View all text of Subpart H [§ 74.801 - § 74.882]

§ 74.802 - Frequency assignment.

(a)(1) Frequencies within the following bands may be assigned for use by low power auxiliary stations:

26.100-26.480 MHz 54.000-72.000 MHz 76.000-88.000 MHz 161.625-161.775 MHz (except in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands) 174.000-216.000 MHz 450.000-451.000 MHz 455.000-456.000 MHz 470.000-488.000 MHz 488.000-494.000 MHz (except Hawaii) 494.000-608.000 MHz 614.000-698.000 MHz 941.500-944.000 MHz 944.000-952.000 MHz 952.850-956.250 MHz 956.45-959.85 MHz 1435-1525 MHz 6875.000-6900.000 MHz 7100.000-7125.000 MHz Note to paragraph (a)(1):

Frequency assignments in the 614.000-698.000 MHz band are subject to conditions established in proceedings pursuant to GN Docket No. 12-268. This band is being transitioned to the 600 MHz service band, the 600 MHz guard band, and the 600 MHz duplex gap during the post-incentive auction transition period (as defined in § 27.4 of this chapter), which began on April 13, 2017. Low power auxiliary stations must comply with the applicable conditions with respect to any assignment to operate on frequencies repurposed for the 600 MHz service band, the 600 MHz guard band, and the 600 MHz duplex gap, respectively. This rule will be further updated, pursuant to public notice or subsequent Commission action, to reflect additional changes that implement the determinations made in these proceedings.

(2) The 653.000-657.000 MHz segment of the 600 MHz duplex gap may be assigned for use by low power auxiliary service.

Note to paragraph (a)(2):

The specific frequencies for the 600 MHz duplex gap will be determined in light of further proceedings pursuant to GN Docket No. 12-268 and the rule will be updated accordingly pursuant to a future public notice.

(b)(1) Operations in the bands allocated for TV broadcasting are limited to locations at least 4 kilometers outside the protected contours of co-channel TV stations shown in the following table. These contours are calculated using the methodology in § 73.684 of this chapter and the R-6602 curves contained in § 73.699 of this chapter.

Type of station Protected contour Channel Contour
(dBu)
Propagation curve Analog: Class A TV, LPTV,
translator and booster
Low VHF (2-6)47F(50,50) High VHF (7-13)56F(50,50) UHF (14-51)64F(50,50) Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, translator and boosterLow VHF (2-6)28F(50,90) High VHF (7-13)36F(50,90) UHF (14-51)41F(50,90)

(2) Low power auxiliary stations may operate closer to co-channel TV broadcast stations than the distances specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section provided that such operations either—

(i) Are coordinated with TV broadcast stations that could be affected by the low power auxiliary station operation, and coordination is completed prior to operation of the low power auxiliary station; or

(ii) Are limited to an indoor location that is not being used for over-the-air television viewing, and the following conditions are met with respect to the TV channel used: The TV signal falls below a threshold of −84 dBm over the entire channel; the signal is scanned across the full 6 megahertz channel where the wireless microphones would be operated; and to the extent that directional antennas are used, they are rotated to the place of maximum signal.

(c) Specific frequency operation is required when operating within the 600 MHz duplex gap or the bands allocated for TV broadcasting.

(1) The frequency selection shall be offset from the upper or lower band limits by 25 kHz or an integral multiple thereof.

(2) One or more adjacent 25 kHz segments within the assignable frequencies may be combined to form a channel whose maximum bandwidth shall not exceed 200 kHz.

(d) Low power auxiliary licensees will not be granted exclusive frequency assignments.

(e) Clearing mechanisms for the 700 MHz Band. This section sets forth provisions relating to the transition of low power auxiliary stations operating at 698-806 MHz (700 MHz band).

(1) Any low power auxiliary station that operates at frequencies in the 700 MHz band while transitioning its operations out of that band must not cause harmful interference and must accept interference from any commercial or public safety wireless licensees in the 700 MHz band.

(2) Any low power auxiliary station that operates at frequencies in the 700 MHz band will have until no later than June 12, 2010 to transition its operations completely out of the 700 MHz band, subject to the following. During this transition period, any commercial or public safety licensee in the 700 MHz band may choose one or both of the following voluntary methods to notify low power auxiliary stations:

(i) Any commercial or public safety licensee in the 700 MHz band may notify the Commission that it has initiated or will be initiating operations on specified frequencies in a particular market(s) in the 700 MHz band. The wireless operations initiated by the commercial or public safety 700 MHz licensees may include system testing or trials. Following receipt of the notification, the Commission will issue a public notice providing that operators of low power auxiliary stations, including wireless microphones, in the 700 MHz band in those market(s) will be required to cease operations within 60 days after the Commission's notice is released.

(ii) Any commercial or public safety licensee in the 700 MHz band may notify any low power auxiliary station users operating in the 700 MHz band that it has initiated or will be initiating operations on specified frequencies in the market in which the low power auxiliary station is operating. The wireless operations initiated by the commercial or public safety 700 MHz licensees may include system testing or trials. Upon receipt of such notice, the low power auxiliary station in the affected market area must cease operation within 60 days.

(iii) In the event that both of these notice provisions in paragraphs (e)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section are used with respect to a particular low power auxiliary station, the low power auxiliary station will have to cease operations in the market(s) in accordance with whichever notice provides for earlier termination of its operations.

(3) Notwithstanding this 60 day notice requirement, any low power auxiliary station that causes harmful interference to any commercial or public safety 700 MHz licensee must cease operations immediately, consistent with the rules for secondary use.

(f) Operations in 600 MHz band assigned to wireless licensees under part 27 of this chapter. A low power auxiliary station that operates on frequencies in the 600 MHz band assigned to wireless licensees under part 27 of this chapter must cease operations on those frequencies no later than the end of the post-auction transition period, as defined in § 27.4 of this chapter. During the post-auction transition period, low power auxiliary stations will operate on a secondary basis to licensees of part 27 of this chapter, i.e., they must not cause to and must accept harmful interference from these licensees, and must comply with the distance separations in § 15.236(e)(2) of this chapter from the areas specified in § 15.713(j)(10) of this chapter in which a licensee has commenced operations, as defined in § 27.4 of this chapter.

[52 FR 2535, Jan. 23, 1987, as amended at 68 FR 12772, Mar. 17, 2003; 75 FR 3638, Jan. 22, 2010; 79 FR 48545, Aug. 15, 2014; 80 FR 71728, Nov. 17, 2015; 80 FR 73085, Nov. 23, 2015; 81 FR 4975, Jan. 29, 2016; 82 FR 41560, Sept. 1, 2017]