[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 184 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51471-51472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24372]


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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.

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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 
(N0) and co-channel interference (I0). Average 
transmitter power over 1 W shall be automatically adjusted to maintain 
an Eb/ (N0 + I0) ratio of no more than 23 dB at 
the intended receiver.

[FR Doc. 99-24372 Filed 9-22-99; 8:45 am]
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