445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov
Released: July 8, 1999
THE OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY GRANTS
WAIVERS FOR ULTRA-WIDE BAND TECHNOLOGIES
The Chief of the Commission's Office of Engineering and Technology, on delegated authority, has granted waivers of certain Part 15 rules to Time Domain Corporation, U.S. Radar Inc., and Zircon Corporation to allow the limited marketing of ultra-wide band ("UWB") devices, subject to certain conditions.
UWB technology has unique attributes that could lead to a variety of new beneficial uses that would serve the public interest. The waiver granted to U.S. Radar will allow it to market a radar system to detect buried objects such as plastic gas pipes or reveal hidden flaws in roads, bridges, or airport runways. The waiver granted to Time Domain will allow it to supply police departments with a communications system that will provide law enforcement officers with a means of covert communication and to provide radar systems that will enable fire and rescue personnel to determine the location of persons inside damaged, burning, or smoke filled buildings. Zircon's waiver will allow it to supply a radar system that is capable of detecting objects, such as electrical wiring conduit, water pipes, and gas lines, behind walls and other surfaces.
As the frequencies that will be used by these devices include several frequency bands allocated to the U.S. Government, these waiver requests were coordinated with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration ("NTIA"). NTIA informed the FCC, by letter dated June 15, 1999, that the waivers could be granted with conditions that, among other things, limit distribution of the devices and require that records be maintained for all users to whom the petitioners sell, lease or otherwise distribute UWB equipment.
The specific rules waived are: Section 15.205(a), which specifies that only spurious emissions may be placed in certain designated restricted frequency bands of operation; and, Sections 15.31 and 15.35 which require the application of a pulse desensitization correction factor when performing certain measurements below 1000 MHz.
On August 20, 1998, the Commission adopted a Notice of Inquiry in ET Docket 98-153 to investigate the possibility of permitting the operation of UWB devices on an unlicensed basis under Part 15 of the rules. These conditional waivers will help in assessing the impact of UWB devices on the RF environment. However, grant of these waivers in no way prejudges any action the Commission may take regarding UWB devices in ET Docket 98-153. Nor should it be deemed in any way to prejudge NTIA's consideration of the issues involving the operation of UWB devices in any inquiry or rule making proceeding undertaken by the FCC. In this regard, NTIA has requested that additional waivers to permit the marketing of UWB devices that emit radio frequency energy in the U.S. Government restricted bands be extremely limited until further analyses and measurements have been completed and a regulatory framework developed.
The letters granting the waivers and NTIA's June 15, 1999, letter may be viewed at the following web address.
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/waivers/
The waiver letters and NTIA's June 15, 1999, letter also are available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in OET, 7th floor, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., and may also be purchased from the Commission's duplication contractor, International Transcription Service, Inc., 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, phone (202) 857-3800, facsimile (202) 857-3805.
Office of Engineering and Technology contacts: John Reed at (202) 418-2455 or via e-mail at jreed@fcc.gov or Rodney Conway at (202) 418-2904 or via e-mail at rconway@fcc.gov.
By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology