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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
ENFORCEMENT BUREAU
WESTERN REGION
Los Angeles Office
18000 Studebaker Road, Suite 660
Cerritos, California 90703
October 24, 2008
Wood Group Field Services, Inc.
Santa Fe Springs, California
NOTICE OF UNLICENSED OPERATION
Case Number: EB-08-LA-0295 Document Number: W200932900001
The Los Angeles Office received a complaint from Verizon Wireless
("Verizon"), a FCC licensed user, that radio emissions from your building
were causing interference to their cellular sites. On October 7, 2008, an
agent from this office confirmed by direction finding techniques that
radio signals, including those on frequency 842 MHz, were emanating from a
building occupied by Wood Group Field Services, Inc. ("WG") in Santa Fe
Springs, CA. An Operations Manager informed the agent that an amplifier
had been installed to increase the signals for mobile phones. In a
subsequent telephone conversation, another employee informed the agent
that a BDA (bi-directional amplifier), which is an in-building radiation
system had been removed from service as a result of the complaint.
Section 22.383 of the Commission's Rules, which applies to Public Mobile
Services licensees, provides that "[l]icensees may install and operate
in-building radiation systems without applying for authorization or
notifying the FCC, provided that the locations of the in-building
radiation systems are within the protected service area of the licensee's
authorized transmitter(s) on the same channel or channel block." A
licensee's authority to install a BDA does not, without further
authorization from the licensee, permit a subscriber to install a BDA.
The frequency 842 MHz is authorized for use by Verizon. Verizon has
informed the Commission that it did not provide you authorization to
install a BDA. Furthermore, Commission records show no license issued to
WG for operation of a radio station at this location on 842 MHz.
Operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid FCC
authorization or license is a violation of Section 301 of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. You are hereby warned that
operation of radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio station
authorization constitutes a violation of the Federal laws cited above and
could subject the owner of this illegal operation to severe penalties,
including, but not limited to, substantial civil forfeitures, a maximum
criminal fine of $100,000 and/or one year imprisonment, or arrest of the
equipment for the first offense (see 47 U.S.C. S:S: 501, 503 and 510).
UNLICENSED OPERATION OF THIS RADIO STATION MUST BE DISCONTINUED
IMMEDIATELY.
You have ten (10) days from the date of this notice to respond with any
evidence that you have authority to operate granted by the FCC. Your
response should be sent to the address in the letterhead and reference the
listed case and document number. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C.
S: 552a(e)(3), we are informing you that the Commission's staff will use
all relevant material information before it to determine what, if any,
enforcement action is required to ensure your compliance with FCC Rules.
This will include any information that you disclose in your reply.
You may contact this office if you have any questions.
Margaret Egler
Interim Acting District Director
Los Angeles Office
Western Region
Enforcement Bureau
Attachments:
Excerpts from the Communications Act of 1934, As Amended
Enforcement Bureau, "Inspection Fact Sheet," March 2005
Section 22.99 of the Commission's Rules defines "in-building radiation
systems" as "[s]upplementary systems comprising low power transmitters,
receivers, indoor antennas and/or leaky coaxial cable radiators, designed
to improve service reliability inside buildings or structures located
within the service areas of stations in the Public Mobile Services." 47
C.F.R. S: 22.99.
47 C.F.R. S: 22.383.
47 U.S.C. S: 301.