Radio services, special: Amateur services— Spread spectrum communication technologies,

[Federal Register: September 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 184)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 51471-51472]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr23se99-20]

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 97

[WT Docket No. 97-12; FCC 99-234]

Greater Use of Spread Spectrum Communication Technologies

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: 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.

DATES: Effective November 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William T. Cross, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418-0680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Report and Order, adopted August 31, 1999, and released September 3, 1999. The complete text of this Commission action, including the rule amendments, is available for inspection and copying at the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC. The complete text of this Report and Order may also be obtained from the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Services, Inc., 2100 M Street, NW, Suite 140, Washington, DC 20037, telephone (202) 857-3800, and from the FCC's internet World Wide Web home page, ›http://www.fcc.gov‹.

Summary of Report and Order

1. By this action, we are amending the amateur service rules to allow amateur radio stations to transmit additional SS emission types. We conclude that the public interest would be served by removing the restriction in the amateur service rules that limit the SS emission types that amateur stations may transmit. Moreover, we believe that this change will (1) allow amateur service licensees to experiment with additional SS emission types; (2) allow amateur radio operators to develop innovations and improvements to communications products and develop new communications technologies; and (3) facilitate the ability of the amateur service to contribute to the development of SS communications by allowing amateur stations to transmit and experiment with SS technologies currently used in consumer and commercial products.

2. Also, by this action, we are also amending the amateur service rules adopt a requirement that amateur stations use automatic transmitter power control to limit transmitter power to the minimum power necessary to maintain communications when an amateur station transmits an SS emission type with more than 1 watt of power and we amend our rules to remove now-unnecessary recordkeeping and station identification requirements that presently apply only to stations transmitting SS emissions.

3. We also are amending the amateur service rules to insert numbers, which were inadvertently removed December 14, 1998, in 63 FR 68904, in front of each defined term in Section 97.3, thereby facilitating use of the rules by licensees.

4. The amended rules are set forth below, effective November 1, 1999.

5. This Report and Order and the rule amendments are issued under the authority contained in 47 U.S.C. 154(i) and (j), 303(r) and 403.

   List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 97

   Radio. Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary.

   Rule Changes

   For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 97 as follows:

   PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE

1. The authority citation for part 97 continues to read as follows:

   Authority: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303. Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.

2. Sections 97.3(a), (b), and (c) are amended by adding numbers in front of each defined term in the definitions, and revising paragraph (c)(8) to read as follows:

   Sec. 97.3 Definitions.

   * * * * *

   (c) * * *

   (8) SS. Spread spectrum emissions using bandwidth-expansion modulation emissions having designators with A, C, D, F, G, H, J or R as the first symbol; X as the second symbol; X as the third symbol. * * * * *

3. Section 97.119(b)(5) is removed and the semicolon and the word ``or'' is removed from the end of paragraph (b)(4).

4. Section 97.305(b) is revised to read as follows:

   Sec. 97.305 Authorized emission types.

   * * * * *

   (b) A station may transmit a test emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator for brief periods for experimental purposes, except that no pulse modulation emission may be transmitted on any frequency where pulse is not specifically authorized and no SS modulation emission may be transmitted on any frequency where SS is not specifically authorized. * * * * *

5. Section 97.311 is revised to read as follows:

   Sec. 97.311 SS emission types.

   (a) SS emission transmissions by an amateur station are authorized only for communications between points within areas where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC and between an area where the amateur service is regulated by the FCC and an amateur station in another country that permits such communications. SS emission transmissions must not be used for the

   [[Page 51472]]

   purpose of obscuring the meaning of any communication.

   (b) A station transmitting SS emissions must not cause harmful interference to stations employing other authorized emissions, and must accept all interference caused by stations employing other authorized emissions.

   (c) When deemed necessary by a District Director to assure compliance with this part, a station licensee must:

   (1) Cease SS emission transmissions;

   (2) Restrict SS emission transmissions to the extent instructed; and

   (3) Maintain a record, convertible to the original information (voice, text, image, etc.) of all spread spectrum communications transmitted.

   (d) The transmitter power must not exceed 100 W under any circumstances. If more than 1 W is used, automatic transmitter control shall limit output power to that which is required for the communication. This shall be determined by the use of the ratio, measured at the receiver, of the received energy per user data bit (Eb) to the sum of the received power spectral densities of noise (N‹INF›0‹/INF›) and co-channel interference (I‹INF›0‹/INF›). Average transmitter power over 1 W shall be automatically adjusted to maintain an Eb/ (N‹INF›0‹/INF› + I‹INF›0‹/INF›) ratio of no more than 23 dB at the intended receiver.

   [FR Doc. 99-24372Filed9-22-99; 8:45 am]

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