47 C.F.R. Subpart G—Low Power Radio Service (LPRS)
Title 47 - Telecommunication
Source: 61 FR 46569, Sept. 4, 1996, unless otherwise noted.
An entity is authorized by rule to operate a LPRS transmitter and is not required to be individually licensed by the FCC if it is not a representative of a foreign government and if it uses the transmitter only in accordance with §95.1009. Each entity operating a LPRS transmitter for AMTS purposes must hold an AMTS license under part 80 of this chapter. LPRS operation is authorized: (a) Anywhere CB station operation is permitted under §95.405(a); and (b) Aboard any vessel or aircraft of the United States, with the permission of the captain, while the vessel or aircraft is either travelling domestically or in international waters or airspace. (c) Anyone intending to operate an LPRS transmitter on the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra in a manner that could pose an interference threat to the Arecibo Observatory shall notify the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612, in writing or electronically, of the location of the unit. Operators may wish to consult interference guidelines, which will be provided by Cornell University. Operators who choose to transmit information electronically should e-mail to: [email protected]. (1) The notification to the Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory shall be made 45 days prior to commencing operation of the transmitter. The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the unit. (2) After receipt of such notifications, the Commission will allow the Arecibo Observatory a period of 20 days for comments or objections. The operator will be required to make reasonable efforts in order to resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo Observatory. If the Commission determines that an operator has satisfied its responsibility to make reasonable efforts to protect the Observatory from interference, the unit may be allowed to operate. [61 FR 46569, Sept. 4, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 55536, Oct. 27, 1997; 70 CFR 31374, June 1, 2005] An LPRS station is not required to transmit a station identification announcement. All LPRS system apparatus must be made available for inspection upon request by an authorized FCC representative. LPRS stations may transmit voice, data, or tracking signals as permitted in this section. Two-way voice communications are prohibited. (a) Auditory assistance communications (including but not limited to applications such as assistive listening devices, audio description for the blind, and simultaneous language translation) for: (1) Persons with disabilities. In the context of the LPRS, the term “disability” has the meaning given to it by section 3(2)(A) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102(2)(A)), i.e, persons with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individuals; (2) Persons who require language translation; or (3) Persons who may otherwise benefit from auditory assistance communications in educational settings. (b) Health care related communications for the ill. (c) Law enforcement tracking signals (for homing or interrogation) including the tracking of persons or stolen goods under authority or agreement with a law enforcement agency (federal, state, or local) having jurisdiction in the area where the transmitters are placed. (d) AMTS point-to-point network control communications. (a) The channels authorized to LPRS systems by this part are available on a shared basis only and will not be assigned for the exclusive use of any entity. (b) Those using LPRS transmitters must cooperate in the selection and use of channels in order to reduce interference and make the most effective use of the authorized facilities. Channels must be selected in an effort to avoid interference to other LPRS transmissions. (c) Operation is subject to the conditions that no harmful interference is caused to the United States Navy's SPASUR radar system (216.88–217.08 MHz) or to TV reception within the Grade B contour of any TV channel 13 station or within the 68 dBu predicted contour of any low power TV or TV translator station operating on channel 13. (a) The maximum allowable ERP for a station in the LPRS other than an AMTS station is 100 mW. The maximum allowable ERP for an AMTS station in the LPRS is 1 W, so long as emissions are attenuated, in accordance with §80.211 of this chapter, at the band edges. (b) AMTS stations must employ directional antennas. (c) Antennas used with LPRS units must comply with the following: (1) For LPRS units operating entirely within an enclosed structure, e.g., a building, there is no limit on antenna height; (2) For LPRS units not operating entirely within an enclosed structure, the tip of the antenna shall not exceed 30.5 meters (100 feet) above ground. In cases where harmful interference occurs the FCC may require that the antenna height be reduced; and (3) The height limitation in paragraph (c)(2) of this section does not apply to LPRS units in which the antenna is an integral part of the unit. [61 FR 46569, Sept. 4, 1996, as amended at 65 FR 77827, Dec. 13, 2000] (a) Manufacturers of LPRS transmitters used for auditory assistance, health care assistance, and law enforcement tracking purposes must include with each transmitting device the following statement: “This transmitter is authorized by rule under the Low Power Radio Service (47 C.F.R. Part 95) and must not cause harmful interference to TV reception or United States Navy SPASUR installations. You do not need an FCC license to operate this transmitter. This transmitter may only be used to provide: auditory assistance to persons with disabilities, persons who require language translation, or persons in educational settings; health care services to the ill; law enforcement tracking services under agreement with a law enforcement agency; or automated maritime telecommunications system (AMTS) network control communications. Two-way voice communications and all other types of uses not mentioned above are expressly prohibited.” (b) Prior to operating a LPRS transmitter for AMTS purposes, an AMTS licensee must notify, in writing, each television station that may be affected by such operations, as defined in §80.215(h) of this chapter. The notification provided with the station's license application is sufficient to satisfy this requirement if no new television stations would be affected. (a) Each LPRS transmitting device shall bear the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device: “This device may not interfere with TV reception or Federal Government radar.” (b) Where an LPRS device is constructed in two or more sections connected by wires and marketed together, the statement specified in this section is required to be affixed only to the main control unit. (c) When the LPRS device is so small or for such use that it is not practicable to place the statement specified in the section on it, the statement must be placed in a prominent location in the instruction manual or pamphlet supplied to the user or, alternatively, shall be placed on the container in which the device is marketed. [61 FR 46569, Sept. 4, 1996, as amended at 67 FR 6193, Feb. 11, 2002] Transmitters intended for operation in the LPRS may be marketed and sold only for those uses described in §95.1009. [64 FR 69933, Dec. 15, 1999]
Title 47: Telecommunication
PART 95—PERSONAL RADIO SERVICES
Subpart G—Low Power Radio Service (LPRS)
General Provisions
§ 95.1001 Eligibility.
§ 95.1003 Authorized locations.
§ 95.1005 Station identification.
§ 95.1007 Station inspection.
§ 95.1009 Permissible communications.
§ 95.1011 Channel use policy.
§ 95.1013 Antennas.
§ 95.1015 Disclosure policies.
§ 95.1017 Labeling requirements.
§ 95.1019 Marketing limitations.
