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15 Subpart F
15 Subpart A 15 Subpart B 15 Subpart C 15 Subpart D 15 Subpart E 15 Subpart F

Subpart F – Ultra-Wideband Operation

Section 15.501 Scope.

This subpart sets out the regulations for unlicensed ultra-wideband transmission systems.

Section 15.503 Definitions.

(a) UWB Bandwidth. For the purpose of this subpart, the UWB bandwidth is the frequency band bounded by the points that are 10 dB below the highest radiated emission, as based on the complete transmission system including the antenna. The upper boundary is designated fH and the lower boundary is designated fL. The frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs is designated fM.

(b) Center frequency. The center frequency, fC, equals (fH + fL)/2.

(c) Fractional bandwidth. The fractional bandwidth equals 2(fH - fL)/ (fH + fL).

(d) Ultra-wideband (UWB) transmitter. An intentional radiator that, at any point in time, has a fractional bandwidth equal to or greater than 0.20 or has a UWB bandwidth equal to or greater than 500 MHz, regardless of the fractional bandwidth.

(e) Imaging system. A general category consisting of ground penetrating radar systems, medical imaging systems, wall imaging systems through-wall imaging systems and surveillance systems. As used in this subpart, imaging systems do not include systems designed to detect the location of tags or systems used to transfer voice or data information.

(f) Ground penetrating radar (GPR) system. A field disturbance sensor that is designed to operate only when in contact with, or within one meter of, the ground for the purpose of detecting or obtaining the images of buried objects or determining the physical properties within the ground. The energy from the GPR is intentionally directed down into the ground for this purpose.

(g) Medical imaging system. A field disturbance sensor that is designed to detect the location or movement of objects within the body of a person or animal.

(h) Wall imaging system. A field disturbance sensor that is designed to detect the location of objects contained within a "wall" or to determine the physical properties within the "wall." The "wall" is a concrete structure, the side of a bridge, the wall of a mine or another physical structure that is dense enough and thick enough to absorb the majority of the signal transmitted by the imaging system. This category of equipment does not include products such as "stud locators" that are designed to locate objects behind gypsum, plaster or similar walls that are not capable of absorbing the transmitted signal.

(i) Through-wall imaging system. A field disturbance sensor that is designed to detect the location or movement of persons or objects that are located on the other side of an opaque structure such as a wall or a ceiling. This category of equipment may include products such as "stud locators" that are designed to locate objects behind gypsum, plaster or similar walls that are not thick enough or dense enough to absorb the transmitted signal.

(j) Surveillance system. A field disturbance sensor used to establish a stationary RF perimeter field that is used for security purposes to detect the intrusion of persons or objects.

(k) EIRP. Equivalent isotropically radiated power, i.e., the product of the power supplied to the antenna and the antenna gain in a given direction relative to an isotropic antenna. The EIRP, in terms of dBm, can be converted to a field strength, in dBuV/m at 3 meters, by adding 95.2. As used in this subpart, EIRP refers to the highest signal strength measured in any direction and at any frequency from the UWB device, as tested in accordance with the procedures specified in Sections 15.31(a) and 15.523 of this chapter.

(l) Law enforcement, fire and emergency rescue organizations. As used in this subpart, this refers to those parties eligible to obtain a license from the FCC under the eligibility requirements specified in Section 90.20(a)(1) of this chapter.

(m) Hand held. As used in this subpart, a hand held device is a portable device, such as a lap top computer or a PDA, that is primarily hand held while being operated and that does not employ a fixed infrastructure.

Section 15.505 Cross reference.

(a) Except where specifically stated otherwise within this subpart, the provisions of Subparts A and B and of Sections 15.201 through 15.204 and Section 15.207 of Subpart C of this part apply to unlicensed UWB intentional radiators. The provisions of Sections 15.35(c) and 15.205 do not apply to devices operated under this subpart. The provisions of Footnote US 246 to the Table of Frequency Allocations contained in Section 2.106 of this chapter does not apply to devices operated under this subpart.

(b) The requirements of Subpart F apply only to the radio transmitter, i.e., the intentional radiator, contained in the UWB device. Other aspects of the operation of a UWB device may be subject to requirements contained elsewhere in this chapter. In particular, a UWB device that contains digital circuitry not directly associated with the operation of the transmitter also is subject to the requirements for unintentional radiators in Subpart B of this chapter. Similarly, an associated receiver that operates (tunes) within the frequency range 30 MHz to 960 MHz is subject to the requirements in Subpart B of this chapter.

Section 15.507 Marketing of UWB equipment.

In some cases, the operation of UWB devices is limited to specific parties, e.g., law enforcement, fire and rescue organizations operating under the auspices of a state or local government. The marketing of UWB devices must be directed solely to parties eligible to operate the equipment. The responsible party, as defined in Section 2.909 of this chapter, is responsible for ensuring that the equipment is marketed only to eligible parties. Marketing of the equipment in any other manner may be considered grounds for revocation of the grant of certification issued for the equipment.

Section 15.509 Technical requirements for low frequency imaging systems.

(a) The UWB bandwidth of an imaging system operating under the provisions of this section must be below 960 MHz.

(b) Operation under the provisions of this section is limited to the following:

(1) GPRs and wall imaging systems operated by law enforcement, fire and emergency rescue organizations, by scientific research institutes, by commercial mining companies, or by construction companies.

(2) Through-wall imaging systems operated by law enforcement, fire or emergency rescue organizations.

(3) Parties operating this equipment must be eligible for licensing under the provisions of Part 90 of this chapter.

(4) The operation of imaging systems under this section requires coordination, as detailed in Section 15.525.

(c) An imaging system shall contain a manually operated switch that causes the transmitter to cease operation within 10 seconds of being released by the operator. In addition, it is permissible to operate an imaging system by remote control provided the imaging system ceases transmission within 10 seconds of the remote switch being released by the operator.

(d) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -65.3
1610-1990 -53.3
Above 1990 -51.3

(e) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (d) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -75.3
1559-1610 -75.3

(f) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

(g) Imaging systems operating under the provisions of this section shall bear the following or similar statement, as adjusted for the specific provisions in paragraph (b) of this section, in a conspicuous location on the device:

"Operation of this device is restricted to law enforcement, fire and rescue officials, scientific research institutes, commercial mining companies, and construction companies. Operation by any other party is a violation of 47 U.S.C. 301 and could subject the operator to serious legal penalties."

Section 15.511 Technical requirements for mid-frequency imaging systems.

(a) The UWB bandwidth of an imaging system operating under the provisions of this section must be contained between 1990 MHz and 10,600 MHz.

(b) Operation under the provisions of this section is limited to the following:

(1) Through-wall imaging systems operated by law enforcement, fire or emergency rescue organizations.

(2) Fixed surveillance systems operated by law enforcement, fire or emergency rescue organizations or by manufacturers licensees, petroleum licensees or power licensees as defined in Section 90.7 of this chapter.

(3) Parties operating under the provisions of this section must be eligible for licensing under the provisions of Part 90 of this chapter.

(4) The operation of imaging systems under this section requires coordination, as detailed in Section 15.525.

(c) A through-wall imaging system shall contain a manually operated switch that causes the transmitter to cease operation within 10 seconds of being released by the operator. In addition, it is permissible to operate an imaging system by remote control provided the imaging system ceases transmission within 10 seconds of the remote switch being released by the operator.

(d) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -53.3
1610-1990 -51.3
1990-10600 -41.3
Above 10600 -51.3

(e) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (d) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -63.3
1559-1610 -63.3

(f) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

(g) Imaging systems operating under the provisions of this section shall bear the following or similar statement, as adjusted for the specific provisions in paragraph (b) of this section, in a conspicuous location on the device:

"Operation of this device is restricted to law enforcement, fire and rescue officials, public utilities, and industrial entities. Operation by any other party is a violation of 47 U.S.C. 301 and could subject the operator to serious legal penalties."

Section 15.513 Technical requirements for high frequency imaging systems.

(a) The UWB bandwidth of an imaging system operating under the provisions of this section must be contained between 3100 MHz and 10,600 MHz.

(b) Operation under the provisions of this section is limited to the following:

(1) GPRs and wall imaging systems operated by law enforcement, fire or emergency rescue organizations, by scientific research institutes, by commercial mining companies, or by construction companies.

(2) Medical imaging systems used at the direction of, or under the supervision of, a licensed health care practitioner.

(3) Parties operating GPRs or wall imaging systems must be eligible for lic ensing under the provisions of Part 90 of this chapter.

(4) The operation of imaging systems under this section requires coordination, as detailed in Section 15.525.

(c) An imaging system shall contain a manually operated switch that causes the transmitter to cease operation within 10 seconds of being released by the operator. In addition, it is permissible to operate an imaging system by remote control provided the imaging system ceases transmission within 10 seconds of the remote switch being rele ased by the operator.

(d) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -65.3
1610-1990 -53.3
1990-3100 -51.3
3100-10600 -41.3
Above 10600 -51.3

(e) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (d) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -75.3
1559-1610 -75.3

(f) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

(g) Imaging systems, other than medical imaging systems, operating under the provisions of this section shall bear the following or similar statement in a conspicuous location on the device:

"Operation of this device is restricted to law enforcement, fire and rescue officials, scientific research institutes, commercial mining companies, and construction companies. Operation by any other party is a violation of 47 U.S.C. 301 and could subject the operator to serious legal penalties."

Section 15.515 Technical requirements for vehicular radar systems.

(a) Operation under the provisions of this section is limited to UWB field disturbance sensors mounted in terrestrial transportation vehicles. These devices shall operate only when the vehicle is operating, e.g., the engine is running. Operation shall occur only upon specific activation, such as upon starting the vehicle, changing gears, or engaging a turn signal.

(b) The UWB bandwidth fo a vehicular radar system operating under the provisions of this section shall be contained between 22 GHz and 29 GHz. In addition, the center frequency, fC, and the frequency at which the highest level emission occurs, fM, must be greater than 24.075 GHz.

(c) Following proper installation, vehicular radar systems shall attenuate any emissions within the 23.6-24.0 GHz band that appear 38 degrees or greater above the horizontal plane by 25 dB below the limit specified in paragraph (d) of this section. For equipment authorized, manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2005, this level of attenuation shall be 25 dB for any emissions within the 23.6-24.0 GHz band that appear 30 degrees or greater above the horizontal plane. For equipment authorized, manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2010, this level of attenuation shall be 30 dB for any emissions within the 23.6-24.0 GHz band that appear 30 degrees or greater above the horizontal plane. For equipment authorized, manufactured or imported on or after January 1, 2014, this level of attenuation shall be 35 dB for any emissions within the 23.6-24.0 GHz band that appear 30 degrees or greater above the horizontal plane. This level of attenuation can be achieved through the antenna directivity, through a reduction in output power or any other means.

(d) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -75.3
1610-22,000 -61.3
22,000-29,000 -41.3
29,000-31,000 -51.3
Above 31,000 -61.3

(e) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (d) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -85.3
1559-1610 -85.3

(f) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

Section 15.517 Technical requirements for indoor UWB systems.

(a) Operation under the provisions of this section is limited to UWB transmitters employed solely for indoor operation.

(1) Indoor UWB devices, by the nature of their design, must be capable of operation only indoors. The necessity to operate with a fixed indoor infrastructure, e.g., a transmitter that must be connected to the AC power lines, may be considered sufficient to demonstrate this.

(2) The emissions from equipment operated under this section shall not be intentionally directed outside of the building in which the equipment is located, such as through a window or a doorway, to perform an outside function, such as the detection of persons about to enter a building.

(3) The use of outdoor mounted antennas, e.g., antennas mounted on the outside of a building or on a telephone pole, or any other outdoors infrastructure is prohibited.

(4) Field disturbance sensors installed inside of metal or underground storage tanks are considered to operate indoors provided the emissions are directed towards the ground.

(5) A communications system shall transmit only when the intentional radiator is sending information to an associated receiver.

(b) The UWB bandwidth of a UWB system operating under the provisions of this section must be contained between 3100 MHz and 10,600 MHz.

(c) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -75.3
1610-1990 -53.3
1990-3100 -51.3
3100-10600 -41.3
Above 10600 -51.3

(d) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (c) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -85.3
1559-1610 -85.3

(e) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

(f) UWB systems operating under the provisions of this section shall bear the following or similar statement in a conspicuous location on the device or in the instruction manual supplied with the device:

"This equipment may only be operated indoors. Operation outdoors is in violation of 47 U.S.C. 301 and could subject the operator to serious legal penalties."

Section 15.519 Technical requirements for hand held UWB systems.

(a) UWB devices operating under the provisions of this section must be hand held, i.e., they are relatively small devices that are primarily hand held while being operated and do not employ a fixed infrastructure.

(1) A UWB device operating under the provisions of this section shall transmit only when it is sending information to an associated receiver. The UWB intentional radiator shall cease transmission within 10 seconds unless it receives an acknowledgement from the associated receiver that its transmission is being received. An acknowledgment of reception must continued to be received by the UWB intentional radiator at least every 10 seconds or the UWB device must cease transmitting.

(2) The use of antennas mounted on outdoor structures, e.g., antennas mounted on the outside of a building or on a telephone pole, or any fixed outdoors infrastructure is prohibited. Antennas may be mounted only on the hand held UWB device.

(3) UWB devices operating under the provisions of this section may operate indoors or outdoors.

(b) The UWB bandwidth of a device operating under the provisions of this section must be contained between 3100 MHz and 10,600 MHz.

(c) The radiated emissions at or below 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the emission levels in Section 15.209. The radiated emissions above 960 MHz from a device operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
960-1610 -75.3
1610-1990 -63.3
1990-3100 -61.3
3100-10600 -41.3
Above 10600 -61.3

(d) In addition to the radiated emission limits specified in the table in paragraph (c) of this section, UWB transmitters operating under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the following average limits when measured using a resolution bandwidth of no less than 1 kHz:

Frequency in MHz EIRP in dBm
1164-1240 -85.3
1559-1610 -85.3

(e) There is a limit on the peak level of the emissions contained within a 50 MHz bandwidth centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. That limit is 0 dBm EIRP. It is acceptable to employ a different resolution bandwidth, and a correspondingly different peak emission limit, following the procedures described in Section 15.521.

Section 15.521 Technical requirements applicable to all UWB devices.

(a) UWB devices may not be employed for the operation of toys. Operation onboard an aircraft, a ship or a satellite is prohibited.

(b) Manufacturers and users are reminded of the provisions of Sections 15.203 and 15.204.

(c) As noted in Section 15.3(k), digital circuitry that is used only to enable the operation of a transmitter and that does not control additional functions or capabilities is not classified as a digital device. Instead, the emissions from that digital circuitry are subject to the same limits as those applicable to the transmitter. If it can be clearly demonstrated that an emission from a UWB transmitter is due solely to emissions from digital circuitry contained within the transmitter and that the emission is not intended to be radiated from the transmitter’s antenna, the limits shown in Section 15.209 shall apply to that emission rather than the limits specified in this section.

(d) Within the tables in Sections 15.509, 15.511, 15.513, 15.515, 15.517, and 15.519, the tighter emission limit applies at the band edges. Radiated emission levels at and below 960 MHz are based on measurements employing a CISPR quasi-peak detector. Radiated emission levels above 960 MHz are based on RMS average measurements over a 1 MHz resolution bandwidth. The RMS average measurement is based on the use of a spectrum analyzer with a resolution bandwidth of 1 MHz, an RMS detector, and a 1 millisecond or less averaging time. If pulse gating is employed where the transmitter is quiescent for intervals that are long compared to the nominal pulse repetition interval, measurements shall be made with the pulse train gated on. Alternative measurement procedures may be considered by the Commission.

(e) The frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM, must be contained within the UWB bandwidth.

(f) Imaging systems may be employed only for the type of information exchange described in their specific definitions contained in Section 15.503. The detection of tags or the transfer or data or voice information is not permitted under the standards for imaging systems.

(g) When a peak measurement is required, it is acceptable to use a resolution bandwidth other than the 50 MHz specified in this subpart. This resolution bandwidth shall not be lower than 1 MHz or greater than 50 MHz, and the measurement shall be centered on the frequency at which the highest radiated emission occurs, fM. If a resolution bandwidth other than 50 MHz is employed, the peak EIRP limit shall be 20 log (RBW/50) dBm where RBW is the resolution bandwidth in megahertz that is employed. This may be converted to a peak field strength level at 3 meters using E(dBuV/m) = P(dBm EIRP) + 95.2. If RBW is greater than 3 MHz, the application for certification filed with the Commission must contain a detailed description of the test procedure, calibration of the test setup, and the instrumentation employed in the testing.

(h) The highest frequency employed in Section 15.33 to determine the frequency range over which radiated measurements are made shall be based on the center frequency, fC, unless a higher frequency is generated within the UWB device. For measuring emission levels, the spectrum shall be investigated from the lowest frequency generated in the UWB transmitter, without going below 9 kHz, up to the frequency range shown in Section 15.33(a) or up to fC + 3/(pulse width in seconds), whichever is higher. There is no requirement to measure emissions beyond 40 GHz provided fC is less than 10 GHz; beyond 100 GHz if fC is at or above 10 GHz and below 30 GHz; or beyond 200 GHz if fC is at or above 30 GHz.

(i) The prohibition in Sections 2.201(f) and 15.5(d) of this chapter against Class B (damped wave) emissions does not apply to UWB devices operating under this subpart.

(j) Responsible parties are reminded of the other standards and requirements incorporated by reference in Section 15.505, such as a limit on emissions conducted onto the AC power lines.

Section 15.523 Measurement procedures.

Measurements shall be made in accordance with the procedures specified by the Commission.

Section 15.525 Coordination requirements.

(a) UWB imaging systems require coordination through the FCC before the equipment may be used. The operator shall comply with any constraints on equipment usage resulting from this coordination.

(b) The users of UWB imaging devices shall supply detailed operational areas to the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology who shall coordinate this information with the Federal Government through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The information provided by the UWB operator shall include the name, address and other pertinent contact information of the user, the desired geographical area of operation, and the FCC ID number and other nomenclature of the UWB device. This material shall be submitted to the following address:

Frequency Coordination Branch., OET
Federal Communications Commission
445 12
th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
ATTN: UWB Coordination

(c) The manufacturers, or their authorized sales agents, must inform purchasers and users of their systems of the requirement to undertake detailed coordination of operational areas with the FCC prior to the equipment being operated.

(d) Users of authorized, coordinated UWB systems may transfer them to other qualified users and to different locations upon coordination of change of ownership or location to the FCC and coordination with existing authorized operations.

(e) The NTIA/FCC coordination report shall include any needed constraints that apply to day-today operations. Such constraints could specify prohibited areas of operations or areas located near authorized radio stations for which additional coordination is required before operation of the UWB equipment. If additional local coordination is required, a local coordination contact will be provided.

(f) The coordination of routine UWB operations shall not take longer than 15 business days from the receipt of the coordination request by NTIA. Special temporary operations may be handled with an expedited turn-around time when circumstances warrant. The operation of UWB systems in emergency situations involving the safety of life or property may occur without coordination provided a notification procedure, similar to that contained in Section 2.405(a) through (e) of this chapter, is followed by the UWB equipment user.

 

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