Sec.  1.929   Classification of filings as major or minor.

   Applications and amendments to applications for stations in the wireless
   radio services are classified as major or minor ( see  Sec. 1.947). Categories of
   major and minor filings are listed in  Sec. 309 of the Communications Act of
   1934.

   (a) For all stations in all Wireless Radio Services, whether licensed
   geographically or on a site-specific basis, the following actions are
   classified as major:

   (1) Application for initial authorization;

   (2) Any substantial change in ownership or control, including requests for
   partitioning and disaggregation;

   (3) Application for renewal of authorization;

   (4) Application or amendment requesting authorization for a facility that
   would have a significant environmental effect, as defined by  Sec.  Sec. 1.1301
   through 1.1319 of the rules;

   (5) Application or amendment requiring frequency coordination pursuant to
   the Commission's rules or international treaty or agreement;

   (6) Application or amendment requesting to add a frequency or frequency
   block for which the applicant is not currently authorized, excluding
   removing a frequency.

   (b) In the Cellular Radiotelephone Service:

   (1) Request an authorization or an amendment to a pending application that
   would expand the cellular geographic service area (COSA) of an existing
   cellular system or, in the case of an amendment, as previously proposed in
   an application, except during the applicable five-year build-out period, if
   any;

   (2) Request that a CGSA boundary or portion of a CGSA boundary be determined
   using an alternative method; or,

   (3) Request an authorization for facilities that would produce a de minimis
   service area boundary extension into unserved area in an adjacent market.

   (c) In addition to those changes listed in subparagraph (a) above, the
   following are major changes applicable to stations licensed to provide
   base-to-mobile, mobile-to-base, mobile-to-mobile on a site-specific basis:

   (1) In the Paging and Radiotelephone Service, Rural Radiotelephone Service
   and 800 MHz Specialized Mobile Radio Service (SMR), any change that would
   increase or expand the applicant's existing composite interference contour,
   except extensions of a composite interference contour over bodies of water
   that extend beyond county boundaries (i.e., including but not limited to
   oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes) on a secondary basis.

   (2) In the 900 MHz SMR and 220 MHz Service, any change that would increase
   or expand the applicant's service area as defined in the rule parts
   governing the particular radio service.

   (3) In the Paging and Radiotelephone Service, Rural Radiotelephone Service,
   Offshore Radiotelephone Service, and Specialized Mobile Radio Service:

   (i) Request an authorization or an amendment to a pending application that
   would establish for the filer a new fixed transmission path;

   (ii) Request an authorization or an amendment to a pending application for a
   fixed station (i.e., control, repeater, central office, rural subscriber, or
   inter-office station) that would increase the effective radiated power,
   antenna height above average terrain in any azimuth, or relocate an existing
   transmitter;

   (4) In the Private Land Mobile Radio Services (PLMRS), the remote pickup
   broadcast auxiliary service, and GMRS systems licensed to non-individuals

   (i) Change in frequency or modification of channel pairs;

   (ii) Change in the type of emission;

   (iii) Change in effective radiated power from that authorized or, for GMRS
   systems licensed to non-individuals, an increase in the transmitter power of
   a station;

   (iv) Change in antenna height from that authorized;

   (v) Change in the authorized location or number of base stations, fixed,
   control, or, for systems operating on non-exclusive assignments in GMRS or
   the 470–512 MHz, 800 MHz or 900 MHz bands, a change in the number of mobile
   transmitters, or a change in the area of mobile transmitters, or a change in
   the area of mobile operations from that authorized;

   (vi) Change in the class of a land station, including changing from multiple
   licensed to cooperative use, and from shared to unshared use.

   (d) In the microwave, aural broadcast auxiliary, and television broadcast
   auxiliary services:

   (1) Except as specified in paragraph (d)(2) and (d)(3) of this section, the
   following, in addition to those filings listed in paragraph (a) of this
   section, are major actions that apply to stations licensed to provide fixed
   point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, or multipoint-to-point, communications
   on a site-specific basis, or fixed or mobile communications on an
   area-specific basis under part 101 of this chapter:

   (i) Any change in transmit antenna location by more than 5 seconds in
   latitude or longitude for fixed point-to-point facilities (e.g., a 5 second
   change in latitude, longitude, or both would be minor); any change in
   coordinates of the center of operation or increase in radius of a circular
   area of operation, or any expansion in any direction in the latitude or
   longitude limits of a rectangular area of operation, or any change in any
   other kind of area operation;

   (ii) Any increase in frequency tolerance;

   (iii) Any increase in bandwidth;

   (iv) Any change in emission type;

   (v) Any increase in EIRP greater than 3 dB;

   (vi) Any increase in transmit antenna height (above mean sea level) more
   than 3 meters, except as specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section;

   (vii) Any increase in transmit antenna beamwidth, except as specified in
   paragraph (d)(3) of this section;

   (viii) Any change in transmit antenna polarization;

   (ix) Any change in transmit antenna azimuth greater than 1 degree, except as
   specified in paragraph (d)(3) of this section ; or,

   (x) Any change which together with all minor modifications or amendments
   since the last major modification or amendment produces a cumulative effect
   exceeding any of the above major criteria.

   (2) Changes to transmit antenna location of Multiple Address System (MAS)
   Remote Units and Digital Electronic Message Service (DEMS) User Units are
   not major.

   (3) Changes in accordance with paragraphs (d)(1)(vi), (d)(1)(vii) and
   (d)(1)(ix) of this section are not major for the following:

   (i) Fixed Two-Way MAS on the remote to master path,

   (ii) Fixed One-Way Inbound MAS on the remote to master path,

   (iii) Multiple Two-Way MAS on the remote to master and master to remote
   paths,

   (iv) Multiple One-Way Outbound MAS on the master to remote path,

   (v) Mobile MAS Master,

   (vi) Fixed Two-Way DEMS on the user to nodal path, and

   (vii) Multiple Two-Way DEMS on the nodal to user and user to nodal paths.

   Note to paragraph (d)(3) of  Sec. 1.929: For the systems and path types described
   in paragraph (d)(3) of this section, the data provided by applicants is
   either a typical value for a certain parameter or a fixed value given in the
   Form instructions.

   (e) In addition to those filings listed in paragraph (a) of this section,
   the following are major actions that apply to stations licensed to provide
   service in the Air-ground Radiotelephone Service:

   (1) Request an authorization to relocate an existing General Aviation ground
   station; or,

   (2) Request the first authorization for a new Commercial Aviation ground
   station at a location other than those listed in  Sec. 22.859 of this chapter.

   (f) In addition to those changes listed in paragraph (a), the following are
   major changes that apply to stations licensed in the industrial
   radiopositioning stations for which frequencies are assigned on an exclusive
   basis, Maritime and Aviation services, except Maritime Public Coast VHF
   (CMRS), Ship and Aircraft stations:

   (1) Any change in antenna azimuth;

   (2) Any change in beamwidth;

   (3) Any change in antenna location;

   (4) Any change in emission type;

   (5) Any increase in antenna height;

   (6) Any increase in authorized power;

   (7) Any increase in emission bandwidth.

   (g) In addition to those changes listed in paragraph (a), any change
   requiring international coordination in the Maritime Public Coast VHF (CMRS)
   Service is major.

   (h) In addition to those changes listed in paragraph (a) of this section,
   the following are major changes that apply to ship stations:

   (1) Any request for additional equipment;

   (2) A change in ship category;

   (3) A request for assignment of a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI)
   number; or

   (4) A request to increase the number of ships on an existing fleet license.

   (i) In addition to those changes listed in paragraph (a) of this section,
   the following are major changes that apply to aircraft stations:

   (1) A request to increase the number of aircraft on an existing fleet
   license; or

   (2) A request to change the type of aircraft (private or air carrier).

   (j) In addition to those changes listed in paragraph (a) of this section,
   the following are major changes that apply to amateur licenses:

   (1) An upgrade of an existing license; or

   (2) A change of call sign.

   (k) Any change not specifically listed above as major is considered minor
   (see  Sec. 1.947(b). This includes but is not limited to:

   (1) Any pro forma assignment or transfer of control;

   (2) Any name change not involving change in ownership or control of the
   license;

   (3) Any address and/or telephone number changes;

   (4) Any changes in contact person;

   (5) Any change to vessel name on a ship station license;

   (6) Any change to a site-specific license, except a PLMRS license under part
   90, or a license under part 101, where the licensee's interference contours
   are not extended and co-channel separation criteria are met, except those
   modifications defined in paragraph (c)(2) of this section; or

   (7) Any conversion of multiple site-specific licenses into a single
   wide-area license, except a PLMRS license under part 90 or a license under
   part 101 of this chapter, where there is no change in the licensee's
   composite interference contour or service area as defined in paragraph
   (c)(2) of this section.

   [ 63 FR 68927 , Dec. 14, 1998, as amended at  64 FR 53239 , Oct. 1, 1999;  68 FR 12755 , Mar. 17, 2003;  70 FR 19306 , Apr. 13, 2005]