[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 171 (Tuesday, September 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-21845]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 6, 1994]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 90
[PR Docket No. 94-94; FCC 94-216]
900 MHz Emission Mask
agency: Federal Communications Commission.
action: Final rule.
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summary: This action responds to a request by Geotek Communications,
Inc. (Geotek) for clarification of the FCC's rules concerning the 900
MHz emission mask. Geotek brought to our attention that the 900 MHz
emission mask included in our Rules has the effect of unintentionally
restricting the use of low power digital equipment in this band. The
intended effect of this action is to eliminate the anomaly.
effective date: October 6, 1994.
for further information contact: Karen Rackley, Private Radio Bureau,
(202) 634-2443.
supplementary information: This is a summary of the Commission's order
in PR Docket No. 94-94, FCC 94-216, adopted August 12, 1994, and
released August 30, 1994. The full text of this Commission decision is
available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in
the FCC Dockets Branch (Room 230), 1919 M Street NW., Washington, DC.
The complete text of this decision also may be purchased from the
Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Service,
Inc., (202) 857-3800, 2100 M Street NW., Suite 140, Washington, DC
20037.
Summary of the Order
1. Geotek Communications, Inc. (Geotek) brought to our attention
that the 900 MHz emission mask included in Section 90.209(h) of our
Rules has the effect of restricting the use of low power digital
equipment in this band. Geotek went on to point out that the
restrictive effect of this rule conflicts with the Commission's intent,
as stated in our Report and Order in GEN Docket 84-1233, 2 FCC Rcd 1825
(1986), 51 FR 37398, October 22, 1986, to permit any type of modulation
in this band, including digital modulation.
2. The 900 MHz band was allocated for use by the Private Land
Mobile Services in 1986. The regulatory structure established for this
new band was designed to provide as much flexibility as possible for
licensees to use a variety of technologies to satisfy their mobile
communications requirements. The technology that Geotek proposes to use
in this band is just the type of new technology that we had intended
our flexible rules to be able to accommodate. Unfortunately, as pointed
out in Geotek's letters, the emission mask for the 896-901/935-940 MHz
bands has the unintended effect of precluding use of Geotek's
particular technology. Very simply, the current emission mask penalizes
Geotek's system because of its use of relatively low power (4 watt)
portable transceivers. The emission mask currently in effect in our
rules requires various levels of attenuation relative to the actual
unmodulated carrier power of the transmitter, regardless of how small
that transmitter power might be. For very low power transmitters, the
effect of this requirement can be very severe on the design of the
equipment, with no apparent corresponding benefit with respect to
interference reduction. This anomaly in our rules was clearly
unintended. We are, therefore, amending Section 90.209(h) of our Rules
to eliminate this anomaly in the emissions mask that unintentionally
restricts the use of low power digital equipment. For example, for a 4
Watt transmitter on a frequency removed 15 kHz from the channel's
assigned (center) frequency, the current mask requires a relative
attenuation of 71 decibels while the new mask requires only 56.
3. This rule change is being made to conform our rules to the
intent stated in the text of the Report and Order in Docket 84-1233 at
paragraph 68:
We desire to allow as much flexibility as possible for end users to
choose the equipment that best meets their needs at a cost they can
afford. We want to establish appropriate incentives for the development
of new technologies. However, we do not want to adopt a plan that
essentially requires end users to employ one particular modulation
method * * *. Furthermore, we want the channeling plan for this
spectrum to accommodate technologies such as digital that have been
developed, but require further advances to make them marketable to
private land mobile users.
This rule change is noncontroversial because it does not infringe
on any current or potential licensee's substantive rights. Therefore,
for the above stated reasons, and because this rule change is clearly
in the public interest, we find good cause to conclude that notice and
comment are impracticable, unnecessary, and contrary to the public
interest. See 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).
4. Accordingly, It Is Ordered that, effective 30 days after
publication in the Federal Register, Section 90.209(h) of the
Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 90.209(h) is amended as indicated below.
List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 90
Communications equipment, Radio.
Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
Rule Changes
Part 90 of Chapter I of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations
is amended as follows:
PART 90--PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES
1. The authority citation for Part 90 continues to read as follows:
Authority: Secs. 4, 303, 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47
U.S.C. 154, 303, and 332, unless otherwise noted.
2. Section 90.209 is amended by revising paragraph (h)(3), and by
removing paragraph (h)(4) to read as follows:
Sec. 90.209 Bandwidth limitations.
(h) * * *
(3) On any frequency removed from the center of the authorized
bandwidth by a displacement frequency (fd in kHz) of more than 9.5
kHz: At least 157 Log10 (fd/5.3) decibels or 50 plus 10
Log10 (P) decibels or 70 decibels, whichever is the lesser
attenuation.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 94-21845 Filed 9-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-M
