Federal Register: FCC (Personal Radio & Amateur)

This document corrects a document published in the Federal Register on December 4, 2013. This correction notes that the document incorrectly referred to itself as a "proposed rule" or "notice of proposed rulemaking" rather than a "document." In addition, the reply comment date for the document is December 20, 2013, and not March 20, 2013.

In this notice of proposed rulemaking, the Commission seeks comment on some specific variations of the licensing and technical proposals for the 3550-3650 MHz band (3.5 GHz Band) originally set forth in Amendment of the Commission's rules with Regard to Commercial Operations in the 3550-3650 MHz Band.

In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by Ivanna Yang on behalf of American Association for Justice.

In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by Russell D. Lukas on behalf of Wilson Electronics, LLC, Sean Haynberg on behalf of V-COMM, LLC, and by Mark L. Crosby on behalf of the Enterprise Wireless Alliance.

This document seeks comment on proposals developed in the course of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission's) proceeding regarding compliance with our guidelines for human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields. The Commission's further proposals reflect an effort to provide more efficient, practical, and consistent application of evaluation procedures to ensure compliance with its guidelines limiting human exposure to RF energy from Commission- regulated transmitters and devices. In addition the Commission has initiated a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) in a new proceeding to determine whether there is a need for reassessment of the Commission radiofrequency (RF) exposure limits and policies. The NOI acknowledges the research that has occurred in recent years and the changing nature of RF devices and their uses, and focuses on the propriety of the Commission's existing standards and policies, including its fundamental exposure guidelines and aspects of its equipment authorization process and policies as they relate to RF exposure in light of these changes since its rules were adopted.

This document resolves several issues regarding compliance with the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) regulations for conducting environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as they relate to the guidelines for human exposure to RF electromagnetic fields. More specifically, the Commission clarifies evaluation procedures and references to determine compliance with its limits, including specific absorption rate (SAR) as a primary metric for compliance, consideration of the pinna (outer ear) as an extremity, and measurement of medical implant exposure. The Commission also elaborates on mitigation procedures to ensure compliances with its limits, including labeling and other requirements for occupational exposure classification, clarification of compliance responsibility at multiple transmitter sites, and labeling of fixed consumer transmitters.

The Federal Communications Commission extends the deadline for filing reply comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), in this proceeding, which was published in the Federal Register at 78 FR 1188, January 8, 2013. Reply comments are now due on April 5, 2013.

In this document, the Commission proposes to create a new Citizens Broadband Radio Service under part 95 of its rules for shared small cell use in the 3550-3650 MHz band (3.5 GHz Band). The Commission seeks comment on other techniques that could be used to manage access within the 3.5 GHz band as well as protections for incumbent Department of Defense (DoD) and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) users. The Commission also seeks comment on how the unique characteristics of small cells may help reduce the need for geographic protections and enable shared access of the 3.5 GHz Band across the widest possible geographic footprint. In addition, the Commission offers a supplemental proposal to integrate the 3650-3700 MHz band within the proposed Citizens Broadband Service, thereby encompassing an additional 50 megahertz of contiguous spectrum. This approach would leverage the benefits of small cell technology to enable widespread broadband access to the 3.5 GHz Band while minimizing the possibility of harmful interference to incumbent DoD and FSS users.

This document proposes to amend the Commission's rules to implement allocation decisions from the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 2007) (WRC-07), make other allocation changes that are not related to WRC-07, and make certain updates to its service rules. The proposed actions are designed to conform the Commission's rules to the WRC-07 Final Acts and to provide significant benefits to the American public.

In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding filed by Dale Woodin, Executive Director of American Society for Healthcare Engineering of American Hospital Association, on behalf of American Society for Healthcare Engineering of the American Hospital Association, and David R. Sidall, Esq., for DS Law PLLC, on behalf of Phillips Healthcare, Ari Q. Fitzgerald, Esq., for Hogan Lovells US LLP, on behalf of GE Healthcare, and William K. Keane, Esq., for Duane Morris LLP, on behalf of AFTRCC.

In this document, the Commission proposes to amend the amateur radio service rules to grant examination credit for expired and beyond- the-grace-period-for renewal amateur radio operator licenses; to shorten the grace period during which an expired amateur license may be renewed to 180 days; to revise the time a call sign is not available to the vanity call sign system correspondingly; and to reduce to two the number of volunteer examiners needed to administer an amateur license examination. This document also asks for comment on amending the rules to permit remote test administration, and proposes to amend the amateur radio service rules to allow amateur stations to transmit certain additional emission types.

This document expands the Commission's Medical Device Radiocommunications Service (MedRadio) rules to permit the development of new Medical Body Area Network (MBAN) devices in the 2360-2400 MHz band. The MBAN technology will provide a flexible platform for the wireless networking of multiple body transmitters used for the purpose of measuring and recording physiological parameters and other patient information or for performing diagnostic or therapeutic functions, primarily in health care facilities. This platform will enhance patient safety, care and comfort by reducing the need to physically connect sensors to essential monitoring equipment by cables and wires. This decision is the latest in a series of actions to expand the spectrum available for wireless medical use. The Commission finds that the risk of increased interference is minimal and is greatly outweighed by the benefits of the MBAN rules.

This document requests comment on a number of issues related to the designation of Medical Body Area Network ("MBAN") coordinator(s) for the 2360-2390 MHz band. Although the Commission adopted a coordination requirement in the First Report and Order that was concurrently adopted in this proceeding, it also determined that additional notice and comment was required on key aspects related to the process and criteria for designating an MBAN coordinator.

This document amends the Commission's rules to facilitate more efficient and effective use by the Amateur Radio Service of five channels in the 5330.5-5406.4 kHz band (the 60 meter band). Specifically, and consistent with our proposals in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in this proceeding, the Commission replaces one of the channels with a less encumbered one, increases the maximum authorized power amateur stations may transmit in this band, and authorizes amateur stations to transmit three additional emission designators. The Commission also adopts an additional operational rule that prohibits the use of automatically controlled digital stations and makes editorial revisions to the relevant portions of the Table of Frequency Allocations (Allocation Table) and our service rules.

This document expands the Commission's Medical Device Radiocommunication (MedRadio) Service rules to permit the use of new wideband medical implant devices that employ neuromuscular microstimulation techniques to restore sensation, mobility, and other functions to paralyzed limbs and organs. These medical devices hold enormous promise to advance the state of medical care, lower health costs, and improve the quality of life for countless Americans. The rules will allow these new types of MedRadio devices to access 24 megahertz of spectrum in the 413-419 MHz, 426-432 MHz, 438-444 MHz, and 451-457 MHz bands on a secondary basis.

The Federal Communications Commission extends the deadlines for filing comments and reply comments on the Commission's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), in this proceeding, which was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) seeks comment on revisions to its rules to help fill gaps in wireless coverage and expand broadband in rural and difficult-to- serve areas, and protect wireless networks from harm. The development and deployment of well-designed signal boosters holds great potential to empower consumers in rural and underserved areas to improve their wireless coverage in their homes, at their jobs, and when they travel by car, recreational vehicle, or boat.

This document revises the Amateur Radio Service rules to amend and clarify the rules with respect to amateur stations transmitting spread spectrum emissions. The rule amendments are necessary to eliminate the requirement that an amateur station use automatic power control to reduce transmitter power when the station transmits a spread spectrum emission, and to reduce the maximum allowed transmitter output power for an amateur station transmitting a spread spectrum emission. The effect of this action is to eliminate the automatic power control provision which has proven to be virtually impossible to implement, and to encourage amateur stations to experiment with spread spectrum communications technologies.

In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding listed in this document (Amendment of the Amateur Service Rules Governing Vanity and Club Station Call Signs). In the Rulemaking proceeding, the Commission amended the rules governing amateur radio service vanity and club station call signs to, among other things, limit club stations to holding one vanity call sign and limit individuals to serving as the trustee for one club. ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, formerly known as the American Radio Relay League, Inc. (ARRL), filed a Petition for Reconsideration arguing that the rule amendments adopted by the Commission are capable of being evaded, and thus do not fully effectuate the Commission's intent of preventing individuals from using club station licenses to hoard vanity call signs. ARRL proposes alternate regulatory language that it believes would better prevent hoarding of vanity call signs.

This document revises the Amateur Radio Service rules to amend and clarify the rules with respect to amateur service vanity call signs. The rules are necessary to amend the amateur service rules and to conform them to prior Commission decisions. The effect of this action is to enhance the usefulness of the amateur service rules by making them conform with other Commission rules, thereby eliminating licensee confusion when applying the rules to amateur service operations.