Report No. DC 95-78 ACTION IN DOCKET CASE June 8, 1995 FCC PROPOSES TO AMEND PARTS 22, 90, AND 94 OF THE RULES TO PERMIT ROUTINE USE OF SIGNAL BOOSTERS (WT DOCKET NO. 95-70) TX RX Systems, Inc., has asked the Commission to amend Parts 22, 90 and 94 of the rules and regulations to permit routine use of one-way or two-way signal boosters. This proposal would permit licensees to routinely use signal boosters in Part 22 common carrier paging operations, Part 90 land mobile radio and paging operations, and Part 94 multiple address system operations. A signal booster is a device that receives an incoming signal, amplifies it and retransmits it on the same frequency. Such devices are used to improve communications in locations within the normal coverage area of a radio system where the signal is blocked or shielded due to natural terrain or man-made obstacles. For example, a signal booster may be used in such locations as valleys, tunnels, below-ground parking facilities, or inside cargo vessels and aircraft hangers. Currently, under Part 90 Private Land Mobile Radio Service rules, signal boosters may be used only on 10 Business Radio Service frequency pairs in the 450-470 MHz band for communications related to the servicing and supplying of aircraft at certain specified airports. Under Part 22 Public Mobile Service rules, a form of signal booster, generally called a cellular repeater, may be used by cellular licensees without separate licensing provided that the repeater does not extend the licensee's signal beyond the authorized cellular service area. The Commission has proposed to expand the use of signal boosters to Part 22 common carrier paging operations at 931-932 Mhz; to Part 90 land mobile radio operations in all Part 90 frequency bands above 150 MHz; to Part 90 paging operations at 929-930 MHz; and to Part 94 multiple address system operations in the 928-960 MHz band. The Commission proposed to define a signal booster as a device that automatically receives, amplifies, and -more- -2- retransmits on a one-way or two-way basis, the signal received from base stations, mobile, and portable units, with no change in frequency or authorized bandwidth. The Commission would classify boosters as either narrowband (Class A), in which case the booster amplifies only those discrete frequencies intended to be retransmitted, or broadband (Class B), where all signals within the passband of the signal booster filter are amplified. The Commission further proposed that licensees may employ either Class A or Class B signal boosters as required, be responsible for eliminating any harmful interference that the signal booster may cause to other licensees, and for ensuring that the basic authorized coverage areas is not expanded. Comments are invited. Action by the Commission May 17, 1995, by Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 95-204). Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness, and Chong. -FCC- News Media contact: Patricia A. Chew at (202) 418-0500. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contact: Eugene Thomson at (202) 418-0634.