NEWSReport No. DC 95-21 ACTION IN DOCKET CASE February 6, 1995 COMMISSION ADOPTS REGULATIONS FOR AUTOMATIC VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEMS (PR DOCKET NO. 93-61) The FCC took steps today toward improving the quality, efficiency and safety of the nation's highways by implementing rules for the future licensing and continued development of a number of services and equipment for location and monitoring systems using the 902-928 MHz band. These new rules will enhance the use of the band for location and monitoring and replace the existing interim rules governing automatic vehicle monitoring (AVM) systems. The Commission, in taking this action, modified and eliminated outdated regulations that have not kept pace with the technological evolution of AVM and established the Location and Monitoring Service (LMS). It is expected that in the coming years LMS systems will play an integral role in the development and implementation of a variety of radio-based, transportation-related services, known as "Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems" (IVHS) or "Intelligent Transportation Systems" (ITS). The ITS is a collection of advanced radio technologies that promise to improve the efficiency and safety of our highways, reduce harmful automobile emissions, promote more efficient energy use and increase national productivity. In recognition of the expected growth of ITS, the Commission has created a new Subpart in Part 90 of its Rules for LMS - the Transportation Infrastructure Radio Services (TIRS). As additional spectrum is allocated or new radio services are created to further the efficiency of the nation's transportation infrastructure, they will likely be regulated under the TIRS. The Commission stated that the TIRS furthers Congress' goal of encouraging ITS by providing an organized and unified approach to regulating spectrum for these services. In sum, the Commission: * Changed the name of the service from Automatic Vehicle Monitoring to the Location and Monitoring Service; * Changed the terminology used to refer to the two general categories of LMS technologies from "wideband" and "narrowband" to "multilateration" and "non-multilateration," respectively; (over) - 2 - * Permitted multilateration LMS systems to locate any object -- animate or inanimate -- ancillary to their primary vehicular location and monitoring services; * Permitted LMS systems to transmit and receive status and instructional information, both non-voice and voice, related to the location and monitoring of a mobile unit, and permit, under certain conditions, LMS systems to interconnect with the Public Switched Network (PSN); * Expanded LMS license eligibility to all entities eligible to be licensed under Part 90 of its Rules and allowed service in the 902-928 MHz band to be provided by LMS licensees to both individuals and the Federal Government on a commercial basis to paying subscribers; * Clarified what constitutes harmful interference to multilateration licensees by unlicensed Part 15 devices and amateur operations; * Allocated an additional eight megahertz of spectrum in the 902-928 MHz band for LMS use and adopted a spectrum allocation scheme for the 902-928 MHz band that designates sub-bands for multilateration and non-multilateration operations, as follows: Band (MHz) System License 902.000 - 904.000 Non-multilateration 904.000 - 909.750 Multilateration 909.750 - 921.750 Non-multilateration 919.750 - 921.750 Multilateration and Non-multilateration 921.750 - 927.250 Multilateration 927.250 - 928.000 Multilateration * Established exclusivity provisions for multilateration systems within each Major Trading Area (MTA) and four additional MTA-like service areas in the above-designated sub- bands, and the resolution of mutually exclusive applications through competitive bidding; * Made provisions for grandfathering base stations of multilateration system licensees authorized as of February 1, 1995; * Provided for licensing of non-multilateration systems on a shared basis in the designated sub-bands; and, * Made provisions for further testing of multilateration systems to ensure that interference to Part 15 operations is minimized. - 3 - Action by the Commission February 3, 1995, by Report and Order (FCC 95-41). Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Ness and Chong with Commissioner Quello concurring in the result and Commissioner Barrett dissenting. Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong issuing separate statements. -FCC- News Media contact: Stacy Reuben Mesa at (202) 418-0654. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contacts: Thomas S. Dombrowsky, Martin D. Liebman or John J. Borkowski at (202) 418-0620.