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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  1919  M  STREET,  N.  W.  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.  20554  DA  03-  2631  News  media  information  202/  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202/  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov 
 Released:  August  11,  2003 
 OFFICE  OF  ENGINEERING  AND  TECHNOLOGY  DECLARES  VISTA  CONTROLS  REQUEST  FOR  A  WAIVER  OF  PART  15  FOR  AN  ULTRA-  WIDEBAND  SYSTEM  TO 
 BE  A  "PERMIT-  BUT-  DISCLOSE"  PROCEEDING  FOR  EX  PARTE  PURPOSES 
 On  July  18,  2003,  Vista  Controls,  a  Curtiss-  Wright  Company,  filed  a  request  for  waiver  of  Sections  15.209,  15.511  and  15.521  of  the  Commission’s  rules  in  order  to  permit  the  authorization, 
 importation  and  operation  of  its  ultra-  wideband  (“  UWB”)  surveillance  system  known  as  QUPID. 
 The  QUPID  surveillance  systems  currently  are  employed  by  the  U.  S.  Air  Force  and  by  the  Air  National  Guard  to  provide  an  advance  warning  of  a  potential  intruder  to  their  sites.  The  QUPID 
 system  operates  around  2.3  GHz  with  a  low,  dithered  pulse  repetition  frequency.  Vista  Controls  seeks  a  waiver  to  operate  at  an  average  EIRP  emission  level  of  -10  dBm/  MHz  and  at  a  peak  level  of 
 40  dBm/  50  MHz,  indicating  that  these  levels  are  necessary  to  detect  low  cross  section  targets.  It  states  that  its  system  has  been  operating  without  interference  to  any  aircraft,  Global  Positioning 
 System  (“  GPS”),  cellular  or  other  systems  in  the  areas  where  QUPID  systems  are  currently  deployed.  Vista  Controls  also  seeks  a  waiver  of  Section  15.511(  b)  to  permit  its  QUPID  system  to  be 
 operated  at  non-  military  sites  including  nuclear  and  conventional  power  plants,  airfield  perimeters,  petroleum  fields  and  processing  facilities,  reservoirs,  and  other  sensitive  resources. 


 The  Office  of  Engineering  and  Technology  (OET)  is  reviewing  the  request  and  seeks  comments  from  interested  parties.  OET  has  concluded  that  in  order  to  develop  a  complete  record  on 
 the  complex  issues  presented  by  this  request,  this  proceeding  will  be  treated,  for  ex  parte  purposes,  as  a  "permit-  but-  disclose"  proceeding,  in  accordance  with  Section  1.1200(  a)  of  the  Commission's 
 rules,  and  is  subject  to  the  requirements  under  Section  1.1206(  b)  of  the  rules. 
 Interested  parties  filing  comments  on  this  petition  are  invited  to  do  so  no  later  than  September  10,  2003.  Parties  filing  replies  may  do  so  by  September  25,  2003. 


 The  full  text  of  the  waiver  request  is  available  for  inspection  and  copying  during  normal  business  hours  in  Room  CY-  A257,  445  12  th  Street,  SW,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  may  also  be 
 purchased  from  the  Commission's  duplication  contractor,  Qualex  International,  (202)  863-  2893. 
 By  the  Chief,  Office  of  Engineering  and  Technology  Office  of  Engineering  and  Technology  contact:  John  A.  Reed  at  (202)  418-  2455. 
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