*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 26206.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp fcc gov DA 03- 686 Released: March 11, 2003 WIRELESS TELECOMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON WAIVER REQUEST BY ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC. TO ALLOW CERTIFICATION OF AERONAUTICAL SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS TRANSCEIVER TO SUPPORT INMARSAT’S SWIFT64 SERVICE Comment Date: April 1, 2003 Reply Comment Date: April 15, 2003 On November 19, 2002, Rockwell Collins Inc. (Rockwell Collins) submitted request of waiver 1 of Sections 87.131, 87.133( a), 87.137( a), 87.139( i)( 4), 87. 141( j), and 87.145( d) of the Commission’s Rules. 2 This request is to allow certification of Rockwell Collins aeronautical satellite communications transceiver type HST- 900. Rockwell Collins wishes to market and sell this transceiver to support a new aeronautical data communications service offered by Inmarsat under the service mark “Swift64”. The Commission’s current Part 87 aeronautical mobile satellite regulations were written specifically for the Inmarsat “Aero- H” and “Aero- L” services. 3 Inmarsat is now offering new aeronautical mobile satellite service under the mark “Swift64.” The Swift64 aeronautical service offers a significantly higher data rate than other Inmarsat aeronautical satellite communications systems currently accommodated under Part 87. The higher data rate of Swift64 is made possible by using 134,400 bps 16 Point Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16- QAM), which is a more spectrally efficient waveform than the constant amplitude Bi- phase shift Key (“ BPSK”) or Quadature Phase Ship Key (“ QPSK”) emissions currently utilized in the Inmarsat Aero services. Rockwell Collins seek expedited approval to sell, on commercial bases, satellite communications equipment capable of transmitting data at rates as high as 134,400 bits per second on aircraft flown within the United States. Using 16- QAM modulation introduces an emission type and occupied bandwidth not presently accommodated in Part 87. 4 Rockwell Collins argues that wider bandwidth nature of the signal also makes the tight frequency tolerance require in Part 87 unnecessary for these emission. Rockwell Collins states that the HST- 900 meets the Part 87 technical requirement regarding power output, spurious emission, intermodulation, and priority and preemption. Interested parties may file comments on this Request on or before April 1, 2003. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so on or before April 15, 2003. All submissions should reference this 1 Letter dated November 15, 2002 from Linda C. Sadler, Director, Federal Affairs, Rockwell Collins to D’wana R. Terry, Chief Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Federal Communications Commission. 2 47 C. F. R. Sections 87. 131, 87. 133( a), 87. 137( a0, 87. 139( i)( 4), 87. 141 (j), 87. 145 (d). 3 The rules also accommodate “Aero- I” services 4 We note that Rockwell Collins has proposed changes to Part 87 to increase technical flexibility for aeronautical satellite services in its comments in WT Docket No 01- 289. That proceeding remains pending. 1 2 Public Notice, including the DA number, and should be filed with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street, S. W., TW- 325, and Washington, D. C. 20554. 5 A copy of each filing should be sent to 1) Qualex International (Qualex), Portals II, 445 Twelfth St., S. W., Room CY- B402, Washington, D. C. 20554; 2) Ghassan Khalek, Federal Communications Commission, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Policy and Rules Branch, 445 Twelfth Street, S. W., Room 4- C421, Washington, D. C. 20554; and 3) Maria Ringold, Federal Communications Commission, Consumer Information Branch, Reference Information Center, 445 Twelfth Street, S. W., Room CY- B529, Washington, D. C. 20554. Copies of the proposal and all responses to this Public Notice will be available for inspection and copying during regular business hours in the Reference Information Center (RIC) of the Consumer Information Branch, Federal Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth St., S. W., and Room CY- A257. Washington, D. C. 20554. Copies may also be obtained from Qualex. For further information regarding the public reference file, please contact Maria Ringold, Chief, Wireless Branch, RIC, (202) 418- 1350. For further information, contact Mr. Ghassan Khalek of the Policy and Rules Branch, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418- 0680, TTY (202) 418- 7233, or via email to gkhalek@ fcc. gov. By the Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. - FCC - 5 The address for FCC locations should be used only for documents filed by United States Postal Service first class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail. Hand- delivered or messenger- delivered documents for the Commission’s Secretary are accepted only by the Commission’s contractor, Vistronix, Inc., at 236 Massachusetts Ave., N. E., Suite 110, Washington, D. C. 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8: 00 a. m. to 7: 00 p. m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. Commercial overnight mail (other than U. S. Postal Service Express Mail or Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. 2