Background:
The FCC is charged with the management of spectrum for non-federal
use in the United States. Typically they have done this by licensing
stations to a certain power, antenna pattern, etc in order to
minimize interference to users of the same spectrum.
The FCC saw value to allow unlicensed use of transmitters under the
conditions that they should not interfere with other devices and
that they must tolerate interference. In other words, these devices
have no priority over any other user in this spectrum set aside for
unlicensed use.
In order for the FCC to reduce "harmful interference" unlicensed
devices must go through a certification process in order to insure
that they meet certain power and spectrum requirements. Users are
not allowed to make modification of Part 15 equipment as it change
the operating conditions of the equipment to exceeds the FCC Part
15 specifications. Only antennas, amplifiers and transmitters that
were certified with each other could be used with each other. It
would be prohibited by the FCC's Rules and Regulations to take a
Cisco Access Point and put a Andrew 24dBi dish on it as they were
not certified with each other.
The FCC has submitted proposed rules (NPRM) for comment that will
deregulate the restriction of mixing and matching transmitters,
antennas and amplifiers that were not certified with each other.
Modification of Parts 2 and 15 of the Commission's Rules
for Unlicensed Devices and Equipment Approval Proposed
review and update of certain rule sections contained in
Parts 2 and 15 of our rules:
Document released on 09/17/2003
Word: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-223A1.doc
PDF: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-223A1.pdf
Text: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-223A1.txt
Erratum: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-241424A1.doc
Published in the Federal Register 12/10/2003:
Text: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/03-30540.htm
PDF: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-30540.pdf
Unfortunately, the first comment period is over as it closed
1/10/2004. There will be a second comment period where folks can
reply to the original comments that should be coming up soon. I
will shoot out a second message then alerting folks when to and how
to reply via the FCC's web site.
Tim
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Snail: Tim Pozar / LNS / 1978 45th Ave / San Francisco CA 94116 / USA
POTS: +1 415 665 3790 Radio: KC6GNJ / KAE6247
"Be who you are and say what you feel because the people who mind
don't matter and the people who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss
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