DA 00-2565

November 9, 2000

WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU CLARIFIES PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING
TRUNKED RADIO SYSTEMS OPERATING BETWEEN 150-512 MHz

On June 28, 2000, the Commission adopted a *Report and Order* (*R&O*) in
WT Docket No. 98-182 and PR Docket No. 92-235. Among other things, the
*R&O* modified Section 90.187 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. §
90.187, governing the operation and licensing of trunked radio systems
below 512 MHz. More specifically, the Commission revised the definition
of trunked systems governed by this rule section. The section now
pertains to all types of trunked systems (centralized, decentralized,
and hybrid) authorized in the Part 90 150-512 MHz bands.[^1] Further,
the Commission specified new licensing procedures with respect to
trunked radio systems operating in the 150-512 MHz bands. The new rules
will become effective November 12, 2000.

Under the new licensing procedures, in order for a licensee to operate
in the trunked mode (centralized, decentralized, or hybrid) its license
must specify a trunked radio service code.[^2] Applicants proposing to
operate trunked systems on channels in the Industrial/Business Pool,
*see* 47 C.F.R. § 90.35, must use the YG code. Applicants proposing to
operate trunked systems on channels in the Public Safety Pool, *see* 47
C.F.R. § 90.20, must use the YW code.

In addition to providing that licenses must specify a trunked radio
service code in order to operate a trunked system, the Commission
established a new station class code for trunking - FB8. Applicants must
use this FB8 station class code for channels that are not subject to a
monitoring requirement (*i.e.,* the applicant/licensee has obtained the
necessary consent or has exclusive use of the channel).[^3] Under this
new requirement, all channels associated with a centralized trunked
system and any channels in a hybrid system where the necessary consent
has been obtained or are licensed on an exclusive basis must have an FB8
code. Applicants proposing a decentralized trunked system are subject to
monitoring requirements and, therefore, would not use the FB8 code. As
noted above, however, applications for decentralized trunked systems
must still specify a trunked radio service code (*i.e.,* YG or YW).

In adopting the new rules, the Commission noted that there may be a
substantial number of entities who would require a license modification
under the new procedures (*e.g*.*,* entities operating decentralized
trunked systems who need to modify their licenses to specify the
appropriate trunked radio service code). To minimize the impact on these
existing licensees, the Commission stated that it would allow existing
trunked licensees six months from the release of the *R&O* to modify
their licenses to indicate a trunked radio station code without having
to go through frequency coordination or paying a Commission fee.[^4]
Such requests should be submitted in the form of a letter to the
following address: FCC, Attention: Trunking License Correction, 1270
Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245. Licensees may request the
conversion of multiple licenses in a single request. The letter request
must include the licensee's name, contact phone number, the call sign(s)
of all licenses to be converted (listed alphabetically), and the
signature of the applicant as required by 47 C.F.R. § 1.917.

In order to maintain the necessary distinction between licenses
previously granted with a trunked radio service code and those licenses
being modified under the above procedure, the Commission will, prior to
acting on the letter requests, update its database to reflect a FB8
station class code on all licenses that currently specify a trunked
radio service code. This update will take place once the new rules go
into effect.[^5] Once the database has been updated, the licensing staff
of the Bureau's Public Safety and Private Wireless Division will begin
processing any individual letter requests filed under the *R&O* to
convert to the new trunked radio service code. Licensees operating
decentralized trunked systems who desire to operate in a trunked mode
not requiring monitoring must file an application for modification to
replace their current class of station code with a FB8 code. Such
applications must comply with the frequency coordination requirements,
be accompanied by the appropriate licensing fee and satisfy the
requirements under Rule 90.187.

Anyone having questions about this matter may contact the Licensing and
Technical Analysis Branch in Gettysburg, PA at (717) 338-2646.

[^1]: In a "centralized trunked system", the base station controller
    provides dynamic channel assignments by automatically searching all
    channels in the system for and assigning to a user an open channel
    within that system. In a "decentralized trunked system", which is
    also a system of dynamic channel assignment, the system continually
    monitors the assigned channels for activity both within the trunked
    system and outside the trunked system, and transmits only when an
    open channel is found. A "hybrid trunked system" is one where at
    least one of the frequencies being trunked but not all the
    frequencies being trunked meet the criteria specified in 47 C.F.R. §
    90.187(b).

[^2]: Previously, entities proposing decentralized trunked systems did
    not have to specify a trunked code; instead they used a code for
    conventional operation (IG or PW).

[^3]: Under the Part 90 Rules, pertaining to trunked systems, such
    systems must meet monitoring requirements. The monitoring
    requirements, however, do not apply if certain conditions are met.
    *See* 47 C.F.R. § 90.187 (b) and (c).

[^4]: The *R&O* was released July 12, 2000.

[^5]: The new rules will go into effect November 12, 2000.