§  90.529   State License.

   (a) Narrowband channels designated as state channels in § 90.531 are
   licensed to each state (as defined in § 90.7) as follows:

   (1) Each state that chooses to take advantage of the spectrum
   designated as state channels must file an application for up to 2.4
   megahertz of this spectrum no later than December 31, 2001. For
   purposes of this section, the elected chief executive (Governor) of
   each state, or his or her designee, shall be deemed the person
   authorized to apply for the State License.

   (2) What ever part of this 2.4 megahertz that a state has not applied
   for by December 31, 2001, will revert to General Use and be
   administered by the relevant RPC (or RPCs in the instances of states
   that encompass multiple RPCs).

   (b) Each state license will be granted subject to the condition that
   the state certifies on or before each applicable benchmark date that it
   is:

   (1) providing or prepared to provide "substantial service" to one-third
   of their population or territory by January 1, 2012, i.e., within five
   years of the date that incumbent broadcasters are required to relocate
   to other portions of the spectrum;

   (2) providing or prepared to provide "substantial service" to
   two-thirds of their population or territory by January 1, 2017, i.e.,
   within ten years of the date that incumbent broadcasters are required
   to relocate to other portions of the spectrum.

   (c) The Commission will deem a state "prepared to provide substantial
   service" if the licensee certifies that a radio system has been
   approved and funded for implementation by the deadline date.
   "Substantial service" refers to the construction and operation of 700
   MHz facilities by public safety entities providing service which is
   sound, favorable , and substantially above a level of mediocre service
   which just might minimally warrant renewal.

   (d) If a state licensee fails to meet any condition of the grant the
   state license is modified automatically to the frequencies and
   geographic areas where the state certifies that it is providing
   substantial service.

   (e) Any recovered state license spectrum will revert to General Use.
   However, spectrum licensed to a state under a state license remains
   unavailable for reassignment to other applicants until the Commission's
   database reflects the parameters of the modified state license.

   [ 65 FR 66654 , Nov. 7, 2000]