Sec. 22.946  Service commencement and construction periods for cellular 
          systems.

    This section specifies the service commencement and construction 
periods and related requirements for cellular systems.
    (a) Commencement of service. New cellular systems must be at least 
partially constructed and begin providing cellular service to 
subscribers within the service commencement periods specified in Table 
H-1 of this section. Service commencement periods begin on the date of 
grant of the initial authorization, and are not extended by the grant of 
subsequent authorizations for the cellular system (such as for major 
modifications).

                   Table H-1.--Commencement of Service                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                            Required to commence service
         Type of cellular system                       within           
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first system authorized on each        36 months.                   
 channel block in markets 1-90.                                         
The first system authorized on each        18 months.                   
 channel block in all other markets and                                 
 any subsequent systems authorized                                      
 pursuant to contracts in partitioned                                   
 markets.                                                               

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All other systems........................  12 months.                   
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    (1) To satisfy the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, a 
cellular system must be interconnected with the public switched 
telephone network (PSTN) and must be providing service to mobile 
stations operated by its subscribers and roamers. A cellular system is 
not considered to be providing service to subscribers if mobile stations 
can not make telephone calls to landline telephones and receive 
telephone calls from landline telephones through the PSTN, or if the 
system intentionally serves only roamer stations.
    (2) The licensee must notify the FCC (FCC Form 489) no later than 15 
days after the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section are met.
    (b) Construction period for specific facilities. The construction 
period applicable to specific new or modified cellular facilities for 
which an authorization has been granted is one year from the date the 
authorization is granted. Failure to comply with this requirement 
results in termination of the authorization for the specific new or 
modified facility, pursuant to Sec. 22.144(b).