WTB Approves Extended Construction Deadline
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Mobility Division, has granted a request by Cobb Electric Membership Corporation (Cobb EMC) to extend its construction deadline to December 31, 2017. The ruling applies to seven Part 22 Economic Area paging licenses: WQRJ898, WQRJ899, WQRJ900, WQRJ901, WQRJ902, WQRJ903, and WQRJ904.
The decision, issued under delegated authority by Mobility Division Chief Roger S. Noel in DA 17-1139, modifies a previous extension that had set an April 30, 2017 build-out deadline for the utility cooperative.
Background on Equipment Authorization and Compliance
Under Section 22.503(k) of the Commission's rules, geographic area paging licensees must cover one-third of the population within three years, or provide substantial service within five years. Cobb EMC elected the five-year substantial service benchmark for its licenses, which originally matured on November 3, 2015.
On November 18, 2015, Cobb EMC submitted timely construction notifications showing substantial service using Hytera ACCESSNET TETRA equipment. However, the Commission had not authorized Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) technology for Part 22 paging bands, as it may exceed Part 22 occupied bandwidth and emission limits.
Although Hytera had obtained Class II Permissive Changes from a Telecommunication Certification Body (TCB) to add Part 22 to its certifications, the underlying technical discrepancies were not evaluated. Upon learning of the issue, Cobb EMC acted in good faith to replace the non-compliant equipment, receiving an initial deadline extension to April 30, 2017.
- Initial five-year construction deadline: November 3, 2015
- First construction waiver grant date: November 17, 2016 (extending deadline to April 30, 2017)
- Final extended construction deadline: December 31, 2017
Deployment Delays and Public Interest Ruling
On April 28, 2017, Cobb EMC filed further extension requests, explaining that system drive testing required replacing single omni-directional receive antennas with three-panel antenna arrays to maintain reliable coverage. This modification necessitated new tower owner approvals and base station replacements.
In addition, Hytera's corporate acquisition of Cobb EMC's new equipment vendor, Sepura, delayed equipment finalization and delivery from Spain.
Evaluating the request under the waiver standard of Section 1.925(b)(3), the Bureau concluded that Cobb EMC demonstrated continued diligence and proactive efforts to deploy a fully compliant system supporting electric delivery services to over 180,000 members. Cobb EMC is required to file updated construction notifications demonstrating substantial service in the Universal Licensing System by December 31, 2017.
- Call signs covered: WQRJ898, WQRJ899, WQRJ900, WQRJ901, WQRJ902, WQRJ903, and WQRJ904
- Regulatory basis: 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 303(r) and 47 CFR §§ 0.131, 0.331, 1.925