 

construct and operate a new cellular system, excluding applications for 

interim operating authority.

    Interfering contour. The locus of points surrounding a transmitter 

where the predicted median field strength of the signal from that 

transmitter is the maximum field strength that is not considered to 

cause interference at the service contour of another transmitter.

    Interoffice transmitter. A fixed transmitter in the Rural 

Radiotelephone Service that communicates with other interoffice 

transmitters for the purpose



[[Page 112]]



of interconnecting rural central offices.

    Meteor burst propagation mode. A long distance VHF radio 

communication path occurring as a result of the refraction of 

electromagnetic waves by ionized meteor trails.

    Mobile station. One or more transmitters that are capable of 

operation while in motion.

    Necessary bandwidth. The calculated spectral width of an emission. 

Calculations are made using procedures set forth in part 2 of this 

chapter. The bandwidth so calculated is considered to be the minimum 

necessary to convey information at the desired rate with the desired 

accuracy.

    Occupied bandwidth. The measured spectral width of an emission. The 

measurement determines occupied bandwidth as the difference between 

upper and lower frequencies where 0.5% of the emission power is above 

the upper frequency and 0.5% of the emission power is below the lower 

frequency.

    Offshore central transmitter. A fixed transmitter in the Offshore 

Radiotelephone Service that provides service to offshore subscriber 

stations.

    Offshore Radiotelephone Service. A radio service in which common 

carriers are authorized to offer and provide radio telecommunication 

services for hire to subscribers on structures in the offshore coastal 

waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

    Offshore subscriber station. One or more fixed and/or mobile 

transmitters in the Offshore Radiotelephone Service that receive service 

from offshore central transmitters.

    Pager. A small radio receiver designed to be carried by a person and 

to give an aural, visual or tactile indication when activated by the 

reception of a radio signal containing its specific code. It may also 

reproduce sounds and/or display messages that were also transmitted. 

Some pagers also transmit a radio signal acknowledging that a message 

has been received.

    Paging geographic area authorization. An authorization conveying the 

exclusive right to establish and expand one or more stations throughout 

a paging geographic area or, in the case of a partitioned geographic 

area, throughout a specified portion of a paging geographic area, on a 

specified channel allocated for assignment in the Paging and 

Radiotelephone Service. These are subject to the conditions that no 

interference may be caused to existing co-channel stations operated by 

other licensees within the paging geographic area and that no 

interference may be caused to existing or proposed co-channel stations 

of other licensees in adjoining paging geographic areas.

    Paging geographic areas. Standard geographic areas used by the FCC 

for administrative convenience in the licensing of stations to operate 

on channels allocated for assignment in the Paging and Radiotelephone 

Service. See Sec. 22.503(b).

    Paging and Radiotelephone Service. A radio service in which common 

carriers are authorized to offer and provide paging and radiotelephone 

service for hire to the general public. This service was formerly titled 

Public Land Mobile Service.

    Paging service. Transmission of coded radio signals for the purpose 

of activating specific pagers; such transmissions may include messages 

and/or sounds.

    Partitioned cellular market. A cellular market with two or more 

authorized cellular systems on the same channel block during the five 

year build-out period, as a result of settlements during initial 

licensing or contract(s) between the licensee of the first cellular 

system and the licensee(s) of the subsequent systems. See Sec. 

22.947(b).

    Public Mobile Services. Radio services in which common carriers are 

authorized to offer and provide mobile and related fixed radio 

telecommunication services for hire to the public.

    Radio common carrier. A telecommunications common carrier that 

provides radio communications services but is not engaged in the 

business of providing landline local exchange telephone service.

    Radio telecommunication services. Communication services provided by 

the use of radio, including radiotelephone, radiotelegraph, paging and 

facsimile service.

    Radiotelegraph service. Transmission of messages from one place to 

another by means of radio.



[[Page 113]]



    Radiotelephone service. Transmission of sound from one place to 

another by means of radio.

    Repeater. A fixed transmitter that retransmits the signals of other 

stations.

    Roamer. A mobile station receiving service from a station or system 

in the Public Mobile Services other than one to which it is a 

subscriber.

    Rural Radiotelephone Service. A radio service in which common 

carriers are authorized to offer and provide radio telecommunication 

services for hire to subscribers in areas where it is not feasible to 

provide communication services by wire or other means.

    Rural subscriber station. One or more fixed transmitters in the 

Rural Radiotelephone Service that receive service from central office 

transmitters.

    Service area. The geographic area considered by the FCC to be 

reliably served by a station in the Public Mobile Services.

    Service contour. The locus of points surrounding a transmitter where 

the predicted median field strength of the signal from that transmitter 

is the minimum field strength that is considered sufficient to provide 

reliable service to mobile stations.

    Service to subscribers. Service to at least one subscriber that is 

not affiliated with, controlled by or related to the providing carrier.

    Signal booster. A stationary device that automatically reradiates 

signals from base transmitters without channel translation, for the 

purpose of improving the reliability of existing service by increasing 

the signal strength in dead spots.

    Station. A station equipped to engage in radio communication or 

radio transmission of energy (47 U.S.C. 153(k)).

    Telecommunications common carrier. An individual, partnership, 

association, joint-stock company, trust or corporation engaged in 

rendering radio telecommunications services to the general public for 

hire.

    Temporary fixed station. One or more fixed transmitters that 

normally do not remain at any particular location for longer than 6 

months.

    Universal licensing system. The Universal Licensing System (ULS) is 

the consolidated database, application filing system, and processing 

system for all Wireless Radio Services. ULS supports electronic filing 

of all applications and related documents by applicants and licensees in 

the Wireless Radio Services, and provides public access to licensing 

information.

    Unserved areas. With regard to a channel block allocated for 

assignment in the Cellular Radiotelephone Service: Geographic area in 

the District of Columbia, or any State, Territory or possession of the 

United States of America that is not within the CGSA of any cellular 

system authorized to transmit on that channel block. With regard to a 

channel allocated for assignment in the Paging and Radiotelephone 

Service: Geographic area within the District of Columbia, or any State, 

Territory or possession of the United States of America that is not 

within the service contour of any base transmitter in any station 

authorized to transmit on that channel.

    Wireline common carrier. A telecommunications common carrier that is 

also engaged in the business of providing landline local exchange 

telephone service.



[59 FR 59507, Nov. 17, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 31050, June 19, 1996; 

61 FR 54098, Oct. 17, 1996; 62 FR 11628, Mar. 12, 1997; 63 FR 36603, 

July 7, 1998; 63 FR 68943, Dec. 14, 1998; 67 FR 9609, Mar. 4, 2002]