60 GHz Waiver NPRM Appears Headed to 4-0 FCC Nod
FCC commissioners are expected to OK a draft NPRM 4-0 on Tuesday proposing revised rules and “expanded operational flexibility” for unlicensed sensors in the 57-64 GHz band. This 60 GHz NPRM hasn’t been controversial and there has been relatively little outreach to or discussion among commissioner offices, officials said. Some tweaks are under consideration addressing the few filings made since the draft circulated, officials said.
The draft would terminate waivers on devices like Google's Project Soli 3D sensor technology, which enables touchless control of device functions (see 1901020007), incorporating them under the revised rules. It proposes to permit up to 20 dBm average effective isotropic radiated power, 10 dBm transmitter conducted output power, 13 dBm/MHz average EIRP power spectral density and 10% duty cycle in every 33 millisecond interval for all field disturbance sensor devices. In April, the Office of Engineering and Technology approved waivers for Vayyar Imaging, Valeo North America, Infineon Technologies Americas, Tesla, IEE Sensing and Brose North America involving detection of children inadvertently left in hot vehicles (see 2104140045).
Facebook, Intel and Qualcomm asked to incorporate changes because the European Telecommunications Standards Institute standard EN 305 550, cited as the basis for recommending the 20 dBm limit, is undergoing “a major revision” (see 2107060076). Acconeer reported on a call with OET staff seeking clarity. The company asked whether proposals for power level limits are “peak or mean/average proposals.” Clarification would “allow parties to better understand the technical rules that may apply, and provide more useful comments,” said a July 2 filing in docket 21-264. The company questioned the definition of pulse radar: “Acconeer does not believe that the language is entirely accurate, as it does not describe the operations of all pulse radar systems.” None of the ex parte filings involved discussions with commissioner aides. An FCC spokesperson declined comment Friday.
“There are significant benefits in initiating this rulemaking proceeding, and we agree with the [FCC’s Technological Advisory Council] and other parties that have urged us to comprehensively evaluate unlicensed operations under Section 15.255 of our rules,” the draft said. Individual waivers “have served as an important ‘relief valve’ that allow for unique types of operations” but are “an inappropriate mechanism for providing the type of broad-based relief that we consider here,” it said. The draft doesn’t propose to change existing restrictions on the use of 60 GHz band unlicensed devices aboard aircraft but seeks comment on “whether we should expand the situations where such use is permissible.”
As a participant in the FCC TAC, “which recommended a rulemaking be undertaken on this topic, CTA supports this important step by the FCC to move from waivers to rule changes,” emailed Brian Markwalter, senior vice president-research and standards: “We are still in the process of reviewing the proposed rules with our members.”
OET approved waivers Friday. They were consistent with the proposed rules and the Google order. New waivers were for Huyndai Mobis, Vayyar Imaging, Acconeer, Amazon, Texas Instruments and Faurecia Clarion Electronics North America.