[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 80 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22559-22562]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10118]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 0, 2 and 15

[ET Docket No. 98-76; FCC 99-58]


Rules To Further Ensure That Scanning Receivers Do Not Receive 
Cellular Radio Signals

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Report and Order amends the Commission rules to further 
prevent scanning receivers from receiving cellular radio telephone 
signals. It also codifies the provisions of section 705(e)(4) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 into our rules and requires a label on 
scanning receivers to indicate that modification of the receiver to 
receive Cellular Service transmissions is a violation of FCC rules and 
Federal Law. These requirements will ensure the privacy of 
communications in the Cellular Service.

DATES: This final rule is effective October 25, 1999.
    Compliance Dates: The manufacture or importation of scanning 
receivers, and frequency converters designed or marketed for use with 
scanning receivers, that do not comply with the provisions of 
Sec. 15.121 shall cease on or before October 25, 1999. After July 26, 
1999 the Commission will not grant equipment authorization for 
receivers that do not comply with the provisions of Sec. 15.121. These 
rules do not prohibit the sale or use of authorized receivers 
manufactured in the United States, or imported into the United States, 
prior to October 25, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rodney P. Conway (202) 418-2904 or via 
electronic mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Report 
and Order, ET Docket 98-76, FCC 99-58, adopted March 25, 1999 and 
released March 31, 1999. A full text of this Commission decision is 
available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in 
the FCC Reference Center (Room TW-A306), 445 12th Street, SW 
Washington, DC 20554, and also may be purchased from the Commission's 
duplication contractor, International Transcription Service, phone 
(202) 857-3800, facsimile (202) 857-3805, 1231 20th Street, NW 
Washington DC 20036.

Summary of the Report and Order

    1. The Report and Order (R&O) amends the rules to modify the 
definition of a scanning receiver to include scanning receivers that 
switch among two or more frequencies to deter the manufacture of 
scanning receivers that automatically scan less than four frequencies 
to circumvent the Commission's rules.
    2. The R&O also amends the rules to define test equipment as 
equipment that is intended primarily for purposes of performing 
measurements or scientific investigations. The definition is 
sufficiently clear to prevent individuals from marketing scanning 
receivers that receive Cellular Service transmissions as test 
equipment.
    3. The R&O also amends the rules to require that scanning receivers 
provide at least 38 dB rejection of Cellular Service signals for any 
frequency to which the scanning receiver can be tuned. In addition, the 
R&O amends the rules to require that scanning receivers

[[Page 22560]]

be designed so that tuning, control and filtering circuitry is 
inaccessible and the design must be such that any attempt to modify the 
scanning receivercircuitry to receive Cellular Service transmissions 
will likely render the scanning receiver inoperable.
    4. The R&O also amends the rules to clearly prohibit the 
modification of scanning receivers to receive Cellular Service 
transmissions, regardless of the date of manufacture of number of units 
modified. The Commission finds that modifying scanning receivers to 
receive Cellular Service signals changes its operating characteristics, 
invalidates the equipment certification, and results in equipment that 
does not comply with Commission rules.
    5. The R&O also amends the rules to require a labelling requirement 
for scanning receivers. The label will contain the following warning: 
Modification of this device to receive Cellular Service signals is 
prohibited under FCC Rules and Federal law. The Commission finds that 
the labelling requirement is an effective deterrent and is an expedient 
way to distribute information regarding Commission rules and Federal 
laws.
    6. The R&O also amends the rules to require that information must 
be submitted with any application for certification of a scanning 
receiver to ensure that the proposed rule changes are satisfied. As a 
result, any application for certification of a scanning receiver must 
include a detailed showing which: describes the testing method used to 
determine compliance with the 38 dB rejection ration, contains a 
statement assessing the vulnerability of the scanning receiver to 
possible modification, describes the design features that prevent 
modification of the scanning receiver to receive Cellular Service 
transmissions, and describes the design steps taken to make tuning, 
control, and filtering circuitry inaccessible.
    7. The Report and Order also amends the rules to keep certain 
portions of applications for equipment authorization for scanning 
receivers confidential. The Commission finds that any information that 
would be useful for modification of a scanning receiver to receive 
Cellular Service transmissions. This information includes schematic 
diagrams, technical narratives describing equipment operation, and 
design details taken to prevent modification of scanning receivers to 
receive Cellular Service frequencies. This will assist in preventing 
sensitive information regarding the design of scanning receivers from 
being distributed to the public via Commission filings.

Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

    8. As required by Section 603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 
U.S.C. 603 (``RFA''), an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 
(``IRFA'') was incorporated into the Notice of Proposed Rule Making 
(Notice), 63 FR 31684, June 10, 1998, in ET Docket No. 98-76. The 
Commission sought written public comments on the proposals in the 
Notice including the IRFA. The Commission's Final Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis (``FRFA'') in this Report and Order conforms to 
the RFA, as amended by the Contract with America Advancement Act of 
1996 (CWAAA), Public Law 104-121, 110 Stat. 847 (1996). See Subtitle II 
of the CWAAA is ``The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 
Act of 1996'' (SBREFA), codified at 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.
    9. Need for and Objective of the Rules. Our objectives are to adopt 
rules to ensure that scanning receivers do not receive signals from the 
cellular radiotelephone service frequency bands.
    10. Summary of Significant Issues Raised by Public Comments in 
Response to the IRFAs. No comments were submitted in direct response to 
the IRFA.
    11. Description and Estimates of the Number of Small Entities to 
Which the Rules Will Apply. For the purposes of this Report and Order, 
the RFA defines a ``small business'' to be the same as a ``small 
business concern'' under the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 632, unless 
the Commission has developed one or more definitions that are 
appropriate to its activities. See 5 U.S.C. 601(3) (incorporating by 
reference the definition of ``small business concern'' in 5 U.S.C. 
632). Under the Small Business Act, a ``small business concern'' is one 
that: 1) is independently owned and operated; 2) is not dominant in its 
field of operation; and 3) meets any additional criteria established by 
the Small Business Administration (SBA). See 15 U.S.C. 632.
    12. The Commission has not developed a definition of small entities 
applicable to unlicensed communications devices. Therefore, we will 
utilize the SBA definition applicable to manufacturers of Radio and 
Television Broadcasting and Communications Equipment. According to the 
SBA regulations, unlicensed transmitter manufacturers must have 750 or 
fewer employees in order to qualify as a small business concern. See 13 
CFR 121.201, (SIC) Code 3663. Census Bureau data indicates that there 
are 858 U.S. companies that manufacture radio and television 
broadcasting and communications equipment, and that 778 of these firms 
have fewer than 750 employees and would be classified as small 
entities. See U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1992 Census of Transportation, 
Communications and Utilities (issued May 1995), SIC category 3663. The 
Census Bureau category is very broad, and specific figures are not 
available as to how many of these firms will manufacture unlicensed 
communications devices. However, we believe that many of them may 
qualify as small entities.
    13. Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping and Other 
Compliance Requirements. The Commission has adopted rules that require 
scanning receivers to be manufactured to reduce the possibility of 
receiving signals from the cellular radiotelephone service frequency 
bands. The rules will require design details and test measurements to 
be reported to the Commission as part of the normal equipment 
authorization process under our certification procedure.
    14. Significant Alternatives and Steps Taken to Minimize 
Significant Economic Impact on a Substantial Number of Small Entities 
Consistent with Stated Objectives. The Commission considered and 
rejected additional rules that would have significantly increased the 
costs of manufacturing scanning receivers. The rules adopted in the 
Report and Order represent the most efficient and least restrictive 
method to accomplish the Commission's policies and objectives.
    15. Report to Congress. The Commission will send a copy of the 
Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, along with this Report and 
Order, in a report to Congress pursuant to the Small Business 
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A) and 
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 0

    Freedom of information.

47 CFR Part 2

    Communications equipment, Radio, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

47 CFR Part 15

    Communications equipment, Labeling, Radio, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.


[[Page 22561]]


Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.

Rule Changes

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR parts 0, 2, and 15 as follows:

PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION

    1. The authority citation for part 0 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sec. 5, 48 Stat. 1068, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 155.

    2. Section 0.457 is amended by revising paragraph (d)(1)(ii) to 
read as follows:


Sec. 0.457  Records not routinely available for public inspection.

    (d) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) Applications for equipment authorizations (type acceptance, 
type approval, certification, or advance approval of subscription 
television systems), and materials relating to such applications, are 
not routinely available for public inspection prior to the effective 
date of the authorization. The effective date of the authorization 
will, upon request, be deferred to a date no earlier than that 
specified by the applicant. Following the effective date of the 
authorization, the application and related materials (including 
technical specifications and test measurements) will be made available 
for inspection upon request (See Sec. 0.460). Portions of applications 
for equipment certification of scanning receivers and related materials 
will not be made available for inspection. This information includes 
that necessary to prevent modification of scanning receivers to receive 
Cellular Service frequencies, such as schematic diagrams, technical 
narratives describing equipment operation, and relevant design details.
* * * * *

PART 2--FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND RADIO TREATY MATTERS: GENERAL 
RULES AND REGULATIONS

    3. The authority citation for part 2 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302, 303, 307 and 336, unless 
otherwise noted.

    4. Section 2.1033 is amended by revising paragraph (b)(11) to read 
as follows:


Sec. 2.1033  Application for certification.

    (b) * * *
    (11) Applications for the certification of scanning receivers shall 
include a statement describing the methods used to comply with the 
design requirements of all parts of Sec. 15.121 of this chapter. The 
application must specifically include a statement assessing the 
vulnerability of the equipment to possible modification and describing 
the design features that prevent the modification of the equipment by 
the user to receive transmissions from the Cellular Radiotelephone 
Service. The application must also demonstrate compliance with the 
signal rejection requirement of Sec. 15.121 of this chapter, including 
details on the measurement procedures used to demonstrate compliance.
* * * * *

PART 15--RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES

    5. The authority citation for part 15 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302, 303, 304, 307 and 544A.

    6. Section 15.3 is amended by revising paragraph (v) and adding 
paragraph (dd) to read as follows:


Sec. 15.3  Definitions

* * * * *
    (v) Scanning receiver. For the purpose of this part, this is a 
receiver that automatically switches among two or more frequencies in 
the range of 30 to 960 MHz and that is capable of stopping at and 
receiving a radio signal detected on a frequency. Receivers designed 
solely for the reception of the broadcast signals under part 73 of this 
chapter or for operation as part of a licensed station are not included 
in this definition.
* * * * *
    (dd) Test equipment is defined as equipment that is intended 
primarily for purposes of performing measurements or scientific 
investigations. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, field 
strength meters, spectrum analyzers, and modulation monitors.
    7. Section 15.37 is amended by revising paragraph (f) and adding a 
new paragraph (h) to read as follows:


Sec. 15.37  Transition provisions for compliance with the rules.

* * * * *
    (f) The manufacture or importation of scanning receivers, and 
frequency converters designed or marketed for use with scanning 
receivers, that do not comply with the provisions of Sec. 15.121(a)(1) 
shall cease on or before April 26, 1994. Effective April 26, 1993, the 
Commission will not grant equipment authorization for receivers that do 
not comply with the provisions of Sec. 15.121(a)(1). These rules do not 
prohibit the sale or use of authorized receivers manufactured in the 
United States, or imported into the United States, prior to April 26, 
1994.
* * * * *
    (h) The manufacture or importation of scanning receivers, and 
frequency converters designed or marketed for use with scanning 
receivers, that do not comply with the provisions of Sec. 15.121 shall 
cease on or before October 25, 1999. Effective July 26, 1999 the 
Commission will not grant equipment authorization for receivers that do 
not comply with the provisions of Sec. 15.121. This paragraph does not 
prohibit the sale or use of authorized receivers manufactured in the 
United States, or imported into the United States, prior to October 25, 
1999.
    8. Section 15.121 is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 15.121  Scanning receivers and frequency converters used with 
scanning receivers.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, scanning 
receivers and frequency converters designed or marketed for use with 
scanning receivers, shall:
    (1) Be incapable of operating (tuning), or readily being altered by 
the user to operate, within the frequency bands allocated to the 
Cellular Radiotelephone Service in part 22 of this chapter (cellular 
telephone bands). Scanning receivers capable of ``readily being altered 
by the user'' include, but are not limited to, those for which the 
ability to receive transmissions in the cellular telephone bands can be 
added by clipping the leads of, or installing, a simple component such 
as a diode, resistor or jumper wire; replacing a plug-in semiconductor 
chip; or programming a semiconductor chip using special access codes or 
an external device, such as a personal computer. Scanning receivers, 
and frequency converters designed for use with scanning receivers, also 
shall be incapable of converting digital cellular communication 
transmissions to analog voice audio.
    (2) Be designed so that the tuning, control and filtering circuitry 
is inaccessible. The design must be such that any attempts to modify 
the equipment to receive transmissions from the Cellular Radiotelephone 
Service likely will render the receiver inoperable.
    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, scanning 
receivers shall reject any signals from the Cellular

[[Page 22562]]

Radiotelephone Service frequency bands that are 38 dB or higher based 
upon a 12 dB SINAD measurement, which is considered the threshold where 
a signal can be clearly discerned from any interference that may be 
present.
    (c) Scanning receivers and frequency converters designed or 
marketed for use with scanning receivers, are not subject to the 
requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section provided that 
they are manufactured exclusively for, and marketed exclusively to, 
entities described in 18 U.S.C. 2512(2), or are marketed exclusively as 
test equipment pursuant to Sec. 15.3(dd).
    (d) Modification of a scanning receiver to receive transmissions 
from Cellular Radiotelephone Service frequency bands will be considered 
to constitute manufacture of such equipment. This includes any 
individual, individuals, entity or organization that modifies one or 
more scanners. Any modification to a scanning receiver to receive 
transmissions from the Cellular Radiotelephone Service frequency bands 
voids the certification of the scanning receiver, regardless of the 
date of manufacture of the original unit. In addition, the provisions 
of Sec. 15.23 shall not be interpreted as permitting modification of a 
scanning receiver to receiver Cellular Radiotelephone Service 
transmissions.
    (e) Scanning receivers and frequency converters designed for use 
with scanning receivers shall not be assembled from kits or marketed in 
kit form unless they comply with the requirements in paragraph (a) 
through (c) of this section.
    (f)(1) Scanning receivers shall have a label permanently affixed to 
the product, and this label shall be readily visible to the purchaser 
at the time of purchase. The label shall read as follows:

WARNING: MODIFICATION OF THIS DEVICE TO RECEIVE CELLULAR 
RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE SIGNALS IS PROHIBITED UNDER FCC RULES AND 
FEDERAL LAW.

    (2) ``Permanently affixed'' means that the label is etched, 
engraved, stamped, silkscreened, indelibly printed or otherwise 
permanently marked on a permanently attached part of the equipment or 
on a nameplate of metal plastic or other material fastened to the 
equipment by welding, riveting, or permanent adhesive. The label shall 
be designed to last the expected lifetime of the equipment in the 
environment in which the equipment may be operated and must not be 
readily detachable. The label shall not be a stick-on, paper label.

[FR Doc. 99-10118 Filed 4-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P