*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 19724.doc*
 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contact:  July  12,  2002  Lisa  Gaisford:  202-  418-  7280 
 OET  ESTABLISHES  WAIVER  PROCESS  TO  PERMIT  EXISTING  ULTRA  WIDEBAND  DEVICES  TO  CONTINUE  OPERATION 
 Washington,  DC  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission’s  Office  of  Engineering  and  Technology  (OET)  adopted  an  Order  today  establishing  a  waiver  procedure  that  will  permit  the 
 continued  operation  of  Ground  Penetrating  Radar  (GPR)  devices  and  wall-  imaging  devices.  Under  the  new  procedure,  eligible  users  may  operate  under  a  blanket  waiver  to  Part  15  regulations  provided  that 
 they  register  their  devices  with  the  Commission.  The  waiver  will  be  contingent  on  no  evidence  of  harmful  interference  to  authorized  services.  The  Order  denies  a  Motion  for  Interim  Stay  of  Enforcement 
 of  the  Commission’s  UWB  rules  filed  by  the  Ground  Penetrating  Radar  Industry.  However,  the  new  waiver  procedure  established  in  the  Order  provides  a  means  to  bring  legacy  equipment  into  compliance 
 without  imposing  a  significant  burden  on  users. 
 Additionally,  the  Order  clarifies  Part  15  of  the  Commission’s  rules  with  regard  to  the  parties  that  are  eligible  to  operate  ultra-  wideband  systems.  GPRs  and  wall  imaging  systems  may  be  used 


 only  by  law  enforcement,  fire  and  emergency  rescue  organizations,  by  scientific  research  institutes,  by  commercial  mining  companies,  and  by  construction  companies.  The  Order  clarifies  that  GPRs  and  wall 
 imaging  systems  may  be  operated  for  one  of  the  purposes  described  in  the  regulations,  but  need  not  be  operated  directly  by  one  of  the  described  parties. 


 These  actions  will  permit  the  accommodation  of  existing  products  while  ensuring  that  the  authorized  radio  services  are  protected  from  harmful  interference  and  that  all  new  equipment  complies 
 with  the  appropriate  standards.  These  actions  will  help  ensure  that  critical  public  safety  services  and  other  public  benefits  provided  by  GPRs  and  wall  imaging  systems  are  not  disrupted. 


 On  February  12,  2002,  the  Commission  adopted  a  First  Report  and  Order  amending  Part  15  of  Commission’s  rules  to  permit  the  marketing  and  operation  of  products  incorporating  UWB 
 technology.  Several  categories  of  UWB  devices  were  permitted  under  the  regulations  including  imaging  systems,  vehicular  radar  devices  and  indoor  and  outdoor  communication  systems.  Imaging  systems 
 consist  of  GPRs,  wall  imaging  systems,  through-  wall  imaging  systems,  surveillance  systems,  and  medical  imaging  systems.  GPRs  are  radar  devices  that  are  designed  to  obtain  the  images  of  buried  objects  or  to 
 determine  the  physical  properties  within  the  ground.  Wall  imaging  systems  are  functionally  identical  to  GPRs  except  that  they  are  used  to  detect  these  features  within  walls  or  ceilings.  GPRs  and  wall  imaging 
 systems  have  been  used  for  many  years  to  perform  critical  safety  services.  Common  applications  include  inspections  of  highways,  bridges  and  runways,  and  determining  the  location  of  gas  pipelines.  Other 
 applications  include  uses  in  forensic  and  archaeology  studies. 
 Action  by  Chief,  Office  of  Engineering  and  Technology  on  July  12,  2002  Order  (DA  02-  1658). 


 Staff  Contact:  John  Reed  at  (202)  418-  2455,  e-  mail:  jreed@  fcc.  gov. 
1