Federal Communications Commission	DA 23-400


Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554


In the Matter of

County of Los Angeles, California

Request for Extension 
)
)
)
)
)


File Nos. 0010328664 et al.
ORDER

Adopted:  May 11, 2023						Released:  May 11, 2023

By the Chief, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau:

I. INTRODUCTION
1. This Order addresses the above-captioned request filed by the County of Los Angeles, California (County), seeking waiver of section 90.629 of the Commission’s rules 47 CFR § 90.629.
 to extend the construction completion date for 67 licenses in the 470-512 MHz band (T-Band) that are to be integrated into the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS). See File Nos. 0010328664  et al. (filed Dec. 28 and 29, 2022) and Request for Extension of Los Angeles, California attached to the applications (Extension Request).  The County seeks an extension for the following Call Signs: WPLU218, WPLU220, WPLU221, WPLU224, WPLU230, WPLU231, WPLU232, WPLU234, WPMK204, WPMK277, WPMK278, WPMK279, WPMK280, WPMK281, WPMK282, WPMM805, WPMM807, WPMW796, WPNP716, WPNP718, WQJX500, WQJX503, WQJX505, WQJX506, WQJX507, WQJX509, WQJX510, WQJX512, WQJX514, WQJX517, WQJX518, WQJX519, WQJX520, WQJX521, WQJX522, WQJX523, WQJX524, WQJX525, WQJX529, WQJX530, WQJX531, WQJX532, WQJX533, WQJX534, WQJX535, WQJX536, WQJX537, WQJX538, WQJX539, WQJX540, WQJX541, WQJX542, WQJX543, WQJX544, WQJX545, WQJX546, WQJX547, WQJX548, WQJX549, WQJX550, WQJX551, WQJX552, WQJX553, WQJX554, WQJX556, WQJX557 and WQXE728.  We list the call signs and file numbers in Appendix A.
  These requests are extensions of the relief granted to the County by the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau in 2021. County of Los Angeles, California, Order, 36 FCC Rcd 12457 (PSHSB 2021) (2021 Order) (extending the construction completion date until Dec. 31, 2022) (https://www.fcc.gov/document/pshsb-grants-los-angeles-county-extension-request).
  For the reasons discussed below, we grant the County’s extension request until December 31, 2023. 
II. BACKGROUND
2. The LA County T-Band system consists of three subsystems: (1) the LA County Sheriff’s Department System consisting of 55 contiguous wideband (25 kilohertz) channels in the TV Channel 16 band (482-488 MHz) for the voice system and 10 non-contiguous channels in the TV Channel 14 band (470-476 MHz) for the data system; (2) an interoperable voice radio system in the TV Channel 15 band (476-482 MHz) to be used by all public safety agencies in the County; and (3) a narrowband system in the TV Channel 14/15 bands. Id. at 12458 para. 3.
  As detailed in the 2021 Order, the Bureau has granted the County a series of construction completion extensions, the most recent one concluding on December 31, 2022. Id. at 12458-59 paras. 4-6.
 
3. The County states that it has made significant progress towards construction of the system, but requires additional time to complete the construction due to ongoing interference from a television station in Tijuana, Mexico. Extension Request at 7.
  The County claims that this interference has forced the County to redesign its entire system to attempt to minimize (to the greatest extent possible) the substantial interference being experienced, significantly delaying construction across several portions of the County’s system. Id. 
  The County states that due to these delays, it has not completed construction of the remaining stations and requests an extension, until December 31, 2023, to complete this construction. Id. at 8.
  
4. The County submits that it “has demonstrated all of the ‘good faith’ factors cited by the Commission in prior extension cases.” Id. at 9.
  The County notes that the extension period it seeks is a reasonable amount of time to complete the project given the totality of the circumstances. Id.
  The County also asserts that the fact that one of the systems has been operational since the 1980s, and that the second is partially constructed, demonstrates that it is not warehousing spectrum. Id.  

III. DISCUSSION
5. To obtain a waiver of the Commission’s rules, a petitioner must demonstrate either that: (i) the underlying purpose of the rule(s) would not be served or would be frustrated by application to the present case, and that a grant of the requested waiver would be in the public interest; 47 CFR § 1.925(b)(3)(i).
 or (ii) in view of unique or unusual factual circumstances of the instant case, application of the rule(s) would be inequitable, unduly burdensome or contrary to the public interest, or the applicant has no reasonable alternative. 47 CFR § 1.925(b)(3)(ii).
  An applicant seeking a waiver faces a high hurdle and must plead with particularity the facts and circumstances that warrant a waiver. WAIT Radio v. FCC, 413 F.2d 1153, 1157 (D.C. Cir. 1969) (WAIT Radio), aff’d, 459 F.2d 1203 (1973), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 1027 (1972) (citing Rio Grande Family Radio Fellowship, Inc. v. FCC, 406 F.2d 664 (D.C. Cir.1968)); Birach Broad. Corp., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 18 FCC Rcd 1414, 1415 (2003).

6. We find that the County has demonstrated reasonable diligence in attempting to construct its system in a timely fashion.  The interference it is encountering represents an unusual factual circumstance satisfying the second prong of the Commission’s waiver standard, and we agree with the County that “this system represents an enormously complex and substantial undertaking” that warrants more time for completion. Extension Request at 9.
  In light of these facts, we find that strict enforcement of the prior construction deadlines would be both inequitable and contrary to the public interest in that it would result in a waste of tax and federal grant dollars, strand investment in facilities already under construction, and, most importantly, deprive the citizens and first responders in the greater Los Angeles area of a critically needed, interoperable public safety communications system. 2021 Order, 36 FCC Rcd at 12460 para. 13.
  Accordingly, we grant the County’s extension requests and extend the construction deadline to December 31, 2023, for the 67 licenses and associated applications.  
IV. ORDERING CLAUSES
7. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED pursuant to sections 4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 303(r), and sections 1.925, 1.946(e), and 90.629 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.925, 1.946(e), 90.629, that the requests for waiver filed by the County of Los Angeles, California on December 28, 2022, and December 29, 2020 in connection with applications File Nos. 0010328664, et al., listed in Appendix A, ARE GRANTED, and the applications SHALL BE PROCESSED consistent with this Order and the Commission’s rules.
8. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED pursuant to sections 4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 303(r), and sections 1.925, 1.946(e), and 90.629 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.925, 1.946(e), 90.629, that the construction deadline for the facilities represented by the call signs listed in Appendix A is, hereby, extended to December 31, 2023.
9. This action is taken under delegated authority pursuant to sections 0.191 and 0.392 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.191, 0.392.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




						John A. Evanoff 
						Chief, Policy and Licensing Division
						Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
APPENDIX A
Extension Request Applications


Legal Entity Name
File Number
Call Sign
Receipt Date
1
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328664
WPLU218
12/28/2022
2
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328692
WPLU220
12/28/2022
3
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328718
WPLU221
12/28/2022
4
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328741
WPLU224
12/28/2022
5
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328763
WPLU230
12/28/2022
6
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328784
WPLU231
12/28/2022
7
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328808
WPLU232
12/28/2022
8
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328820
WPLU234
12/28/2022
9
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328931
WPMK204
12/28/2022
10
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328938
WPMK277
12/28/2022
11
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328944
WPMK278
12/28/2022
12
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010328968
WPMK279
12/28/2022
13
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329005
WPMK280
12/28/2022
14
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329008
WPMK281
12/28/2022
15
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329018
WPMK282
12/28/2022
16
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329025
WPMM805
12/28/2022
17
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329026
WPMM807
12/28/2022
18
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329032
WPMW796
12/28/2022
19
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329036
WPNP716
12/28/2022
20
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329039
WPNP718
12/28/2022
21
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329040
WQJX500
12/28/2022
22
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329044
WQJX503
12/28/2022
23
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329047
WQJX505
12/28/2022
24
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329051
WQJX506
12/28/2022
25
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329058
WQJX507
12/28/2022
26
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329059
WQJX509
12/28/2022
27
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329060
WQJX510
12/28/2022
28
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329062
WQJX512
12/28/2022
29
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329063
WQJX514
12/28/2022
30
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329064
WQJX517
12/28/2022
31
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329067
WQJX518
12/28/2022
32
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329071
WQJX519
12/28/2022
33
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329090
WQJX520
12/28/2022
34
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329092
WQJX521
12/28/2022
35
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329096
WQJX522
12/28/2022
36
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329099
WQJX523
12/28/2022
37
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329105
WQJX524
12/28/2022
38
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329112
WQJX525
12/28/2022
39
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329234
WQJX529
12/29/2022
40
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329235
WQJX530
12/29/2022
41
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329237
WQJX531
12/29/2022
42
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329238
WQJX532
12/29/2022
43
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329239
WQJX533
12/29/2022
44
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329240
WQJX534
12/29/2022
45
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329241
WQJX535
12/29/2022
46
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329242
WQJX536
12/29/2022
47
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329244
WQJX537
12/29/2022
48
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329245
WQJX538
12/29/2022
49
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329247
WQJX539
12/29/2022
50
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329248
WQJX540
12/29/2022
51
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329249
WQJX541
12/29/2022
52
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329250
WQJX542
12/29/2022
53
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329251
WQJX543
12/29/2022
54
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329252
WQJX544
12/29/2022
55
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329253
WQJX545
12/29/2022
56
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329255
WQJX546
12/29/2022
57
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329257
WQJX547
12/29/2022
58
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329260
WQJX548
12/29/2022
59
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329262
WQJX549
12/29/2022
60
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329263
WQJX550
12/29/2022
61
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329266
WQJX551
12/29/2022
62
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329269
WQJX552
12/29/2022
63
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329271
WQJX553
12/29/2022
64
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329272
WQJX554
12/29/2022
65
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329276
WQJX556
12/29/2022
66
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329278
WQJX557
12/29/2022
67
LOS ANGELES, COUNTY OF
0010329284
WQXE728
12/29/2022

2