RF CURRENT

Welcome to RF Current, a weekly electronic newsletter focusing on Broadcast technical and F.C.C. related issues. This newsletter is part of The RF Page @ www.transmitter.com, a web site devoted to TV Broadcast RF engineering. For more information see the What is... guide to the R.F. Page site.

Issues are dated each Monday, although recently I've needed an extra day(week) or two to complete each issue. Articles may be posted earlier if time permits or if there is a major, breaking story.

<<< Back to November 13 - Issue 240

November 22, 2000 - Issue 241 Final Edition

FCC Experimental License Grants 10/1 to 11/1/2000 (Nov. 21)

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology, Experimental Licensing Branch has released a list of experimental applications granted between 10/1/00 and 11/1/00.

Items of note include an experimental license granted to Broadcast Solutions allowing use of 94.3 MHz for antenna development for low power FM applications at Mount Vernon, Texas. Lucent Technologies received a license to do multipath testing of the Lucent BLAST (Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time) technology in the 746-764, 776-794, 824-849, 869-894, 1710-1910, 1930-1990 and 2400-2483.5 MHz bands in the states of New Jersey and New York. See the list of experimental actions for additional information.

FCC Releases Notice of Proposed Rule Making Reallocating 27 MHz of Spectrum for New Services (Nov. 20)

The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making outlining spectrum management goals and providing "a blueprint for the reallocation of approximately 200 megahertz of spectrum including the 27 megahertz addressed in this proceeding..." The 27 MHz is in the following bands: 216-220 MHz, 1390-1395 MHz, 1427-1429 MHz, 1429-1432 MHz, 1432-1435 MHz, 1670-1675 MHz and 2385-2390 MHz.

For additional information see the Notice of Proposed Rule Making, ET DOcket 00-221. Note this is an Adobe PDF file.

WIRELESS - CEA Forms Discovery Group on RF Home Networks (Nov. 16)

The Consumer Electronics Association's Home Networking Committee, as part of its effort to promote interconnectivity among consumer electronics products, formed a Discovery Group to explore wireless home networking issues. The Group will meet at the Las Vegas Hilton on January 8, 2001 to "identify the technological opportunities and potential obstacles presented by wireless home networks..." It "will include discussions on engineering standards, frequency allocation and competition for bandwidth."

The press release announcing the Discovery Group said that because of the borderless nature of wireless technologies, including Home RF, Bluetooh, WiFi and others which may be incompatible with each other, they may create "coexistence and compatibility issues that threaten to delay the widespread introduction of wireless home networking products."

The RF Home Networking Discovery Group is open to all interested technology developers and potential manufacturers, regardless of membership in CEA. Additional information is available in the CEA Press Release and from CEA at www.ce.org.

SATELLITE - FCC Approves, PanAmSat Launches PAS-1R Satellite (Nov. 15)

The FCC granted PanAmSat authority to launch and operate the PAS-1R replacement satellite at 45 degrees West Longitude. PAS-1R will replace PAS-1, which is nearing the end of its design life. Once PAS-1R is operational, PAS-1 will be turned off and service as an in-orbit spare.

PAS-1R will operate on both C and Ku bands, with downlink frequencies in the 3700-4200 MHz, 10.95-11.2 GHz and 11.45-11.95 GHz bands. For additional information on the authorization, see Order and Authorization DA 00-2527.

OTHER Items of Interest

FCC Report on Television Channel Utilization - Public Notice announces availability of the June 30, 2000 report at http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/prd/tvu.html. Report shows number of analog and digital channels licensed, permitted and applied for by market.
FCC Staff Releases Interim Report on Spectrum Study of the 2500-2690 MHz Band - Potential for Accommodating Third Generation Mobile Systems - Public Notice contains instructions for downloading the document and comments using the FCC ECFS.
FCC Authorizes Transfer of E-SAT non-voice, non-geostationary MSS license from EchoStar to DBS Industries - Order and Authorization covers a six-satellite Little LEO system at 148-148.905 MHz uplink, 137.0725-137.9275 MHz downlink.
FCC Enforcement Bureau Field Operations - List of Actions Taken - Erratum - Amended listings for WPMH-547 and WMPC-977, violations of 47 C.F.R. 1.89.
PanAmSat Successfully Launches PAS-1R Spacecraft - Press Release describes PAS-1R satellite launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana November 15.
INTELSAT Privatization Plan and Schedule Formally Approved by Governments - Press Release - INTELSAT Chief Executive Officer Conny Kullman says, "Privatization in this manner will allow us to grow and remain a strong competitor in the global market. It is a win-win solution that meets important international policy requirements but also gives the flexibility our investors and customers demand around the world."
This Week in Consumer Electronics article - Shapiro to Kennard: Focus On DTV Content - story by Greg Tarr reports on letter from Consumer Electronics Association president Gary Shapiro to FCC Chairman William Kennard warning, "the proposal to require DTV reception capability in every TV receiver over 13 inches by 2003 would have a severe and harmful effect on American consumers." and asking the FCC to focus on content availability instead.
EE Times article - U.S. say industry should prepare to share spectrum - story by George Leopold examines NTIA and FCC reports saying federal agencies and industry should begin planning to share spectrum and prepare to to have some spectrum reallocated to new mobile telecommunications services.
EE Times article - Satellite radio prepares to blast off - story by Charles J. Murray focuses on Sirius Satellite Radio system.

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