FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: News Media Contact: Meribeth McCarrick or

December 30, 1999 D'wana Terry at (202) 418-0654

FCC ADOPTS LICENSING AND AUCTION RULES FOR MULTIPLE ADDRESS SYSTEMS

And Lifts Application Freeze In Certain Bands Upon Release of the Report
and Order

> Washington, DC \-- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has
> adopted licensing and auction rules for spectrum designated for
> Multiple Address Systems (MAS). There is 3.2 megahertz (MHz) of
> spectrum in the 900 MHz band designated as MAS spectrum. MAS spectrum
> has traditionally been used by the power, petroleum and security
> industries to satisfy various alarm, control, interrogation and status
> reporting requirements, and by the paging industry to control multiple
> paging transmitters in the same general area.
>
> Today's decision: (1) establishes a flexible regulatory framework for
> MAS spectrum that provides opportunities for continued development of
> competitive service offerings by allowing a variety of services; (2)
> expedites market entry through modified licensing procedures; and (3)
> promotes technological innovation by eliminating unnecessary
> regulatory burdens. The adopted rules ensure that MAS spectrum is
> utilized to its fullest potential by providing licensees with
> additional flexibility to support current uses and foster the
> development of future uses.

Specifically, the FCC takes the following actions:

-   Designates the 928/952/956 MHz bands and twenty of the forty channel
    pairs in the 932/941 MHz bands for public safety/Federal Government
    and other specified services, and provides that these channels will
    be licensed on a first-come, first-served, site-by-site basis.
    Designates five of the twenty channel pairs in the 932/941 MHz bands
    exclusively for public safety/Federal Government use.

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-   Designates the 928/959 MHz bands and the remaining twenty of the
    forty paired channels in the 932/941 MHz bands to be licensed on a
    geographic-area basis.

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-   Grandfathers existing MAS operations on the currently occupied bands
    and limits system expansion in the 928/959 MHz bands.

-   For geographic area licenses, establishes service areas based on the
    U.S. Department of Commerce\'s definition of *Economic Areas*
    ("EAs").

-   Establishes construction/coverage requirements for EA licensees.
    These rules require coverage to at least one-fifth of the population
    in their service areas or substantial service within five years of
    the license grant, and a showing of substantial service within ten
    years of being licensed.

-   Introduces flexibility to the MAS technical rules by allowing MAS
    licensees to provide mobile and fixed operations on a co-primary
    basis for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint operations.

-   Adopts competitive bidding rules for MAS spectrum licensed on a
    geographic-area basis that are substantially consistent with the
    Part 1 Rules.

-   Upon release of the adopted Report and Order, lifts the application
    freeze for the 928/952/956 MHz bands and twenty channels in the
    932/941 MHz bands designated for public safety/Federal Government
    and/or other specified services.

Action by the Commission on December 30, 1999 by Report and Order (FCC
99- 415). Chairman Kennard, Commissioners Ness, Furchtgott-Roth, Powell
and Tristani.

Wireless Bureau Contact: Shellie Blakeney, Michael Sozan, Guy Benson or
Edgar Class at

\(202\) 418-0680 or TTY at (202) 418-7233

WT Docket No. 97-81