Aeronautical utility mobile stations provide communications for vehicles operating on an airport movement area. An airport movement area is defined as the runways, taxiways and other areas utilized for taxiing, takeoff and landing of aircraft, exclusive of loading ramp and parking areas.

(a) An aeronautical utility mobile station must monitor its assigned frequency during periods of operation.

(b) At an airport which has a control tower, control tower remote communications outlet station (RCO) or FAA flight service station in operation, communications by an aeronautical utility mobile station are limited to the management of ground vehicular traffic.

(c) Aeronautical utility mobile stations which operate on the airport's unicom frequency or the frequency 122.900 MHz are authorized only to transmit information relating to safety, such as runway conditions and hazards on the airport. These stations are authorized primarily for monitoring communications from and to aircraft approaching or departing the airport.

(d) Transmissions by an aeronautical utility mobile station are subject to the control of the control tower, the FAA flight service station or the unicom, as appropriate. When requested by the control tower, the flight service station or the unicom, an aeronautical utility station must discontinue transmitting immediately.

(e) Communications between aeronautical utility mobile stations are not authorized.

(f) Transmissions by aeronautical utility mobile stations for Universal Access Transceiver service are authorized.

(a) Aeronautical utility stations may transmit on unicom frequencies only at airports which have a unicom and a part-time or no control tower, an RCO or an FAA flight service station.

(b) An applicant for an aeronautical utility station operating on a unicom frequency or the frequency 122.900 MHz must:

(1) Have a need to routinely operate a ground vehicle on the airport movement area;

(2) Maintain a list of the vehicle(s) in which the station is to be located;

(3) Certify on the application that either the applicant is the airport owner or operator, or a state or local government aeronautical agency, or that the airport owner or operator has granted permission to operate the vehicle(s) on the airport movement area.

(c) An applicant for an aeronautical utility station requesting authority to transmit on the local control (tower) frequency or on the control tower remote communications outlet (RCO) frequency must certify that the Air Traffic Manager of the airport control tower approves the requested use of the tower or RCO frequency.

(a) The frequency assigned to an aeronautical utility station at an airport served by a control tower, RCO or FAA flight service station is the frequency used by the control tower for ground traffic control or by the flight service station for communications with vehicles. In addition to the ground control frequency, an aeronautical utility station at an airport served by a control tower or RCO may be assigned the tower or RCO frequency if the assignment is specifically approved by the FAA as provided for in § 87.347(c). The frequencies assigned are normally from the band 121.600-121.925 MHz.

(b) The frequency assigned to the unicom is available to aeronautical utility stations on a noninterference basis at airports which have a part-time control tower, part-time RCO or part-time FAA flight service station and a unicom.

(c) At airports which have a unicom but no control tower, RCO or FAA flight service station, the frequency assigned to the unicom is available to aeronautical utility stations on a noninterference basis. The frequencies available for assignment to unicoms are described in subpart G of this part.

(d) At airports which have no control tower, RCO, flight service station or unicom, the frequency 122.900 MHz is available for assignment to aeronautical utility stations.

(e) The frequency 978.0 MHz is authorized for Universal Access Transceiver data transmission.

(f) The Commission will assign frequency 1090 MHz for use by aeronautical utility mobile stations for ground vehicle identification and collision avoidance after coordination with the FAA, subject to the following conditions:

(1) The applicant must notify the appropriate Regional Office of the FAA prior to submission to the Commission of an application for a new station or for modification of an existing station. Each application must include the FAA Regional Office notified and date of notification.

(2) Eligibility is restricted to airport operators holding an FAA Airport Operating Certificate, and other entities approved by the FAA on a case-by-case basis to use frequency 1090 MHz for use by aeronautical utility mobile stations for ground vehicle identification and collision avoidance;

(3) No more than two hundred 1090 MHz aeronautical utility mobile stations will be authorized at one airport;

(4) Licenses are limited to only those locations that are within the vicinity of an FAA ASDE-X multilateration system or ADS-B equipment, and/or where the primary purpose for seeking transmit authorization is to provide surface data to aircraft and air traffic control authorities.

(5) Message transmission rates are limited as indicated in the table below:

When the aeronautical utility frequency is required to be changed because of an action by the FAA or the Commission (such as a change in the ground control of unicom frequency) the licensee must submit an application for modification to specify the new frequency within 10 days from the date the station begins operation on the new frequency. The licensee has temporary authority to use the new frequency from the date of the change pending receipt of the modified license.