*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 56768.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY: 1- 888- 835- 5322 DA 06- 964 Released: May 2, 2006 WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON REQUEST FOR WAIVER BY AVIATION DATA SYSTEMS OF PART 87 RULES TO ALLOW CERTIFICATON OF A SYSTEM TO TEST AIRCRAFT DATA LINK SYSTEMS Comment Date: May 23, 2006 Reply Date: June 2, 2006 On September 15, 2005, Aviation Data Systems (Aust) Pty Ltd. (ADS) filed a request for waiver of Section 87. 131 of the Commission's Rules 1 to permit equipment certification of its MPRT- 500, a new system to test aircraft data link systems. The MPRT- 500 is used on the tarmac close to the aircraft and transmits and decodes responses back from the aircraft. It is designed to support two protocols, Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) and Very High Frequency Digital Link (VDL2). These protocols use G1D emission, 2 but Section 87.131 does not authorize G1D emission for radionavigation land test equipment, which ADS believes is the most appropriate description of the MPRT-500. 3 Consequently, ADS requests a waiver of Section 87.131. It states that this will provide valuable test data to the aviation community and present no increased risk of interference to aircraft receivers in the ramp vicinity. Interested parties may file comments on the applications and waiver requests on or before May 23, 2006. Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so on or before June 2, 2006. All comments should reference the subject waiver request including the DA number of this Public Notice, and should be filed with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S. W., TW- A325, Washington, D. C. 20554. 4 1 47 C. F. R. § 87. 131. 2 Emissions are designated by an alphanumeric code that indicates the type of modulation of the main carrier, nature of the signal( s) modulating the main carrier, and the type of information to be transmitted. See 47 C. F. R. § 2.201( b). G1D is a type of phase modulated digital emission. See 47 C. F. R. § 2. 201( e). 3 Currently, ramp test sets are used to test other systems such as Distance Measuring Equipment, VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range, Air Traffic Control Transponders, and Instrument Landing Systems. The MPRT- 500 differs in that it is used to test aircraft data links and operates in the 118- 137 MHz band, rather than the 108- 118 MHz navigational band where other ramp test sets typically operate. 4 This 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, Natek, Inc., at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, 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 236 Massachusetts Avenue, N. E. Other messenger- delivered documents, including documents sent by overnight mail (other than United States Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) should be addressed for delivery to 9300 1 The full text of the waiver request, comments and reply comments will be available for inspection and duplication during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center (RIC) of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S. W., Room CY- A257, Washington, D. C. 20554. Copies also may be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, S. W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D. C. 20554. Customers may contact BCPI through its web site, http:// www. bcpiweb. com, by email at fcc@ bcpiweb. com, by phone at (202) 488- 5300 or (800) 378- 3160, or by facsimile at (202) 488- 5563. For further information regarding the public reference file for this waiver request, contact Maria Ringold, Chief, Wireless Branch, RIC, (202) 418- 1355. Unless otherwise provided, requests for waiver of the Commission’s Rules are subject to treatment by the Commission as restricted proceedings for ex parte purposes under Section 1.1208 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. § 1.1208. Because of the policy implications and potential impact of this proceeding on persons not parties to the waiver request, we believe it would be in the public interest to treat this case as a permit- but- disclose proceeding under the ex parte rules. See Sections 1.1200( a), 1.1206 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. §§ 1.1200( a), 1.1206. Therefore, subsequent to the release of this Public Notice, ex parte presentations that are made with respect to the issues involved in the subject waiver request will be allowed but must be disclosed in accordance with the requirements of Section 1.1206( b) of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. § 1.1206( b). For further information, contact Mr. Jim Shaffer of the Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau at (202) 418- 0687, TTY (202) 418- 7233, or via e- mail to James. Shaffer@ fcc. gov. By the Chief, Public Safety and Critical Infrastructure Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. - FCC - East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. See FCC Announces a New Filing Location for Paper Documents and a New Fax Number for General Correspondence, Public Notice, 16 FCC Rcd 22165 (2001). 2