August, 2006

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League Asks FCC to Protect 902-928 MHz Operations
The ARRL has asked the FCC to avoid making any changes within the 902-928 MHz allocation that might increase the noise floor or otherwise adversely affect Amateur Radio operations there, including further deployment of unlicensed Part 15 devices. The League filed comments recently in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in WT Docket 06-49, which seeks input on encouraging the little-used Multilateration Location Monitoring Service (M-LMS)--a terrestrial service for location of objects and tracking--while continuing to accommodate licensed and unlicensed uses of the 902-928 MHz band. Amateur Radio is secondary in the band to federal radiolocation systems, industrial, scientific and medical devices, federal fixed and mobile systems and the M-LMS. "This 'kitchen sink' of allocations is acceptable from ARRL's perspective, provided that the noise floor is regulated, in terms of aggregate noise levels from unlicensed devices," the ARRL said in its comments, filed May 30. "The high power levels permitted in this band in particular bear careful watching, lest the allocated radio services, including federal systems, suffer decreased utility of the band." Given that only two M-LMS licensees operate these systems that exist only in six major US cities and in parts of Florida, the League asked whether present FCC rules are the obstacle to M-LMS or whether it's been overtaken by time and GPS technology. The League urged the FCC to examine the 982-928 MHz band in its entirety. "Specifically, the needs of the Amateur Service in this proceeding are increased protection of weak-signal operations in the 902-903 MHz segment," the ARRL noted, specifying the 902.0-902.2 MHz and 903.0-903.2 "weak-signal" segments.

FCC Directs Manassas BPL System to Resolve Amateurs' Interference Complaints
In two strongly worded letters, the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has directed the Manassas, Virginia, BPL system to take appropriate steps to eliminate harmful interference to Amateur Radio operators. Several hams in the Manassas area have complained, some repeatedly, about severe interference from the BPL system, operated by COMTek on the city-owned power grid. The FCC minced no words in detailing what it wants the city and BPL operator COMTek to do to ensure its system complies with Part 15 rules governing BPL systems and even hinted that it may shut down all or part of the system. One of the FCC letters followed up on a complaint from Dwight Agnew, AI4II, of BPL interference to his mobile operations.

Full US House Okays Telecoms Bill with BPL Study Language Intact
On a 321 to 101 vote, the US House of Representatives on June 8 passed the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006. The House-passed bill, HR 5252, left intact language that required the FCC to study the interference potential of BPL systems. US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), one of two radio amateurs in Congress, sponsored the BPL study requirement, "Study of Interference Potential of Broadband over Power Line Systems," contained in Title V, Section 502 of the complex bill. HR 5252 now goes to the US Senate, where a separate--and very different--telecoms bill, the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S 2686) is still in committee.

FCC Affirms Fine for Marketing Non-Certificated CBs as Ham Transceivers
The FCC has affirmed a $7000 fine it proposed to levy on TravelCenters of America in Troutdale, Oregon, for marketing uncertificated Citizens Band (CB) transceivers as 10-meter Amateur Radio transceivers. In a Forfeiture Order (NoF) released June 29, the FCC turned away TravelCenters' argument that the transceivers in question were not CB transceivers, which require FCC certification, but Amateur Radio transceivers, which do not. The Commission says its Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) determined that the radios in question -- manufactured by Galaxy -- could be easily modified to operate on CB channels.

August, 2006

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