Sec. 22.911  Cellular geographic service area.

    The Cellular Geographic Service Area (CGSA) of a cellular system is 
the geographic area considered by the FCC to be served by the cellular 
system. The CGSA is the area within which cellular systems are entitled 
to protection and within which adverse effects for the purpose of 
determining whether a petitioner has standing are recognized.
    (a) CGSA determination. The CGSA is the composite of the service 
areas of all of the cells in the system, excluding any area outside the 
cellular market boundary, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this 
section, and excluding any area within the CGSA of another cellular 
system. The service area of a cell is the area within its service area 
boundary (SAB). The distance to the SAB is calculated as a function of 
effective radiated power (ERP) and antenna center of radiation height 
above average terrain (HAAT), height above sea level (HASL) or height 
above mean sea level (HAMSL).
    (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2) and (b) of this section, 
the distance from a cell transmitting antenna to its SAB along each 
cardinal radial is calculated as follows:

d=2.531 x h0.34 xp0.17

where:

d is the radial distance in kilometers
h is the radial antenna HAAT in meters
p is the radial ERP in Watts

    (2) For the cellular systems authorized to serve the Gulf of Mexico 
MSA, the distance from a cell transmitting antenna to its SAB along each 
cardinal radial is calculated as follows:

d=6.895 x h0.30 xp0.15

where:

d is the radial distance in kilometers
h is the radial antenna HAAT in meters
p is the radial ERP in Watts

    (3) The value used for h in the formula in paragraph (a)(2) of this 
section must not be less than 8 meters (26 feet) HASL (or HAMSL, as 
appropriate for the support structure). The value used for h in the 
formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section must not be less than 30 
meters (98 feet) HAAT, except that for unserved area applications 
proposing a cell with an ERP not exceeding 10 Watts, the value for h 
used in the formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section to determine the 
service area boundary for that cell may be less than 30 meters (98 feet) 
HAAT, but not less than 3 meters (10 feet) HAAT.
    (4) The value used for p in the formulas in paragraphs (a)(1) and 
(a)(2) of this section must not be less than 0.1 Watt or 27 dB less than 
(1/500 of) the maximum ERP in any direction, whichever is more.
    (5) Whenever use of the formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section 
pursuant to the exception contained in paragraph (a)(3) of this section 
results in a calculated distance that is less than 5.4 kilometers (3.4 
miles), the radial distance to the service area boundary is deemed to be 
5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles).
    (6) The distance from a cell transmitting antenna to the SAB along 
any radial other than the eight cardinal radials is calculated by linear 
interpolation of distance as a function of angle.

    Note to paragraph (a) of Sec. 22.911: On May 13, 1994, the United 
States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit instructed 
the FCC to vacate the provisions of old Sec. 22.903(a), now 
Sec. 22.911(a), insofar as they apply to cellular systems licensed to 
serve the Gulf of Mexico MSA (GMSA), pending reconsideration of an issue 
remanded to the FCC in that decision. See Petroleum Communications, Inc. 
v. Federal Communications Commission, No. 92-1670 and RVC Services, 
Inc., D/B/A Coastel Communications Company v. Federal Communications 
Commission, No. 93-1016, ____ F.2d ____, ____ (D.C. Cir. 1994). 
Accordingly, notwithstanding the provisions of Sec. 22.911(a), until 
further notice, the authorized CGSAs of the cellular systems licensed to 
serve the GMSA are those which were authorized prior to January 11, 
1993.

    (b) Alternative CGSA determination. If a carrier believes that the 
method prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section

[[Page 191]]

produces a CGSA that departs significantly (&177;20% in the 
service area of any cell) from the geographical area where reliable 
cellular service is actually provided, the carrier may submit, as an 
exhibit to an application for modification of the CGSA (FCC Form 600), a 
depiction of what the carrier believes the CGSA should be. Such 
submissions must be accompanied by one or more supporting propagation 
studies using methods appropriate for the 800-900 MHz frequency range, 
including all supporting data and calculations, and/or by extensive 
field strength measurement data. For the purpose of such submissions, 
cellular service is considered to be provided in all areas, including 
``dead spots'', between the transmitter location and the locus of points 
where the predicted or measured median field strength finally drops to 
32 dBV/m (i.e. does not exceed 32 dBV/m further out). 
If, after consideration of such submissions, the FCC finds that 
adjustment to a CGSA is warranted, the FCC may grant the application.
    (1) The alternative CGSA determination must define the CGSA in terms 
of distances from cell sites to cell SABs along the eight cardinal 
radials, with other points along the SAB determined in accordance with 
paragraph (a)(6) of this section. The distances used for the cardinal 
radials must be representative of the coverage within the 45 deg. 
sectors, as depicted by the alternative CGSA determination.
    (2) If an uncalibrated predictive model is used to depict the CGSA, 
the alternative CGSA determination must identify factors (e.g. terrain 
roughness or features) that could plausibly account for the difference 
between actual coverage and that defined by the formula in paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section. If actual measurements or a measurement-
calibrated predictive model are used to depict the CGSA, and this fact 
is disclosed in the alternative CGSA determination, it is not necessary 
to offer an explanation of the difference between actual coverage and 
that defined by the formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. If the 
formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is clearly inapplicable for 
the cell(s) in question (e.g. for microcells), this should be disclosed 
in the alternative CGSA determination.
    (3) The provision for alternative CGSA determinations was made in 
recognition that the formula in paragraph (a)(1) of this section is a 
general model that provides a reasonable approximation of coverage in 
most land areas, but may substantially under-predict or over-predict 
coverage in specific areas with unusual terrain roughness or features, 
and may be inapplicable for certain purposes, e.g. cells with a radial 
distance to the SAB less than 8 kilometers (5 miles). In such cases, 
alternative methods that utilize more specific models are appropriate. 
Accordingly, the FCC does not consider use of the formula in paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section with parameters outside of the limits in 
paragraphs (a)(3), (a)(4) and (a)(5) of this section or with data for 
radials other than the cardinal radials to be a valid alternative method 
for determining the CGSA of a cellular system.
    (c) CGSA extension areas. SAB extensions (areas outside of the 
cellular market boundary, but within the service area as calculated 
using the methods of paragraph (a) of this section) are part of the CGSA 
only under the following circumstances:
    (1) During the five year build-out period of the system in the 
cellular market containing the extension, the licensees of systems on 
the same channel block in adjacent cellular markets may agree that the 
portion of the service area of one system that extends into unserved 
areas in the other system's cellular market is part of the CGSA of the 
former system.
    (2) At the end of the five year build-out period of the system in 
the cellular market containing the extension, the portion of the service 
area that extends into unserved areas in another cellular market becomes 
part of the CGSA, provided that the licensee of the system so extended 
files a system information update in accordance with Sec. 22.947(c).
    (3) For original systems in MSAs, extensions of the CGSA authorized 
by the FCC are part of the CGSA to the extent authorized.
    (d) Protection afforded. Within the CGSA determined in accordance 
with

[[Page 192]]

this section, cellular systems are entitled to protection from co-
channel and first-adjacent channel interference and from capture of 
subscriber traffic by adjacent systems on the same channel block.
    (1) Licensees must cooperate in resolving co-channel and first-
adjacent channel interference by changing channels used at specific 
cells or by other technical means.
    (2) Protection from capture of subscriber traffic is applied and 
limited in accordance with the following:
    (i) Subscriber traffic is captured if an SAB of one cellular system 
overlaps the CGSA of another operating cellular system. Therefore, 
cellular licensees must not begin to operate any facility that would 
cause an SAB to overlap the existing CGSA of another cellular system on 
the same channel block, without first obtaining the written consent of 
the licensee of that system. However, cellular licensees may continue to 
operate existing facilities that produce an SAB overlapping a 
subsequently-authorized portion of the CGSA of another cellular system 
on the same channel block until the licensee of that system requests 
that the SAB be removed from its CGSA. Such request may be made directly 
to the licensee of the overlapping system or to the FCC. In the event 
such request is made, the licensee of the overlapping system must reduce 
the transmitting power or antenna height (or both) at the pertinent cell 
site as necessary to remove the SAB from the CGSA of the other system, 
unless a written consent from the licensee of the other system allowing 
the SAB to remain is obtained. Cellular licensees may enter into 
contracts with the licensees of other cellular systems on the same 
channel block to allow SABs to overlap CGSAs.
    (ii) Cellular licensees are at most entitled to have a CGSA free of 
SABs from other cellular systems on the same channel block.
    (e) Unserved areas. Unserved areas are areas outside of all existing 
CGSAs (on either of the channel blocks), to which the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended, is applicable.
[ 59 FR 59507 , Nov. 17, 1994, as amended at  59 FR 59954 , Nov. 21, 1994]