[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 40493-40494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18071]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[IB Docket No. 12-267; FCC 17-100]


Implementation of Transmitter Identification Requirements for 
Video Uplink Transmissions

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) is issuing 
this final rule to is waive a transmitter identification requirement 
for certain digital video transmissions that cannot be made compliant 
by a software upgrade and incorporate by reference a new version of an 
existing standard.

DATES: Effective September 25, 2017. The incorporation by reference of 
a publication listed in the rule is approved by the Director of the 
Federal Register as of September 25, 2017.

ADDRESSES: FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th 
Street SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554 for full text of 
``Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 17-100'' (also at https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-100A1.pdf) and inspection 
of material incorporated by reference. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
for details.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clay DeCell, 202-418-0803, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's 
Memorandum Opinion and Order, FCC 17-100, adopted July 28, 2017, and 
released August 1, 2017. The full text of this document is available at 
https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-17-100A1.pdf. It is 
also available for inspection and copying during business hours in the 
FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room 
CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities, send an email to [email protected] 
or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 
(voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    In the Part 25 Order, FCC 13-111, the Commission concluded that 
adoption of the Digital Video Broadcasting-Carrier Identification (DVB-
CID) standard for digital video uplinks from temporary-fixed earth 
stations was appropriate to address potential instances of harmful 
interference, by making transmissions more readily identifiable by 
satellite operators. We continue to believe that an added cost of a few 
hundred dollars per unit is justified to achieve this goal for earth 
station equipment that can undergo a software upgrade. We also agree 
with the overwhelming response from commenters in this proceeding on 
the implementation of the DVB-CID standard, however, that the much more 
significant expense of replacing older equipment that cannot simply 
undergo a software update would be unduly burdensome to operators, many 
of which are small businesses. And importantly, we note that no 
satellite operators, the direct beneficiaries of the DVB-CID 
requirement, opposed further relief.
    Based on the record, we conclude it will serve the public interest 
to waive 47 CFR 25.281(b) for earth stations using modulators 
manufactured before August 1, 2017, that cannot be made compliant with 
the DVB-CID standard by a software upgrade. This waiver will allow use 
and resale of non-compliant modulators until the end of their useful 
life, but requires earth stations using newly manufactured modulators 
to be DVB-CID compliant. Other affected earth stations must meet the 
DVB-CID standard by September 3, 2017. We conclude this treatment best 
balances the costs and benefits of implementing DVB-CID in light of the 
significant cost disparity presented in the record. We believe that the 
amount of equipment affected by this waiver will steadily decrease as 
such equipment reaches the end of its useful life. Should the 
Commission find that the continued operation of non-compliant equipment 
causes a pattern of complaints from satellite operators that they are 
having difficulty identifying the sources of any harmful interference, 
the Commission may revisit this waiver.

Procedural Matters

    This document does not contain new or modified information 
collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not

[[Page 40494]]

contain any new or modified information collection burden for small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small 
Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).
    The Commission will send a copy of the Memorandum Opinion and Order 
to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the 
Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

Incorporation by Reference

    This final rule updates and moves an incorporation by reference 
previously found in 47 CFR 25.281(b). In the Part 25 Order, FCC-13-111, 
published at 79 FR 8325, February 12, 2014, the Commission adopted an 
incorporation by reference in 47 CFR 25.281(b)(1) of the standard ETSI 
TS 103 129 (2013-05), ``Technical Specification, Digital Video 
Broadcasting (DVB); Framing structure, channel coding and modulation of 
a carrier identification system (DVB-CID) for satellite transmission.'' 
Subsequently, the Commission created a centralized incorporation by 
reference section in 47 CFR 25.108. We move the incorporation by 
reference language from 47 CFR 25.281(b)(1) to the new, centralized 
incorporation by reference section, 47 CFR 25.108, as a new paragraph. 
In addition, we update this reference by specifying the most recent 
version of this standard, released in March 2014. The revised version 
contains updated elements and is better suited to our goal of ensuring 
the efficient identification of sources of interference.
    This standard is reasonably available. It can be viewed during 
normal business hours at the Commission address found in ADDRESSES. It 
can also be purchased from the European Telecommunications Standards 
Institute using the contact information noted in the rule text, and is 
available for free download on their Web site, http://www.etsi.org.
    This standard contains technical requirements for satellite 
newsgathering vehicles, and other temporary-fixed earth stations, to 
identify digital video transmissions. Earth station operators are 
required to comply with this standard. Licensees affected by the rule 
section including these materials by reference should become familiar 
with the incorporated materials.

Ordering Clauses

    Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to sections 4(i), 303, and 316 
of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 303, 
316, and Sec.  1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.3, that the 
Memorandum Opinion and Order is adopted.
    It is further ordered that Sec.  25.281(b) of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 25.281(b), is waived as described in the Memorandum 
Opinion and Order.
    It is further ordered that Sec. Sec.  25.108 and 25.281 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 25.108, 25.281, are amended as specified 
below.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 25

    Earth stations, Incorporation by reference.

Federal Communications Commission.

Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.

Final Rules

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR part 25 as follows:

PART 25--SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 25 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  Interprets or applies 47 U.S.C. 154, 301, 302, 303, 
307, 309, 310, 319, 332, 605, and 721, unless otherwise noted.


0
2. Amend Sec.  25.108 by redesignating paragraph (b) as paragraph (c) 
and adding new paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  25.108  Incorporation by reference.

* * * * *
    (b) European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), 650 
Route des Lucioles, 06921 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex, France; http://www.etsi.org; Voice: +33 (0)4 92 94 42 00; Fax: +33 (0)4 93 65 47 16; 
email: [email protected].
    (1) ETSI TS 103 129 V1.1.2 (2014-03), ``Digital Video Broadcasting 
(DVB); Framing structure, channel coding and modulation of a carrier 
identification system (DVB-CID) for satellite transmission,'' Version 
1.1.2, March 2014. Incorporation by reference approved for Sec.  
25.281(b).
    (2) [Reserved]
* * * * *

0
3. Amend Sec.  25.281 by revising paragraphs (b) introductory text and 
(b)(1) and adding Note 1 to paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  25.281  Transmitter identification requirements for video uplink 
transmissions.

* * * * *
    (b) As of September 3, 2017, transmissions of fixed-frequency, 
digitally modulated video signals with a symbol rate of 128,000/s or 
more from a temporary-fixed earth station must be identified through 
use of an ATIS in accordance with the requirements that follow.
    (1) The ATIS message must be modulated onto a direct sequence 
spread spectrum signal in accordance with the DVB-CID standard, ETSI TS 
103 129 V1.1.2 (2014-03) (incorporated by reference, see Sec.  25.108).
* * * * *
    Note 1 to paragraph (b): Paragraph (b) is waived for earth stations 
using modulators manufactured before August 1, 2017, that cannot be 
made compliant with the DVB-CID standard by a software upgrade.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2017-18071 Filed 8-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P