Aggregator

This document revises the Amateur Radio Service rules to make certain non-substantive revisions to these rules. The rules are necessary to amend the amateur service rules or 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.

In this document, the Commission adopted a document seeking comment on its proposal to amend the Commission's amateur radio service rules with respect to amateur radio operations during government- sponsored emergency preparedness and disaster readiness drills and tests. Specifically, the Commission proposes to amend the rules to provide that, under certain limited conditions, amateur radio operators may transmit messages during emergency and disaster preparedness drills, regardless of whether the operators are employees of entities participating in the drill.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) considers rule changes to certain of its rules that were addressed in a previous decision in this proceeding. In that decision, the Commission proposed various changes to its rules regarding PLMR licensing, including frequency coordination and eligibility issues. This proceeding is part of our continuing effort to provide clear and concise rules that facilitate new wireless technologies, devices and services, and are easy for the public to understand.

This document proposes to amend the amateur radio service rules to clarify certain rules and codify existing procedures governing the amateur service vanity call sign system, and to revise certain rules applicable to amateur service club stations.

In this document the Commission seeks comment on allocating spectrum and establishing service and technical rules for the operation of Medical Body Area Network (or MBAN) systems using body sensor devices. MBAN systems would provide a flexible platform for the wireless networking of multiple body sensors used for monitoring a patient's physiological data, primarily in health care facilities. Use of MBAN systems hold the promise of improved safety, quality, and efficiency of patient care by reducing or eliminating a wide array of hardwired, patient-attached cables used by present monitoring technologies. This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking reflects the Commission's continuing desire to foster the availability and use of advanced medical devices using wireless technologies, which, in turn, should help to improve the health and well-being of the American public.

This document establishes a new Medical Device Radiocommunication Service (MedRadio Service) of the Commission's rules. This new service incorporates the existing Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS) "core" band at 402-405 MHz, and also includes two megahertz of newly designated spectrum in the adjacent "wing" bands at 401-402 MHz and 405-406 MHz. The MedRadio Service will accommodate the operation of body-worn as well as implanted medical devices, including those using either listen-before-talk ("LBT") frequency monitoring or non-LBT spectrum access methods, in designated portions of the 401-406 MHz band.

In this document the Commission seeks comment on the feasibility of allowing up to 24 megahertz of spectrum in the 413-457 MHz band to be used on a secondary basis under the umbrella of the existing Medical Device Radiocommunication Service. This action reflects the Commission's ongoing effort to foster the development and deployment of advanced medical devices using wireless technologies that benefit the health and well-being of the American public.

This document makes non-substantive, editorial revisions to the Commission's Table of Frequency Allocations (Allocation Table) and to various other Commission Rules. The purpose of this action is to update and clarify the Allocation Table, to remove obsolete and outdated provisions from the Commission's Rules, and to ensure that the Allocation Table and related rules are consistent with the Commission's decisions in recent rulemaking proceedings.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) initiates a proceeding to propose miscellaneous changes to its rules that govern new and existing wireless technologies, devices, and services. Specifically, the Commission seeks comment regarding particular changes to its rules governing the 4.9 GHz band and the Wireless Medical Telemetry Service which shares spectrum. The Commission also solicits comment on whether or not to revise or eliminate provisions that are duplicative, outmoded or otherwise unnecessary.

In this document, the Commission amends its Amateur Radio Service rules to remove the requirement that an individual must pass a Morse code telegraphy examination to qualify for a General Class or an Amateur Extra Class amateur radio service operator license. The Commission also revises the frequency segment of the 80 meter amateur service High Frequency (HF) band on which amateur stations are authorized to be automatically controlled when transmitting RTTY and data emission types, and it make other conforming amendments to the amateur service rules.

This document contains corrections to the final regulations which were published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, November 15, 2006, (71 FR 66460). This amendment will clarify that the 500 Hz limitation in the definition applies only to the emission types that were added to the definition of data when these emissions transmitted on amateur service frequencies below 30 MHz.

On March 17, 2006, the Commission adopted an Order revising its rules to establish the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. By establishing this bureau the Commission believes it will be better able to address and promote public safety and homeland security.

In this document, the Commission amends its Amateur Radio Service rules to revise the frequency segments of the 80 meter and 40 meter amateur service High Frequency (HF) bands on which amateur stations are authorized to transmit voice communications; authorize amateur stations to transmit certain emission types on additional amateur service bands or frequency segments; revise the procedures for the amateur service vanity call sign system; eliminate unnecessary restrictions imposed on manufacturers of certain types of equipment that may be used at amateur stations; and make other conforming amendments to the amateur service rules.

On August 10, 2006, the Federal Communications Commission released a document in WT Docket No. 06-150, CC Docket No. 94-102, and WT Docket No. 01-309, respectively, seeking comment on the possibility of revising a variety of licensing and service rules affecting both auctioned and unauctioned spectrum in the 698-746, 747-762, and 777-792 MHz bands. In this action, the Federal Communications Commission denies in part requests to extend the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in this rulemaking proceeding. Nevertheless, the Federal Communications Commission finds that a limited extension of time is warranted and grants the requests in part by adopting a nine-day extension of time for filing comments in WT Docket No. 06-150, CC Docket No. 94-102, and WT Docket No. 01-309.

In this document the Commission takes certain actions in response to four petitions for reconsideration filed by 3M Company, ARINC Incorporated, Intelligent Transportation Society of America and John Hopkins University of Applied Physics Laboratory. Each petitioner seeks reconsideration of the Commission's Report and Order, which adopted licensing and service rules for the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Service in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Radio Service, located in the 5.850-5.925 GHz band (5.9 GHz band) licensing and service rules for the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) Service in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Radio Service located in the 5.850-5.925 GHz band (5.9 GHz band).

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) undertakes an examination of possible changes to service rules that primarily govern wireless licenses in the 698-746, 747-762, and 777-792 MHz bands (700 MHz Band) currently occupied by television (TV) broadcasters and being made available for new services as a result of the digital television (DTV) transition. Because of statutory changes, industry developments, and the fact more than four years have passed since the Commission adopted its initial band plans and service rules governing these licenses, the Commission is revisiting various of its earlier rule decisions regarding these 700 MHz Band licenses. The Commission also is requesting comment on: the tentative conclusion that services provided by licensees in the 700 MHz Band, and in other bands subject to Miscellaneous Wireless Communications Services rules including the Advanced Wireless Services in the 1710-1755 MHz and 2110- 2155 MHz bands (AWS-1), should be subject to 911 and enhanced 911 (911/ E911) and hearing aid-compatibility requirements to the same extent that such services would be covered if provided in other bands; and how to modify Commission rules to ensure that they include all similar wireless services.

This document focuses on ways to better accommodate the operation of implanted and body-worn medical transmitters in the 400 MHz band. These devices use wireless technologies for increasingly sophisticated and beneficial health care applications. Such applications currently include cardiac defibrillators for heart patients and real-time blood sugar monitoring devices for diabetics, and may, in the future, include applications as diverse as brain, muscle and nerve stimulation techniques for treating an array of conditions from Parkinson's disease to severe chronic depression. The Commission tentatively concludes that modifying its current rules and designating an additional two megahertz of spectrum in the adjacent 401-402 MHz and 405-406 MHz bands) would appropriately provide needed capacity and more flexible operating rules for beneficial medical radio communication devices and thereby serve the public interest.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) reminds parties about the comment cycle applicable to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on the recommendations of the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks (Independent Panel). In addition, the Commission requests that, in addressing the issues raised in the NPRM, parties address the applicability of the Panel's recommendations to all types of natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, forest fires) as well as other types of incidents (e.g., terrorist attacks, flu pandemic, industrial accidents, etc.). Parties should also discuss whether the Panel's recommendations are broad enough to take into account the diverse topography of our Nation, the susceptibility of a region to a particular type of disaster, and the multitude of communications capabilities a region may possess.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) initiates a comprehensive rulemaking to address and implement the recommendations presented by the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks (Independent Panel). The Independent Panel's report described the impact of the worst natural disaster in the Nation's history as well as the overall public and private response efforts. In addition, the report included recommendations which relate to: pre-positioning the communications industry and the government for disasters in order to achieve greater network reliability and resiliency; improving recovery coordination to address existing shortcomings and to maximize the use of existing resources; improving the operability and interoperability of public safety and 911 communications in times of crisis; and improving communication of emergency information to the public. The Commission, in this proceeding, is to take the lessons learned from this disaster and build upon them to promote more effective, efficient response and recovery efforts as well as heightened readiness and preparedness in the future. To accomplish this goal, the Commission invites comment on what actions the Commission can take to address the Independent Panel's recommendations.