The Commission’s Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes to change the way FM stations determine their maximum permissible power level and, further, to give FM stations the authority to operate their digital sidebands at different power levels. According to the FCC, these changes would potentially expand the number of FM stations that can broadcast at higher digital power levels, while also giving them greater flexibility to maximize power while avoiding interference.
The Commission Order and NPRM were prompted by two petitions filed with the Commission, the first in 2019 by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Xperi Corporation, and National Public Radio, and the second in 2022 by the NAB and Xperi.
The FCC says that there are currently over 2000 FM stations that broadcast digitally, providing listeners with enhanced sound quality and other data through digital signals. If the FCC’s Order and NPRM are adopted, the Commission says that the changes would potentially encourage more FM broadcasters to adopt digital technologies, thereby making digital broadcasts available to a greater number of listeners.
According to a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, the companies, Q Link Wireless LLC, and Hello Mobile Telecom LLC, routinely relied on readily available biographical and account information to authenticate online customers. Customers authenticated in this way were then given access to “customer proprietary network information” (CPNI), placing customer information at risk of unauthorized access and disclosure.
In a Notice published in the Federal Register, the agency announced 29 additions and 25 modifications to the list of FDA Recognized Consensus Standards. Notable among the new standards added to the list are ISO 60601-2-35, which details requirements for the safety and performance of heating devices, and IEC 810001-5-1, which addresses the security in the product lifecycle of health software and health IT systems. Also newly added to the list of recognized standards is ISO/TS 11137-4, which addresses process control on the use of radiation in the sterilization of healthcare products.
In remarks presented at the White House in Washington, DC, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced that she has presented to the Commission a proposal to launch the first-ever voluntary “U.S. Cyber Trust Mark” Program. The proposed program, which would qualify connected smart devices to bear the Cyber Trust Mark, would help consumers to identify secure products while also creating incentives for device manufacturers to meet rigorous cybersecurity standards.
“Just like the ‘Energy Star’ logo helps consumers know what devices are energy efficient, the Cyber Trust Mark will help consumers make more informed decisions about device privacy and security,” Rosenworcel noted. “What’s more, because we know devices and services are not static, we are proposing that along with the mark we will have a QR code that provides up-to-date information on that device.”
Rosenworcel said that the proposed Cyber Trust Mark Program is based on extensive work by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop criteria for cyber secure devices.
A recent article posted to the Sky & Telescope website provides an overview of recent research conducted by space experts at the Max-Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Germany and other institutions associated with the Square Kilometre Array Observatory. According to the article, researchers looked for radio signals from satellites in SpaceX’s Starlink fleet. Of the 68 satellites they observed, they detected radio emissions from 47 satellites in the 110-188 MHz frequency spectrum, well below the 10.7-12.7 GHz signals used for downlink communication signals from the satellites. The leaked signals detected by the researchers are stronger than those allowed under current regulatory limits, but current limits apply only to intentional emissions, with no stated limits applicable to unintentional emissions.
The obvious challenge for researchers, according to the article, is the additional time required to eliminate from their research data that may have been contaminated by the unintentional emissions. But the potentially larger issue is that weaker signals that hide under the underlying noise might lead to incorrect research assumptions and results.
Researchers say that the unintended emissions problem is not limited to Starlink satellites, but instead is a potential issue for each of thousands of the satellites that operate in earth orbits. This significantly raises the risk that the operation of ground-based radio telescopes will be impacted.
The solution, according to the researchers, is for scientists and industry to actively work together to develop effective mitigation strategies, while also campaigning for regulatory changes that address the root cause of the problem.