what does it take to suggest part 15 rules changes?
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[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of November 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
PART 15_RADIO FREQUENCY DEVICES--Table of Contents
Subpart B_Unintentional Radiators
Sec. 15.109 Radiated emission limits.
(i) The maximum emission in the 9kHz to 300GHz range permitted
for ANY unintentional radiator shall not exceed 1 nanovolt/kilometer
at 3 micrometers from the exterior surface of the device. The
measurement to determine compliance is to be made when the cover
or RF shielding on the device is removed.
Subpart C_Intentional Radiators
Sec. 15.205 Restricted bands of operation.
(f) All types of emissions are now permitted above 300 Ghz See
Sec. 15.261 for details.
Sec. 15.217 Operation in the band 160-190 kHz.
(a) The total input power to the radiating antenna shall not exceed
ten watts.
(b) The length of antenna shall not exceed 100 meters, not counting
the groundplane, capacitance top hat, and shielded transmission line and
ground lead.
(c) All emissions below 160 kHz or above 190 kHz shall be attenuated
at least 20 dB below the level of the unmodulated carrier. Determination
of compliance with the 20 dB attenuation specification may be based on
measurements at the intentional radiator's antenna output terminal
unless the intentional radiator uses a permanently attached antenna, in
which case compliance shall be demonstrated by measuring the radiated
emissions.
Sec. 15.219 Operation in the band 505-1725 kHz.
(a) The total input power to the radiating antenna elements (per
transmitter) shall not exceed five watts.
(b) The total length of the antenna, not including capacitance top hat,
ground plane, shielded transmission line and ground lead, shall not exceed
1/8 wavelength per element. In the case that multiple radiating elements
are used (for directional arrays), the total length of the antenna shall not
exceed one wavelength.
(c) All emissions below 505 kHz or above 1725 kHz shall be
attenuated at least 20 dB below the level of the unmodulated carrier.
Determination of compliance with the 20 dB attenuation specification may
be based on measurements at the intentional radiator's antenna output
terminal unless the intentional radiator uses a permanently attached
antenna, in which case compliance shall be deomonstrated by measuring
the radiated emissions.
(d) When multiple transmitters are used for one operation, no more than
eight transmitters (and antennas) may be used simultaneously.
(e) When antennas are connected end to end, at least one transmitter must
be used for each 1/8 wavelength element. The total antenna length permitted
in this case for one operation is 1/2 wavelength.
Sec. 15.221 Operation in the band 525-1705 kHz.
(a) Carrier current systems and transmitters employing a leaky
coaxial cable as the radiating antenna may operate in the band 525-1705
kHz provided the field strength levels of the radiated emissions do not
exceed 15 mV/m, as measured at a distance of 47,715/(frequency in MHz)
meters (equivalent to Lambda/2Pi) from the electric power line or the
coaxial cable, respectively. The field strength levels of emissions
outside this band shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits
in Sec. 15.209.
(b) As an alternative to the provisions in paragraph (a) of this
section, intentional radiators used for the operation of an AM broadcast
station on a college or university campus or on the campus of any other
education institution may comply with the following:
(1) On the campus, the field strength of emissions appearing outside
of this frequency band shall not exceed the general radiated emission
limits shown in Sec. 15.209 as measured from the radiating source.
There is no limit on the field strength of emissions appearing within
this frequency band, except that the provisions of Sec. 15.5 continue
to comply.
(2) At the perimeter of the campus, the field strength of any
emissions, including those within the frequency band 525-1705 kHz, shall
not exceed the general radiated emission in Sec. 15.209.
(c) For all other transmissions in which the rules in Sec. 15.219 are
not met, the maximum field strength of the radiated emissions shall not
exceed 50 millivolts/meter at the farthest property boundary from the
transmitting antenna.
Sec. 15.223 Operation in the band 1.705-10 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emission within the band 1.705-10.0
MHz shall not exceed 1,000 microvolts/meter at a distance of 300 meters.
The penalty in coverage for using narrow band transmissions is repealed.
Sec. 15.224 Operation in the bands 2.300-2.495 MHz, 3.200-3.400 MHz,
4.750-5.060 MHz, 5.900-6.200 MHz, 7.300-7.350 MHz, 9.400-9.900 MHz,
11.600-12.100 MHz, 15.100-15.800 MHz, 17.480-17.900 MHz, 18.900-19.020
MHz, 21.450-21.850 MHz, and 25.600-26.100 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emissions within these bands shall
not exceed 50,000 microvolts/meter at 300 meters.
Sec. 15.225 Operation within the band 13.110-14.010 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emissions within the band 13.110-
14.010 MHz shall not exceed 158,480 microvolts/meter at 300 meters.
Sec. 15.227 Operation within the band 26.96-27.28 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emission within this band shall not
exceed 50,000 microvolts/meter at 30 meters.
Sec. 15.229 Operation within the band 40.66-40.70 MHz.
(a) Unless operating pursuant to the provisions in Sec. 15.231, the
field strength of any emissions within this band shall not exceed 10,000
microvolts/meter at 3 meters.
Sec. 15.235 Operation within the band 49.82-49.90 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emission within this band shall not
exceed 10,000 microvolts/meter at 30 meters.
Sec. 15.238 Operation in the bands 54-72 MHz and 76-88 MHz.
(b) The field strength of any emissions within these bands
shall not exceed 10,000 microvolts/meter at 3 meters.
Sec. 15.239 Operation in the band 88-108 MHz.
(a) Emissions from the intentional radiator shall be confined within
a band 200 kHz wide centered on the operating frequency. The 200 kHz
band shall lie wholly within the frequency range of 88-108 MHz.
(b) The field strength of any emissions within the permitted 200 kHz
band shall not exceed 50,000 microvolts/meter at 30 meters.
Sec. 15.241 Operation in the band 174-216 MHz.
(a) The field strength of any emissions radiated within this
band shall not exceed 50,000 microvolts/meter at 3
meters.
Sec. 15.244 Operation in the band 470-806 MHz.
(c) The field strength of any emissions radiated within this
band shall not exceed 5,000 millivolts/meter at 30 meters.
Sec. 15.249 Operation within the bands 902-928 MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz,
5725-5875 MHZ, and 24.0-24.25 GHz.
(a) The field strength of emissions from intentional radiators operated
within these frequency bands shall comply with the following:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Field Field
strength of strength of
Fundamental frequency fundamental harmonics
(millivolts/ (microvolts/
meter) meter)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
902-928 MHz................................. 500 500
2400-2483.5 MHz............................. 500 500
5725-5875 MHz............................... 500 500
24.0-24.25 GHz.............................. 2,500 2500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sec. 15.261 Operation above 300 GHz.
There are no limits on emissions above 300 GHz, provided that
care is taken to ensure that the public is not exposed to unsafe
levels of radiation.
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This is just remembering stuff off the top of my head, as I don't know how much time I'd burn in looking everything up before posting:
1. You submit a Petition for Rulemaking to the FCC. I don't know offhand if FCC accepts electronic submissions (you used to have to submit a certain number of copies, one for each commissioner and a certain number for staff use). You at least have to address:
a. What change(s) do you propose, and why are they appropriate to Part 15 at all, and more appropriate to Part 15 than any licensed service?
b. Why aren't your needs met, or can't be met, by current Part 15 provisions or by obtaining a license in another applicable service?
c. How will your changes advance the "public interest, convenience, and necessity" (PICON)?
d. Do your changes involve allocation of additional spectrum or reallocation of existing spectrum? What about different modulation modes compared to what are commonly used now?
e. How will existing users (licensed or unlicensed) be affected, how are they to be accommodated, and how and why do the positive aspects of your proposal outweigh the negative ones?
2. FCC can dump your petition (highly probable), table it for examination in the future (maybe), or decide you have a good idea and issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM).
3. If FCC issues an NPRM, there will be periods available for public comment. FCC will probably have questions that you must comment on. There will also be a reply comment period, so that parties can read each other's initial comments and reinforce or rebut them. You must adhere to the time periods. FCC can dump any comments made out of format or time. If you don't comment on format and time, FCC may dump the NPRM.
4. After comments are closed, FCC will hold a hearing (in DC). It would likely be in your interest to be at the hearing, and FCC may order you there (don't even think about not showing up if ordered and you are serious about getting the NPRM accepted). At the end of the hearing, FCC may accept the NPRM, table it, or reject it. If the NPRM is accepted, it will not be accepted right away. Like all government regulations, it must first be published in the Federal Register a certain time before the change is to become effective.
If you have the resources and background, doing a Petition for Rulemaking will at least be a true education in adminstrative law. Still want to take the plunge?