FCC Approval Statement

Federal Communications Commission Office of Engineering and Technology Laboratory Division

Interim Plans to Approve UNII Devices Operating in the 5470 - 5725 MHz Band with Radar Detection and DFS Capabilities

The FCC, NTIA, FAA and industry are working to resolve interference to Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) systems used near airports that has occurred from some outdoor wireless systems operating in the 5470 MHz – 5725 MHz band. These wireless devices are subject to Section 15.407 of our rules and when operating as a master device they are required to implement radar detection and DFS functions. We are continuing our work to develop long-term equipment authorization test procedures that will ensure that the devices comply with our rules that include protecting the TDWR operations. In the interim, the Commission will now allow certification of wireless master devices with radar detection function and with DFS capability, if they meet the following conditions:

Devices will not transmit on channels which overlap the 5600 – 5650 MHz band.1
Devices intended for outdoor use will be further restricted, as follows:
- Devices must be professionally installed when operating in the 5470 – 5725 MHz band.2
- Grantees must provide owners, operators and all such installers with specific instructions in their user‘s manual on requirements to avoid interference to TDWRs and information that meets the following instructions:
- Any installation of either a master or a client device within 35 km of a TDWR location shall be separated by at least 30 MHz (center-to-center) from the TDWR operating frequency (as shown in the attached table) 3, 4, and 5.
  1. The devices subject to the requirements in this KDB can select the initial channel for operation to avoid TDWRs and apply the Uniform Channel Spreading requirements (see FCC 06-96 in ET Docket 03-122 released June 30, 2006) on the remaining available frequency band of operation. All the other test procedures including the test radar patterns remain the same at the present time. A revision to the measurement procedure with modification to the Uniform Channel Spreading requirement and other changes will be released in the future. The Commission will also address the issue of any field upgrade option at that time.
  2. The grantee must identify the specific expertise and the training required by the installers for installing these types of devices.
  3. In some instances it is possible that a device may be within 35 km of multiple TDWRs. In this case the device must ensure that it avoids operation within 30 MHz for each of the TDWRs. This requirement applies even if the master is outside the 35 km radius but communicates with outdoor clients which may be within the 35 km radius of the TDWRs.
  4. The requirement for ensuring 30 MHz frequency separation is based on the best information available to date. If interference is not eliminated, a distance limitation based on line-of-sight from TDWR will need to be used. In addition, devices with bandwidths greater than20 MHz may require greater frequency separation.
- Procedures for the installers and the operators on how to register the devices in the industry-sponsored database with the appropriate information regarding the location and operation of the device and installer information is included.6
- Devices must meet all of the other requirements specified in Section 15.407, and it is prohibited to include configuration controls (e.g. country code settings or other options to modify DFS functions) to change the frequency of operations to any frequency other than those specified on the grant of certification for US operation.7
- All applications for equipment authorization must clearly show compliance with all of the technical requirements under worst case parameters, under user or operator control, based on frame rates, listen/talk ratios and user data transfer conditions.
All the devices subject to the DFS requirements must be submitted to the Commission‘s Laboratory Division for pre-grant testing and equipment authorization.8 The applicant must ensure that all equipment authorization applications subject to this interim procedure include appropriate attestations that the device has no option to change the DFS parameters and that transmissions are disabled at least in the 5600 – 5650 MHz band. The application must include the user‘s manual with the appropriate installation and operations requirements for the installers and operators.

We are continuing to evaluate additional measures that may need to be taken to further ensure against interference caused by 5 GHz outdoor wireless systems located near airports. While manufacturers have an obligation to ensure that their equipment complies with FCC rules, and must take steps to ensure their devices are unlikely to cause harmful interference, Section 15.5 of the Commission‘s rules also places an obligation on users of devices to avoid causing interference and to correct any interference that may occur. We encourage the manufacturers to include information for the users, including the operators and installers, to ensure that they understand that it is incumbent on them to cooperate with manufacturers to implement any changes necessary to facilitate compliance.

5 Devices may be optionally designed not to transmit on channels which overlap 5570 – 5680 MHz instead of requiring installers to perform site-by-site adjustments. In that case it is still required that the devices should be installed professionally and the procedures for registering the device in the industry database should be included in the Users Manual.

6 A voluntary WISPA sponsored database has been developed that allows operators and installers to register the location information of the UNII devices operating outdoors in the 5470 – 5725 MHz band within 35 km of any TDWR location (see http://www.spectrumbridge.com/udia/home.aspx). This database may be used by government agencies in order to expedite resolution of any interference to TDWRs.

7 For example, device software must not have any country code options or software configuration settings which allow an end user to modify the DFS operation or impact the performance of DFS. See KDB 594280.

8 The TCBs are not permitted to approve transmitters with radar detection capabilities. See KDB 628591.

9 The manufacturers may consider taking steps providing clear instructions to operators and installers of devices as to the need to comply with rules for use of the band, guidance on registration of devices and any other processes that are designed to avoid interference. They may use methods that include, but are not limited to, instructions in manuals, notification on product web pages and service bulletins issued for products in the field.

Table 1: TDWR Location Information*

STATE	CITY	LONGITUDE	LATITUDE	FREQUENCY	TERRAIN ELEVATION (MSL) [ft]	ANTENNA HEIGHT ABOVE TERRAIN [ft]
AZ	PHOENIX	W 112 09 46	N 33 25 14	5610 MHz	1024	64
CO	DENVER	W 104 31 35	N 39 43 39	5615 MHz	5643	64
FL	FT LAUDERDALE	W 08020 39	N 26 08 36	5645 MHz	7	113
FL	MIAMI	W 080 29 28	N 25 45 27	5605 MHz	10	113
FL	ORLANDO	W 081 19 33	N 2820 37	5640 MHz	72	97
FL	TAMPA	W 082 31 04	N 27 51 35	5620 MHz	14	80
FL	WEST PALM BEACH	W 080 16 23	N 26 41 17	5615 MHz	20	113
GS	ATLANTA	W 084 15 44	N 33 38 48	5615 MHz	962	113
IL	MCCOOK	W 087 51 31	N 41 47 50	5615 MHz	646	97
IL	CRESTWOOD	W 087 43 47	N 41 39 05	5645 MHz	663	113
IN	INDIANAPOLIS	W 086 26 08	N 39 38 14	5605 MHz	751	97
KS	WICHITA	W 097 26 13	N 37 30 26	5603 MHz	1270	80
KY	COVINGTON CINNCINNATI	W 084 34 48	N 38 53 53	5610 MHz	942	97
KY	LOUISVILLE	W 085 36 38	N 38 02 45	5646 MHz	617	113
LA	NEW ORLEANS	W 090 24 11	N 30 01 18	5645 MHz	2	97
MA	BOSTON	W 070 56 01	N 42 09 30	5610 MHz	151	113
MD	BRANYWINE	W 076 50 42	N 38 41 43	5635 MHz	233	113
MD	BENFIELD	W 076 37 48	N 39 05 23	5645 MHz	184	113
MD	CLINTON	W 076 57 43	N 38 45 32	5615 MHz	249	97
MI	DETROIT	W 083 30 54	N 42 0640	5615 MHz	656	113
MN	MINNEAPOLIS	W 092 55 58	N 44 52 17	5610 MHz	1040	80
MO	KANSAS CITY	W 094 44 31	N 39 29 55	5605 MHz	1040	64
MO	SAINT LOUIS	W 090 29 21	N 38 4820	5610 MHz	551	97
MS	DESOTO COUNTY	W 089 59 33	N 34 53 45	5610 MHz	371	113
NC	CHARLOTTE	W 080 53 06	N 3520 14	5608 MHz	757	113
NC	RALEIGH DURHAM	W 078 41 50	N 36 00 07	5647 MHz	400	113
NJ	WOODBRIDGE	W 074 16 13	N40 35 37	5620 MHz	19	113
NJ	PENNSAUKEN	W 075 04 12	N 39 56 57	5610 MHz	39	113
NV	LAS VEGAS	W 115 00 26	N 36 08 37	5645 MHz	1995	64
NY	FLOYD BENNETT FIELD	W 073 52 49	N40 3520	5647 MHz	8	97
OH	DAYTON	W 084 07 23	N40 01 19	5640 MHz	922	97
OH	CLEVELAND	W 082 00 28	N 41 17 23	5645 MHz	817	113
OH	COLUMBUS	W 082 42 55	N40 0020	5605 MHz	1037	113
OK	AERO. CTR TDWR #1	W 097 37 31	N 35 24 19	5610 MHz	1285	80
OK	AERO. CTR TDWR #2	W 097 37 43	N 35 23 34	5620 MHz	1293	97
OK	TULSA	W 095 49 34	N 36 04 14	5605 MHz	712	113
OK	OKLAHOMA CITY	W 097 30 36	N 35 16 34	5603 MHz	1195	64
PA	HANOVER	W 080 29 10	N40 30 05	5615 MHz	1266	113
PR	SAN JUAN	W 066 10 46	N 18 28 26	5610 MHz	59	113
TN	NASHVILLE	W 086 39 42	N 35 58 47	5605 MHz	722	97
TX	HOUSTON INTERCONTL	W 095 34 01	N 30 03 54	5605 MHz	154	97
TX	PEARLAND	W 095 14 30	N 29 30 59	5645 MHz	36	80
TX	DALLAS LOVE FIELD	W 096 58 06	N 32 55 33	5608 MHz	541	80
TX	LEWISVILLE DFW	W 096 55 05	N 33 03 53	5640 MHz	554	31
UT	SALT LAKE CITY	W 111 55 47	N40 58 02	5610 MHz	4219	80
VA	LEESBURG	W 077 31 46	N 39 05 02	5605 MHz	361	113
WI	MILWAUKEE	W 088 02 47	N 42 49 10	5603 MHz	820	113

Published November 2017prev | next

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