PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 16-348 Released: April 1, 2016 Comments Sought on Newly Published ANSI C63.26-2015 Standard in Conjunction With Ongoing Equipment Authorization Rulemaking Proceeding ET Docket No. 15-170 Comment Date: [15 days after publication in the Federal Register] Reply Comment Date: [25 days after publication in the Federal Register] By this Public Notice, we acknowledge the publication of ANSI C63.26-2015 “American National Standard for Compliance Testing of Transmitters Used in Licensed Radio Services” and seek comment on incorporating it into the Commission’s rules by reference as part of an open rulemaking proceeding that addresses our equipment authorization (EA) rules and procedures. Comments and reply comments should be filed in the existing EA docket, ET Docket No. 15-170. The Commission, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Docket 15-170, initiated an examination of ways to update and modernize the rules and procedures associated with the equipment authorization program for radiofrequency (RF) devices.1 In the EA NPRM, the Commission acknowledged the then-pending ANSI C63.26 standard.2 It observed that references to the applicable measurement procedures in ANSI C63.26 could replace measurement procedures set forth in both the Part 2 equipment authorization rules and many of the specific licensed service rule parts.3 In particular, the 1 Amendment of Parts 0, 1, 2, 15 and 18 of the Commission’s Rules Regarding Authorization of Radiofrequency Equipment, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, ET Docket 15-170, 30 FCC Rcd 7725 (2015) (EA NPRM). Through the EA process, the Commission fulfills its responsibilities under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to make reasonable regulations governing the interference potential of devices that emit RF energy and can cause harmful interference to radio communications. 2 ANSI C63.26 was developed by ANSI ASC C63 in order to provide manufacturers and test laboratories with the reliable and consistent measurement procedures necessary to demonstrate that transmitters used in licensed radio services comply with the Commission’s technical requirements. As background, ANSI ASC C63 is a standards development organization that includes participants from wireless industry, test laboratories and regulators. ANSI C63.26 was recently published and is now an “active standard” – that is, the standards association considers it to be valid, current, and approved. See IEE Standards Association, https://standards.ieee.org/findstds/standard/C63.26- 2015.html (last visited Mar. 31, 2016). 3 EA NPRM, 30 FCC Rcd at 7764, Para. 111. ANSI C63.26 is particularly relevant to the testing of digital devices, since our existing rules mostly address older analog technologies and our supplemental guidance for digital measurements has generally been provided on an ad hoc basis. Moreover, because the standard complements the ANSI C63.10 standard for measurement procedures for unlicensed devices (which the Commission recently incorporated by reference), the use of ANSI C63.26 would facilitate the testing of devices that contain both licensed and unlicensed transmitters. 2Commission noted that Section 2.947 of the rules states that it will accept data which has been measured in accordance with standards or measurement procedures acceptable to the Commission and published by national engineering societies.4 In the EA NPRM, the Commission asked parties to “take the ANSI C63.26 standards development into account when drafting their comments,” anticipated that it would “soon have to consider whether we should allow for the use of ANSI C63.26 once it has been adopted … and published,” and proposed “to seek comment on incorporating the ANSI C63.26 into our rules as soon as the standard becomes final.”5 Through this Public Notice, we seek comment on modifying Section 2.910 of our rules, 47 C.F.R. § 2.910, to incorporate ANSI C63.26 by reference. By supplementing the record within existing Docket 15-170, the Commission will be able to consider the use of ANSI C63.26 as part of its comprehensive review of the EA process. In addition to commenting on the potential adoption of ANSI C63.26 generally, commenters should address how the Commission would incorporate the standard into our existing rules, as discussed in the NPRM.6 For example, what are the specific Part 2 measurement procedures that ANSI C63.26 would replace, and which specific licensed service rules should be replaced with cross-references to Part 2 (and, by extension, ANSI C63.26)? These filings should be made in ET Docket No. 15-170 within the pleading cycle time period listed above. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.415, 1.149, interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. § All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. § Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. 4 EA NPRM, 30 FCC Rcd at 7762, Para. 107. 5 Id., 30 FCC Rcd at 7764, Para. 111. 6 Id. If the Commission were to adopt ANSI C63.26, it would replace many of the current Knowledge Database (KDB) publications that have addressed numerous device measurement issues in more of a case-by-case fashion. 3§ U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty). Parties should also send a copy of their filings to Brian Butler, Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications Commission, Room 7-C267, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, or by e-mail to Brian.Butler@fcc.gov. Documents in are available for public inspection and copying during business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554. Office of Engineering and Technology contact: Brian Butler at 202-418-2702. By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology -FCC-