According to a Report and Order issued by the Commission in mid-November, the lower 45 megahertz (5.850-5.895 GHz) will now be designated for use by Wi-Fi and other unlicensed uses, while the upper 30 megahertz (5.895-5.925 GHz) will be designated for cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies to enhance automotive safety.
Full-power indoor unlicensed operations in the lower 45 megahertz portion are permitted with immediate effect, and intelligent transportation services (ITS) services currently using that portion of the spectrum will have one year to transition to the upper portion of the spectrum. At the same time, the FCC’s action designates C-V2X as the next generation technology standard for safety-related transportation and vehicular communications, signaling the transition away from legacy dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology.
The FCC says that the new spectrum designations will provide additional connectivity for Wi-Fi services while reducing the burden on cellular networks and while also speeding the deployment of ITS technologies that will improve automotive safety.
FCC Amateur Application Fees
The ARRL’s waiver request was filed in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued last month by the FCC, in which the agency proposed a fee of $50 for amateur radio applications to help recover the cost of processing those applications.
According to the ARRL, fees for amateur licenses have been excluded from the agency’s fee collection schedule since 1985. The ARRL further argues that “unlike other FCC services, the Amateur Radio Service is all volunteer and largely self-governing with examination preparation, administration, and grading handled by volunteers, who submit licensing paperwork to the FCC.”
“These volunteer services lessen the regulatory burden…on the Commission’s resources and budget in ways that licensees in other services do not,” the ARRL contends.
EMC of Medical Devices
Posted to the FDA website, the guidance document embraces the “all-hazard approach” to device safety and encourages device manufacturers to provide EMC-related information in a number of specific areas.The FDA’s draft guidance document replaces the agency’s former guidance on the subject issued in July 2016.
Released at the end of October, the “2020 Department of Defense Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy” details the Department’s plan to ensure its continued, unfettered and secure access to spectrum essential to the use of GPS, radio, satellite, and cellphone communications essential to our country’s defense.
According to Frederick D. Moorefield, the deputy chief information officer for command, control, and communications, the Defense Department “is, perhaps the biggest user of spectrum in the United States.” “DoD uses spectrum for almost everything wireless,” he says. “Everything from tactical radios that the soldier uses in the field, or in operations, to satellite communications, to radar that we use to track objects and devices.”
The strategy document details five separate goals for securing the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS), including: 1) develop superior EMS capabilities; 2) evolve into an agile and fully integrated EMC structure; 3) pursue total force readiness in the EMS; 4) securing enduring partnership for EMS advantage; and 5 establish effective EMS governance.
The Department’s electromagnetic spectrum strategy was mandated by Congress as part of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, according to an article posted to the website of National Defense Magazine. The article also notes that the strategy could have “a wide-ranging impact on the acquisition enterprise including research and development and upgrades to legacy systems.”
Defense Department officials are expected to release a detailed roadmap and implementation plan for its electromagnetic spectrum strategy next March.