Federal Register: FCC (Personal Radio & Amateur)

In this document the Commission disposes of several petitions for reconsideration and clarifies its licensing rules into a single set of rules for all wireless radio services. The Commission further establishes a streamlined set of rules that minimizes filing requirements; eliminates redundant, inconsistent, or unnecessary submission requirements; and assures ongoing collection of reliable licensing and ownership data.

This action revises the Amateur Radio Service rules applicable to Spread Spectrum (SS) emission types that an amateur station may transmit. The rule amendments are necessary so that amateur stations may transmit SS emission types that have been developed and become available since the original rules permitting amateur stations to transmit SS emission types were adopted in 1985. The effect of this action is to allow amateur stations greater flexibility in experimenting and communicating with SS emission types, to eliminate unnecessary restrictions in the amateur service rules and to simplify the rules applicable to stations that choose to transmit SS emission types.

This document extends the time to file reply comments on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making released on March 25, 1999. Reply comments were due on or before September 16, 1999. On September 10, 1999, the Commission released an order (DA 99-1861) that grants the Land Mobile Communications Council's ``Request for Extension of Time to File Reply Comments.'' The new deadline will be September 30, 1999.

This document seeks comment on potential terrestrial wireless and satellite policy initiatives to address the telecommunications needs of Indians living on tribal lands. The Commission has been instructed to help ensure that all Americans have access to affordable telecommunications services. Consistent with that mandate, the Commission seeks to secure for consumers living on tribal lands the same opportunities to take advantage of telecommunications capabilities that other Americans have. In addition, the Commission seeks comment on whether to extend these initiatives to consumers in other unserved areas.

This document proposes to amend the Commission's rules to allocate spectrum and to establish rules for a Wireless Medical Telemetry Service. This action is intended to allow potentially life- critical medical telemetry equipment, which currently operates on a secondary basis, unprotected from interference, to operate on a blanket licensed, interference protected basis. We believe our action will improve the reliability of this critical service.

This document supplements the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM'') published in the Federal Register of May 3, 1999, regarding Revised Competitive Bidding Authority. This document requests comment on whether the Commission should amend its licensing rules for the 800 MHz band to allow the incorporation of Private Mobile Radio Service channels into a Commercial Mobile Radio Service system.

This document extends the time to file comments and reply comments on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making released on March 25, 1999, which deals with the Commission's revised competitive bidding authority under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Comments were due on or before July 2, 1999, and reply comments were due on or before August 2, 1999. On May 19, 1999, the Commission released an order (DA 99-950) that grants the Land Mobile Communications Council's ``Request for Extension of Time to File Comments.'' The new deadlines will be August 2, 1999 for comments and September 16, 1999 for reply comments.

This document corrects the heading to a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM''), published in the Federal Register of May 3, 1999, regarding Revised Competitive Bidding Authority. This correction adds the Commission's file number, RM-9405, to the heading.

By this Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM''), the Commission commences a proceeding to implement changes to its statutory auction authority made by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (``Balanced Budget Act''). The NPRM seeks comment on the scope of the Balanced Budget Act's exemption from competitive bidding for public safety radio services. The NPRM also seeks comment on how the Balanced Budget Act's revision of the Commission's auction authority affects its determinations of which wireless telecommunications services licenses are potentially auctionable and its determinations of the appropriate licensing scheme for new and existing services. The Commission also seeks comment on how to implement competitive bidding for services that it may determine are auctionable as a result of its revised authority. The Commission also solicits comment on some additional issues relating to the implementation of the Balanced Budget Act's amendments to its auction authority.

This action denies two petitions for reconsideration and clarifies that, within the Family Radio Service (``FRS'') rules, an antenna must be non-detachable to be an ``integral antenna''.

This document proposes to establish a Medical Implant Communications Service (``MICS'') operating in the 402-405 MHz band. MICS operations would consist of high-speed, ultra low power, nonvoice transmissions to and from implanted medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators. This document also proposes to allocate the 402-405 MHz band to the mobile service on a shared basis, designate this allocation for use by the MICS, and to amend the Commission's Rules to codify service rules for the MICS. The proposed rules will allow use of newly-developed, life-saving medical technology without harming other users of the frequency band.

In this document the Commission consolidates its licensing rules into a single set of rules for all wireless radio services. The Commission establishes a streamlined set of rules that minimizes filing requirements; eliminates redundant, inconsistent, or unnecessary submission requirements; and assures ongoing collection of reliable licensing and ownership data. The intended effect is to facilitate the development and use of the universal licensing system in the wireless telecommunications services.

This rule is part of the Commission's comprehensive examination of its regulations governing the licensing and use of frequencies in the 218-219 MHz band, allocated to the Interactive Video and Data Service (IVDS) in the Personal Radio Services. In this rule, the Commission addresses issues regarding the IVDS installment payment portfolio and redesignates this service as the ``218-219 MHz Service,'' and resolves matters raised in petitions for reconsideration.

In this Notice of Proposed Rule Making (``NPRM''), the Commission examines ways to maximize the efficient and effective use of the 218-219 MHz Service (formerly, Interactive Video and Data Service (IVDS)), both on its own motion, and in response to issues raised in a Petition for Rulemaking, RM-8951. The Commission also seeks comment on whether any of the general competitive bidding rules would be inappropriate for future auctions of 218-219 MHz Service licenses. The Commission believes that these actions will result in a regulatory framework that will promote efficient use of spectrum, foster competition, and facilitate technological innovation in the 218-219 MHz band.

The proposed rule amendments would phase out the Novice Class operator license (current licensees grandfathered) and the Technician Plus operator license. In addition, the proposed amendments would authorize Advanced Class operators to prepare and administer examinations for the General Class operator license, and would sunset RACES station licenses by not issuing any license renewals. Comments are invited from the amateur community on improvement of amateur enforcement processes, on the specific telegraphy speeds requirement for the various license classes, and on ways to streamline and improve the operator written examinations.

By this action, we propose to amend the Commission's Rules by allocating the 5091-5250 MHz and 15.43-15.63 GHz bands to the fixed- satellite service (``FSS'') on a co-primary basis for Earth-to-space (``uplink'') transmissions and by allocating the 6700-7075 MHz and 15.43-15.63 GHz bands on a co-primary basis for space-to-Earth (``downlink'') transmissions. We also propose to add these frequency bands to the list of frequencies available for use by the Satellite Communications Service. We further propose to limit the use of these new FSS allocations to feeder links that would be used in conjunction with the service links of non-geostationary satellite orbit mobile- satellite service (``NGSO MSS'') systems. The adoption of these proposals would provide spectrum for feeder links to support the current and immediate requirements of NGSO MSS systems.

By this Third Report and Order (R&O) the Commission amends the rules to: provide amateur and amateur-satellite operators co-primary status in the 77.5-78 GHz frequency band to ensure that future amateur station access to spectrum near 77 GHz is maintained without the threat of preemption by higher priority services; restrict amateur and amateur-satellite operations in the 76-77 GHz frequency band to ensure against potential interference to vehicle radar systems that we expect will operate in this band; adopt a spectrum etiquette for unlicensed devices operating in the 59-64 GHz frequency band to provide a spectrum etiquette that maximizes the number of users and minimizes the potential for interference in the 59-64 GHz band; and adopt spurious emission limits for unlicensed equipment operating in the 76-77 GHz frequency band to provide protection to radio astronomy operations in the 217-231 GHz band.

This Memorandum Opinion and Order (``MO&O'') clarifies the rules regarding the Arecibo Radio Astronomy Observatory (Observatory) Coordination Zone that covers the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (the Puerto Rican Islands). This action will promote efficient coordination between the Observatory and service applicants in the Coordination Zone.

The Commission has released an order which extends the filing deadlines for comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 98-25) regarding the Universal Licensing System. We also waive the rules that require the paper filing of comments and replies. Consequently, the electric filing of comments and replies will be permitted. These steps have been taken to permit more thorough, detailed comments and replies on the proposed rulemaking to be filed with the Commission. The effect will be to improve the quality of the Commission's final determinations in this rulemaking.

In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the Commission sets forth proposals to consolidate the licensing rules into a single set of rules for all wireless radio services. The Commission's goal is to establish a streamlined set of rules that minimizes filing requirements as much as possible; eliminates redundant, inconsistent, or unnecessary submission requirements; and assures ongoing collection of reliable licensing and ownership data. These consolidated rules will eliminate duplication and inconsistencies that exist in the current rules. These proposed rules will make it easier for applicants to understand the licensing process and application requirements because there will be, if adopted, only one set of licensing rules.