[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 5]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR90.173]

[Page 331-333]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
                    CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
                         COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 90_PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents
 
       Subpart H_Policies Governing the Assignment of Frequencies
 
Sec. 90.173  Policies governing the assignment of frequencies.

    (a) Except as indicated in paragraph (j) of this section, the 
frequencies which ordinarily may be assigned to stations in the services 
governed by this part are listed in subparts B, C and F of this part. 
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this part, frequencies 
assigned to land mobile stations are available on a shared basis only 
and will not be assigned for the exclusive use of any licensee.
    (b) All applicants and licensees shall cooperate in the selection 
and use of frequencies in order to reduce interference and make the most 
effective use of the authorized facilities. Licensees of stations 
suffering or causing harmful interference are expected to cooperate and 
resolve this problem by mutually satisfactory arrangements. If the 
licensees are unable to do so, the Commission may impose restrictions 
including specifying the transmitter power, antenna height, or area or 
hours of operation of the stations concerned. Further the use of any 
frequency at a given geographical location may be denied when, in the 
judgment of the Commission, its use in that location is not in the 
public interest; the use of any

[[Page 332]]

frequency may be restricted as to specified geographical areas, maximum 
power, or such other operating conditions, contained in this part or in 
the station authorization.
    (c) Frequencies allocated for Federal Government radio stations 
under Executive order of the President may be authorized for the use of 
stations in these services upon appropriate showing by the applicant 
that such assignment is necessary for inter-communication with 
government stations or required for coordination with activities of the 
Federal Government, and where the Commission finds, after consultation 
with the appropriate government agency or agencies, that such assignment 
is necessary.
    (d) The radio facilities authorized under this part are intended for 
use in connection with and as an adjunct to the primary governmental or 
business activities of the licensee.
    (e) Persons requesting authority to operate in the band 25-50 MHz 
should recognize that this band is shared with various services in other 
countries and that harmful interference may be caused by the propagation 
of signals in this band from distant stations. No protection from such 
harmful interference generally can be expected.
    (f) Applications for stations in the 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz 
bands for operation on frequencies 15 kHz or less removed from existing 
stations in the same geographic area will be granted based upon a 
recommendation from the applicable frequency coordinator as specified in 
Sec. Sec. 90.20(c)(2) and 90.35(b)(2).
    (g) In the states of Alaska and Hawaii, and in areas outside the 
continental limits of the United States and the adjacent waters, the 
frequencies above 150.8 MHz which are listed elsewhere in this part as 
available for assignment to base stations or mobile stations in the 
Industrial/Business Pool are also available for assignment to 
operational fixed stations in the Industrial/Business Pool on a 
secondary basis.
    (h) In the Public Safety Pool, base stations may be authorized to 
operate on a secondary basis on frequencies below 450 MHz which are 
available to mobile stations.
    (i) In the 450-470 MHz band, the frequencies are ordinarily assigned 
in pairs, with the mobile station transmit frequency 5 MHz above the 
paired base station transmit frequency. In the 470-512 MHz band, the 
frequencies are ordinarily assigned in pairs with the mobile station 
transmit frequency 3 MHz above the paired base station transmit 
frequency. In the Industrial/Business Pool, in the 150 MHz band, the 
frequencies subject to Sec. 90.35(c)(6) may be assigned in pairs with 
the separation between base and mobile frequencies being 5.26 MHz. A 
mobile station may be assigned the frequency which would normally be 
assigned to a base station for single-frequency operation. However, this 
single-frequency operation may be subject to interference that would not 
occur to a two-frequency system.
    (j) Frequencies other than those listed in subparts B and C of this 
part may be assigned in the 150-174 MHz, 421-430 MHz, 450-470 MHz, and 
470-512 MHz bands, provided the following conditions are met:
    (1) Such applications must be accompanied by a showing of frequency 
coordination in accordance with the requirements of Sec. 90.175;
    (2) The frequencies must not be available in any other rule part of 
this chapter; and
    (3) The authorized bandwidth of any system operating in accordance 
with this paragraph must not overlap spectrum available in other rule 
parts of this chapter unless that spectrum is also allocated in part 90.
    (k) This paragraph is only applicable to entities with Finder's 
Preference requests pending before the Commission as of July 29, 1998. 
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, any eligible person 
shall be given a dispositive preference for a channel assignment on an 
exclusive basis in the 220-222 MHz, 470-512 MHz, and 800/900 MHz (except 
on frequencies designated exclusively for SMR service) bands by 
submitting information that leads to the recovery of channels in these 
bands. Recovery of such channels must result from information provided 
regarding the failure of existing licensees to comply with the 
provisions of

[[Page 333]]

Sec. Sec. 90.155, 90.157, 90.629, 90.631 (e) or (f), or 90.633 (c) or 
(d).
    (l) In the 150-174 MHz band, except where otherwise specifically 
provided, authorizations for frequencies that were available prior to 
August 18, 1995 will be granted with channel bandwidths of 25 kHz or 
less. Authorizations for all other frequencies in this band will be 
granted with channel bandwidths of 12.5 kHz or less (i.e., in the Public 
Safety Pool, frequencies subject to Sec. Sec. 90.20 (d)(27) and 
(d)(44), and in the Industrial/Business Pool, frequencies subject to 
Sec. Sec. 90.35 (c)(30) and (c)(33)).
    (m) In the 421-512 MHz band, except where otherwise specifically 
provided, authorizations for frequencies that were available prior to 
August 18, 1995 will be granted with channel bandwidths of 25 kHz or 
less. New authorizations for frequencies 12.5 kHz removed from these 
frequencies will be made for channel bandwidths of 12.5 kHz or less 
(i.e., in the Public Safety Pool, frequencies subject to Sec. 
90.20(d)(27) and in the Industrial/Business Pool, frequencies subject to 
Sec. 90.35(c)(30)). Authorizations for frequencies 6.25 kHz removed 
from these frequencies will be granted with channel bandwidths of 6.25 
kHz or less (i.e., in the Public Safety Pool, frequencies subject to 
Sec. 90.20(d)(44), and in the Industrial/Business Pool, frequencies 
subject to Sec. 90.35(c)(33)).
    (n) Any recovered channels in the 800 MHz SMR service will revert 
automatically to the holder of the EA license within which such channels 
are included. If there is no EA licensee for recovered channels, such 
channels will be retained by the Commission for future licensing.

(Secs. 4, 303, 307, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1082, 1083; 47 U.S.C. 
154, 303, 307)

[43 FR 54791, Nov. 22, 1978, as amended at 45 FR 43419, June 27, 1980; 
46 FR 55704, Nov. 12, 1981; 50 FR 13605, Apr. 5, 1985; 54 FR 39739, 
Sept. 28, 1989; 56 FR 65859, Dec. 19, 1991; 57 FR 24992, June 12, 1992; 
58 FR 51252, Oct. 1, 1993; 60 FR 37261, July 19, 1995; 60 FR 48917, 
Sept. 21, 1995; 61 FR 6155, Feb. 16, 1996; 62 FR 2038, Jan. 15, 1997; 62 
FR 18925, Apr. 17, 1997; 63 FR 44585, Aug. 20, 1998; 64 FR 36269, July 
6, 1999]