Question E1C03:
[97.303(g)] How long must an operator wait after filing a notification with the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) before operating on the 2200-meter or 630-meter band?  

Choices:  
A: Operators must not operate until approval is received  
B: Operators may operate after 30 days, providing they have not been told that their station is within 1 kilometer of PLC systems using those frequencies  
C: Operators may not operate until a test signal has been transmitted in coordination with the local power company  
D: Operations may commence immediately, and may continue unless interference is reported by the UTC    

Correct Answer is  B: Operators may operate after 30 days, providing they have not been told that their station is within 1 kilometer of PLC systems using those frequencies  

To operate on 2200 m (135.7–137.8 kHz) or 630 m (472–479 kHz), FCC 97.303(g) requires notifying the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) and waiting for a response window.

Why the correct answer is correct (Choice B):
- Rule: After you notify UTC, you must wait a minimum of $30$ days. If, within those $30$ days, UTC does not inform you that your station is within $1$ km of a power line carrier (PLC) system on those frequencies, you may begin operating.
- In short: Notify → wait $30$ days → if no “within 1 km of PLC” notice, you can operate.

Why the other choices are incorrect:
- A: “Must not operate until approval is received” — Incorrect. No explicit approval is required; it’s a negative-consent process. You only need to wait $30$ days without a disqualifying notice.
- C: “Must transmit a test signal with the local power company” — Incorrect. There is no test-signal or local power company coordination requirement in the rule; the notification is to UTC.
- D: “Operations may commence immediately” — Incorrect. You must wait the full $30$ days unless notified earlier that you are within $1$ km (in which case you may not operate).

Useful rules of thumb:
- Waiting period: $$T_{\text{wait}} = 30 \text{ days}$$
- Proximity rule: If notified you are within $d \le 1 \text{ km}$ of a PLC system using those frequencies, do not operate.
- Bands involved: 2200 m ($135.7$–$137.8$ kHz) and 630 m ($472$–$479$ kHz).
- Acronyms: UTC = Utilities Technology Council; PLC = Power Line Carrier.