The General Category will consist of channels 231-260a and 511-550 at locations farther than 110 km (68.4 miles) from the U.S./Mexico border and 140 km (87 miles) from the U.S./Canadian border. All entities will be eligible for licensing on these channels except as described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

(a) In a given 800 MHz NPSPAC region, any channel in the 231-260 range which is vacated by a licensee relocating to channels 551-830 and which remains vacant after band reconfiguration will be available as follows:

(1) Only to eligible applicants in the Public Safety Category until three years after the release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region;

(2) Only to eligible applicants in the Public Safety or Critical Infrastructure Industry Categories from three to five years after the release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region;

(3) To all entities five years after release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region.

(b) In a given 800 MHz NPSPAC region, any channel in the 231-260 range which is vacated by a licensee relocating to channels 511-550 and remains vacant after band reconfiguration will be available as follows:

(1) Only to eligible applicants in the Public Safety Category until three years after the release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region;

(2) Only to eligible applicants in the Public Safety or Critical Infrastructure Industry Categories from three to five years after the release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region;

(3) To all entities five years after release of a public notice announcing the completion of band reconfiguration in that region.

(c) Spectrum Block F1 consists of channels 236-260.

(d) Applicants may begin to license interstitial channels (denoted with an “a” after the channel number) only after the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau jointly release a public notice announcing the availability of those channels for licensing in a National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee region.

[70 FR 6759, Feb. 8, 2005, as amended at 70 FR 76708, Dec. 28, 2005; 83 FR 61100, Nov. 27, 2018]