Section 101.523 - Service areas(a) The service areas for 24 GHz are Economic Areas (EAs) as defined in this paragraph (a). The Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, organized the 50 States and the District of Columbia into 172 EAs. See 60 FR 13114 (March 10, 1995). Additionally, there are four FCC-created EA-like areas: (1) Guam and Northern Mariana Islands;(2) Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands;(4)The Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico EA extends from 12 nautical miles off the U.S. Gulf coast outward into the Gulf. See 62 FR 9636 (March 3, 1997), in which the Commission created an additional four economic area-like areas for a total of 176 EA service areas. Maps of the EAs and the FEDERAL REGISTER Notice that established the 172 Economic Areas (EAs) are available for public inspection through the Federal Communications Commission's Reference Information Center. These maps and data are also available on the FCC website at www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/areas/. These maps and data are also available on the FCC Web site at www.fcc.gov/oet/info/maps/areas/.(b) Where an incumbent SMSA license area in the 24 GHz band occupies only a portion of an EA available for application under the competitive bidding rules, the SMSA portion will be excluded from auction and the incumbent licensee will retain the exclusive right to those channels within the SMSA. 65 FR 59360 , Oct. 5, 2000, as amended at 69 FR 44608 , July 27, 2004; 85 FR 64411 , Oct. 13, 2020; 88 FR 21451 , Apr. 10, 2023 85 FR 64411, 10/13/2020; 88 FR 21451, 4/10/2023