Mobile Repeaters

Amendment of Parts 89, 91 and 93 of the rules was proposed to permit use of vehicular radio units. as mobile repeaters in all land mobile services (Docket 19721).

The action was in response to petitions for new rules to permit use of vehicular radio units to relay the transmissions of low-power, hand-carried units to base stations. In 1968, the Commission amended its rules in the Police Radio Service to enable police vehicles to act as mobile repeaters. Similar rules were adopted in 1970 to enable firemen at the scene of a fire emergency to transmit messages in the same way. In 1972, the rules were amended to permit Business Radio Service licensees in the central station commercial protection service to use their vehicular radios as mobile repeaters.

Simultaneous reception and re-transmission of a signal by a vehicular radio unit being used as a mobile repeater requires two operational frequencies. While applicants in the Public Safety Radio Services are authorized two frequency operations, in the Industrial and Forestry Conservation Radio Service a single frequency assignment is normally made to systems operating in the bands below 450 MHz. An applicant may be authorized twofrequency operation only if he has made a specific showing of need, or if his system is to operate above 450 MHz.

The petitions, the Commission said, raised an issue not considered in earlier rule making: should the mobile repeater capability be extended to all licensees who request it, with additional frequencies being assigned where necessary or should this capability be limited to those situations in which more than one frequency is normally assigned?

The Commission proposed to apply the rule changes to licensees with two frequency systems, but said that it would reserve judgment on single frequency systems until it had received comments from interested parties.

(New rules were adopted September 26, 1973.)

Special Industrial Radio Frequency

Allocation of frequency 151.490 MHz to the Special Industrial Radio Service was proposed in a rule making notice to amend Parts 2 and 91 of the rules • (Docket 19753).

The two channels, known as "tertiary" frequencies, are each 15 kHz wide, and are presently unal

located. The 151.490 MHz frequency lies between frequencies allocated for the Special Industrial Radio Service and the Forestry Conservation Radio Service; 157.725 MHz lies between the Business Radio Service and the Forestry Conservation Radio Service.

Allocation of a tertiary frequency is governed by criteria established in Docket 17703 (Report and Order, released June 15, 1971), which require frequency coordination between adjacent services. The Commission said that 151.490 MHz could be allocated to the Special Industrial Service because there are frequency coordinating committees in each service to provide for compatible adjacent uses as well as the required interservice coordination. There is no coordination of frequencies in the 150-160 MHz band in the Business Radio Service, the Commission said, and no means for providing interservice coordination.

The Commission said that the proposed allocation of 151.490 MHz would not apply in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands because one of the adjacent frequencies in those areas is allocated in the Business Radio Service.

Expanded Use of Signaling

Expanded use of tone and impulse signaling in the Public Safety Radio Services-Police, Fire, Local and Government, Highway Maintenance Forestry Conservation-was proposed in situations where an immediate indication of an abnormal condition is necessary to protect human life. Also proposed was manually supervised transmission to correct abnormal conditions or activate devices calling public attention to the condition (Docket 19662).

Business Radio Service

PRIVATE MICROWAVE FACILITIES

The Commission authorized Columbia Pictures to use private microwave facilities in the 12200-12700 MHz band of the Business Radio Service to transmit motion pictures to hotels in Boston, Mass., Las Vegas, Nev., Dallas, Tex., and New Orleans, La.

The grants permit Columbia to distribute films to the hotels on two microwave channels for viewing by hotel guests, at rates established by Columbia. On a third channel, Columbia would be permitted

to distribute information about the films, such as trailers and previews, telling which films are available and when they start. There would be no charge for this service. The Commission did not grant Columbia's requests to use two other microwave channels, one for coverage of hotel conventions, and one for transmission of paid advertisements, stating that those proposals represented a use of private microwave facilities inconsistent with the purposes of the Business Radio Service.

MICROWAVE INQUIRY

The Commission said that a broad review of the use of Business Radio facilities in the way proposed by Columbia was desirable. It asked for comments on whether the microwave frequencies available in the Business Radio Service should be used for the transmission of motion pictures or other program material to hotels or to other reception points on a subscription basis; if this service is to be authorized, what, if any, program transmission restrictions. should be imposed, and what should be the relationship of this service to the cable television service; whether Business microwave frequencies should be used for distribution of a product for which a charge is made (such as motion pictures or music) or for services (such as a computer service); if private systems for convention coverage and transmission of information supported by advertising should be authorized; what would be the impact of each of these proposed new services on the spectrum space available in the Business Radio Services; and whether a new radio service, perhaps on frequencies above 12700 MHz, should be established for these services. (See also "Multipoint Distribution Service," page 122.)

(Restrictions on transmission of cable television material: see, Program Distribution, page 99.)

Terminated Proceedings

Amendment of the rules governing the Taxicab Radio Service (Docket 13690), to redefine eligibility and to specify permissible locations of base stations in the Taxicab Radio Service. The Commission concluded that the amendments should not be adopted at this time.

Proposal to test the principle of secondary frequency assignments in the land mobile radio services in California, Texas and Chicago, Ill. (Docket 16259). The Commission pointed out

that it had taken a number of actions allocating additional spectrum space to the Land Mobile Radio Services, and since the possibilities for greater interservice sharing of land mobile radio frequencies were now being examined in connection with other current programs, the need for the proceeding no longer existed.

Inquiry into the possible use of radio communications to improve safety on the highways (Dockets 17049). The Commission said it was "keeping abreast" of current developments relating to possible future highway communication systems and anticipated that these studies would lead to further rule making or an inquiry better designed to evaluate the new ideas.

Inquiry requesting comments on the reports on Land Mobile Spectrum Utilization prepared by the Stanford Research Institute and its study of land mobile spectrum use (Docket 18732). Comments filed had been evaluated and material considered in the development of the Commission's current spectrum management programs.

Studies

Medical Emergency Communications

Advanced Technology Systems, Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded a $22,000 contract for a study to consider whether medical emergency communications systems could be authorized under present rules or whether they should be included in a new and separate radio service with their own frequencies and operating rules. Among the services to be considered in the study would be paging, ambulance communications and bio-medical telemetry, and biomedical monitoring. (See also pages 137, 139, 140.)

Marine Radio Services

General

The Commission regulates non-Federal marine radio services used for information, communication, radiodetermination (including radionavigation and radiolocation), and other safety and operational purposes.

New Rules

Additional Frequencies for Public Coast Stations

Criteria for assigning additional frequencies for an existing public coast radio station or for establishing a new station, were eased by the Commission in amendments to Part 81 of the rules (Docket 19360).

Present rules state that channel occupancy must be measured for a 12-hour period daily over any three periods of five consecutive days of operation. The Commission changed this provision to specify a three-hour period for any four days in a period of ten consecutive days.

An applicant for an additional frequency for an existing station must show a channel occupancy of 40 percent during the busiest hours of operation, and an applicant for a new station must show an occupancy of 50 percent during the busiest operating hours, in order to qualify for additional frequencies.

Present rules also require channel traffic measurements to be made during the six month period immediately before the filing of an application. The Commission changed this requirement to a two month period for an application for an additional frequency, and a three month period for a new station application.

The period of time allowed for measuring channel traffic was shortened, the Commission said, explaining that the two and three month periods it was allowing would give an existing licensee a reasonable opportunity to remedy a situation where there is inadequate service before an application for a new competing station is filed.

While this liberalizing of the criteria for assigning additional public coast station frequencies might "prematurely exhaust" all nine of the available VHF public correspondence frequencies and prevent new service later in the 1970's when the VHF program is fully implemented, the Commission said the changes are warranted because of an urgent need for additional frequencies, "especially in congested areas where service is obtained only after unreasonably long periods of as much as several hours."

Non-Type Accepted Transmitters

Part 81 of the rules was amended to provide that non-type accepted transmitters installed at coast

radiotelegraph stations and operating below 27.5 MHz prior to January 1, 1971, may continue to be used until resolution of Docket 19544 (Inquiry into problems of public coast radiotelegraph stations; see page 124.). The rule requires that transmitters authorized for use at public coast radiotelegraph stations must conform with the Commission's technical requirements for suppression of spurious emissions by January 1, 1973. In response to requests for waiver of these requirements, the Commission found that it would be unreasonable to require licensees to install equipment which might be used for only a temporary period. The new rule became effective December 29, 1972.

Call Signs

Sections 2.302 and 81.72 of the rules were amended to provide each new Class II coast station with a three-letter, three-digit call sign, effective March 15, 1973. The purpose of the new rules is to provide sufficient available call signs for Class I and Class II coast stations in the maritime mobile service. With the increase in the number of licensed coast stations, the number of three-letter call signs available for assignment has progressively diminished, the Commission said. Three-letter call signs, which were assigned to Class II stations prior to March 15, 1973, will normally be retained upon license renewal.

156.8 MHz Watch Requirements

Part 81 of the rules was amended by the Commission to exempt limited coast stations at temporary locations from maintaining a watch on 156.8 MHz, the VHF safety system frequency. (Section 81.191(d) required all limited coast stations, other than marine utility stations, to maintain a watch on 156.8 MHz during their hours of service.) After three years of evaluating the contribution made by all types of limited coast stations to the VHF safety system, the Commission said that it found that those at temporary locations "are of negligible value," and to require them to maintain this watch "is unreasonable." Pointing out that it has granted individual exemptions in the past, the Commission said "there is now a need to incorporate this policy in our rules." The new rules became effective December 8, 1972.

Dual Watch Requirement of Vessels Using VHF Frequencies 156-162 MHz

Part 83 of the rules was amended to eliminate the requirement for ship stations to maintain a "watch" in the distress, safety and calling frequency 156.800 MHz when the station is being used for transmission on that frequency, or for communication on another channel in the 156-162 MHz band (Docket 19543). The amendment was proposed in a rule making notice adopted July 12, 1972. The purpose of the new rules is to bring the 156.800 watch requirement in line with Section 83.223, which governs the watch requirement for 2182 kHz. In addition to amending Section 83.244, the Commission also clarified the term "continuous and efficient watch" as used in Section 83.207, explaining that the requirement for a continuous and efficient watch is not violated when the receiver being used for the watch is temporarily inoperative due to transmissions by the ship station.

Use of Radioteleprinter in Maritime Services

Rules were adopted to provide for interim frequencies and operating procedures for the use of radioteleprinters in the maritime services (Docket 19670). The rule changes were proposed in a rule making notice released January 15, 1973, and are designed to permit ship and coast stations to contact each other within the shortest practicable period of time. The rules became effective July 26, 1973.

The interim procedure requires coast stations and ship stations supplying a radioteleprinter service to use six common frequencies (single frequency simplex) for calling. This arrangement requires the fewest number of receivers. To provide partial relief from congestion, licensees would be required to limit use of the six common channels to calling and to the exchange of information for handling traffic. A call on the same frequency could not be repeated within a 15 minute period. Other interim procedures limit transmitter power at coast stations to one kilowatt.

The interim arrangement was developed by the Radio Technical Commission for Marine Services Special Committee 64. The U.S. will recommend that these procedures be included in the International Radio Regulations at the ITU World Administrative Radio Conference on marine matters to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, early in 1974.

VHF Radio Range Restriction

Parts 81 and 83 of the rules were amended to provide that when a vessel is navigated more than 20 nautical miles from a public coast or United States Coast Guard station, but remains within VHF communication range, it may request a specific exemption to use VHF radiotelephone instead of MF radiotelephone to comply with Title III, Part III of the Communications Act (radio installations on vessels carrying passengers for hire). Previously, Section 83.514 limited the use of VHF radiotelephones to 20 nautical miles, since this was the minimum coverage area usually provided by VHF coast stations. Section 81.191(d)(2) of the rules provides that the coverage of a Government VHF station will be assumed to be 15 nautical miles, or as stated by competent authorities. The Commission said that when considering a request for exemption based on coverage by a Government station, as a matter of practice, it always considers the coverage area as stated by the cognizant authority, and to make the rule consistent with its practices, it was deleting the 15 mile provision of Section 81.191(d)(2). The new rules became effective December 8, 1972.

Licensing Rules for Alaskan Ship Stations

Part 83 of the rules was amended to relax requirements for renewal and licensing of ship stations aboard vessels registered (or with documented home port) in the State of Alaska.

The requirement for Alaskan vessels to be fitted with VHF as a prerequisite for installation of 2 MHz SSB (single sideband) equipment was suspended until January 1, 1974. Double sideband (DSB) ship station licenses, which expired or were due to expire between January 1, 1971, and January 1, 1973, may be renewed for use until January 1, 1977.

The action resulted from public meetings held in Alaska in May, 1972, to explain the objectives and requirements of the Commission's new maritime mobile service regulations (Docket 18632, released February 11, 1972), and to obtain the views of Alaskan boating communities on regulations requiring VHF radiotelephony equipment as a prerequisite for licensing of SSB radiotelephony equipment.

The meetings disclosed that large area VHF coverage would not be available in Alaska for some time and that the use of VHF for intership communications was of limited benefit. In addition sub

stantial VHF public coast service would not be available until January 1974. In view of these facts, the Commission suspended the VHF requirement during the intervening period.

The Commission also extended the period for renewal of DSB authorizations to give Alaskan licensees extra time to correct their equipment.

The amendment for Alaskan vessels became effective September 8, 1972.

Servicing Ship Radar Stations

Section 83.164 of the rules was amended to clarify the requirements for servicing ship radar stations (Docket 19253).

The present rules require that adjustments or tests during installation, servicing or maintenance of a ship radar station must be performed by or under the immediate supervision of a person properly licensed with the radar endorsement. The rule also distinguishes between "normal rendition of service" and "installation, servicing, or maintenance" of the equipment.

The Commission deleted the words "while it is radiating energy" from Section 83.164(a)(2). It said it did not intend to make any substantial change in the requirements, but to preclude a construction of the rule which would permit adjustments and tests by any person because the equipment was not radiating energy at the time the tests or adjustments were made.

The changes were proposed in a notice released May 28, 1971.

The amendment became effective December 22, 1972.

Proposed Rules

Beacon Frequencies in Maritime Search and Rescue

Rules were proposed to permit use of frequencies 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz by ship stations, survival craft stations and emergency position indicating radio beacon stations (EPB) in the Maritime Radio Service (Part 83 of the rules) (Docket 19693).

Under present rules, only the frequency 121.5 MHz is available in the Maritime Service and then only for radiobeacon purposes under certain limited conditions. Both frequencies are available in the Aviation Radio Service (Part 87). Making frequencies 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz available to both

aircraft and vessels would increase the efficiency of search and rescue operations.

The proposed amendment would provide for the use of 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz by certain U.S. vessels operating in international waters beyond the range of marine VHF distress coverage. Marine use of the frequencies in EPBS would be the same as in civil aircraft in Emergency Locator Transmitters. The amendment would also provide for use of radiotelephony on frequency 121.5 MHz by authorized ship stations for emergency communications between ships and aircraft.

Marine use of 121.5/243 MHz for EPBS would generally be limited to ocean areas approximately 20 miles or more offshore. Recreational craft operating near the shore would be excluded since they can use VHF radio or other transmission methods.

Public Correspondence Identification
Requirements

Relaxation of requirements of Sections 83.326(a) and 83.364(a)(3) was proposed to permit operators of ship and survival craft telegraphy and telephony stations to defer station identification until the end of an exchange of communications in situations where the station identification would interrupt a telephone conversation or a message (Docket 19776). Present rules require station operators to identify by call signs at intervals not exceeding 15 minutes whenever transmission is sustained for a period exceeding that time. Practically all violation notices issued under these two rule sections involve stations handling public correspondence with public coast stations. The violations occurred, the Commission stated, because operators failed to interrupt transmissions at the required 15-minute interval to identify by call sign.

Public Correspondence Service in VHF Band

The requirement that Class II public correspondence coast stations in the Maritime Service also provide service in the very high frequency (156–162 MHz) maritime band, would be deleted in a proposed rule making. Class II stations operate on medium and high frequencies and provide regional service (Docket 19719).

Section 81.303(c) requires Class II stations to provide VHF service, unless such service already exists.