47 C.F.R. § 25.136 Licensing provisions for user transceivers in the 1.6/2.4 GHz, 1.5/1.6 GHz, and 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Services.
Title 47 - Telecommunication
In addition to the technical requirements specified in §25.213, earth stations operating in the 1.6/2.4 GHz and 1.5/1.6 GHz Mobile Satellite Services are subject to the following operating conditions: (a) User transceiver units associated with the 1.6/2.4 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service or 2 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service may not be operated on civil aircraft unless the earth station has a direct physical connection to the aircraft cabin or cockpit communication system. (b) No person without an FCC license for such operation may transmit to a space station in this service from anywhere in the United States except to receive service from the holder of a pertinent FCC blanket license or from another party with the permission of such a blanket licensee. (c) The holder of an FCC blanket license for operation of transceivers for communication via a 1.6/2.4 GHz, 1.5/1.6 GHz, or 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Service system shall be responsible for operation of any such transceiver to receive service provided by that licensee or provided by another party with the blanket licensee's consent. Operators of such satellite systems shall not transmit communications to or from user transceivers in the United States unless such communications are authorized under a service contract with the holder of a pertinent FCC blanket license for transceiver operation or under a service contract with another party with authority for such transmission delegated by such a blanket licensee. (d) Any mobile earth station (MES) associated with the Mobile Satellite Service operating in the 1530–1544 MHz and 1626.5–1645.5 MHz bands shall have the following minimum set of capabilities to ensure compliance with Footnote S5.353A and the priority and real-time preemption requirements imposed by Footnote US315. (1) All MES transmissions shall have a priority assigned to them that preserves the priority and preemptive access given to maritime distress and safety communications sharing the band. (2) Each MES with a requirement to handle maritime distress and safety data communications shall be capable of either: (i) Recognizing message and call priority identification when transmitted from its associated Land Earth Station (LES) or (ii) Accepting message and call priority identification embedded in the message or call when transmitted from its associated LES and passing the identification to shipboard data message processing equipment. (3) Each MES shall be assigned a unique terminal identification number that will be transmitted upon any attempt to gain access to a system. (4) After an MES has gained access to a system, the mobile terminal shall be under control of a LES and shall obtain all channel assignments from it. (5) All MESs that do not continuously monitor a separate signalling channel or signalling within the communications channel shall monitor the signalling channel at the end of each transmission. (6) Each MES shall automatically inhibit its transmissions if it is not correctly receiving separate signalling channel or signalling within the communications channel from its associated LES. (7) Each MES shall automatically inhibit its transmissions on any or all channels upon receiving a channel-shut-off command on a signalling or communications channel it is receiving from its associated LES. (8) Each MES with a requirement to handle maritime distress and safety communications shall have the capability within the station to automatically preempt lower precedence traffic. (e) Any Land Earth Station (LES) associated with the Mobile Satellite Service operating in the 1530–1544 MHz and 1626.5–1645.5 MHz bands shall have the following minimum set of capabilities to ensure that the MSS system complies with Footnote S5.353A and the priority and real-time preemption requirements imposed by Footnote US315. It should be noted that the LES operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service (“FSS”) as a feeder-link for the MSS (Radio Regulations 71) and that the following capabilities are to facilitate the priority and preemption requirements. The FSS feeder-link stations fulfilling these MSS requirements shall not have any additional priority with respect to FSS stations operating with other FSS systems. (1) All LES transmissions to mobile earth stations (MESs) shall have a priority assigned to them that preserves the priority and preemptive access given to maritime distress and safety communications. (2) The LES shall recognize the priority of calls to and from MES and make channel assignments taking into account the priority access that is given to maritime distress and safety communications. (3) The LES shall be capable of receiving the MES identification number when transmitted and verifying that it is an authorized user of the system to prohibit unauthorized access. (4) The LES shall be capable of transmitting channel assignment commands to the MESs. (5) The communications channels used between the LES and the MES shall have provision for signalling within the voice/data channel, for an MES, which does not continuously monitor the LES signalling channel during the time of a call. (6) The LES shall transmit periodic control signalling signals to MES, which do not continuously monitor the LES signalling channel. (7) The LES shall automatically inhibit all transmissions to MESs to which it is not transmitting a signalling channel or signalling within the communications channel. (8) The LES shall be capable of transmitting channel-shut-off commands to the MESs on signalling or communications channels. (9) Each LES shall be capable of interrupting, and if necessary, preempting ongoing routine traffic from an MES in order to complete a maritime distress, urgency or safety call to that particular MES. (10) Each LES shall be capable of automatically turning off one or more of its associated channels in order to complete a maritime distress, urgency or safety call. (f) Incorporation of ancillary terrestrial component base station into an L-band mobile-satellite service system. Any licensee authorized to construct and launch an L-band mobile-satellite system may construct ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) base stations as defined in §25.201 at its own risk and subject to the conditions specified in this subpart any time after commencing construction of the mobile-satellite service system. (g) Pre-operational build-out and testing. An MSS licensee may, without further authority from the Commission and at its own risk engage in pre-operational build-out and, conduct equipment tests for the purpose of making such adjustments and measurements as may be necessary to assure compliance with the terms of the technical provisions of its MSS license, ATC operation requirements, the rules and regulations in this Part and the applicable engineering standards. Prior to engaging in such pre-operational build-out and testing, an MSS licensee must notify the Commission concerning the initiation of MSS system satellite construction and the MSS operator's intent to construct and test ATC facilities. This notification must take the form of a letter formally filed with the Commission in the appropriate MSS license docket. Such letter shall specify the frequencies on which the MSS licensee proposes to engage in pre-operational testing and shall specify the name, address, telephone number and other such information as may be necessary to contact a MSS licensee representative for the reporting and mitigation of any interference that may occur as a result of such pre-operational testing and build-out. MSS licensees engaging in pre-operational build-out and testing must also comply with §§5.83, 5.85(c), 5.111, and 5.117 of this chapter relating to experimental operations. An MSS licensee may not offer ATC service to the public for compensation during pre-operational testing. In order to operate any ATC base stations, such a licensee must meet all the requirements set forth in §25.147 and must have been granted ATC authority. (h) Aircraft. All portable or hand-held transceiver units (including transceiver units installed in other devices that are themselves portable or hand-held) having operating capabilities in the 1626.5–1660.5 MHz and 1525–1559 MHz bands shall bear the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device: “This device may not be operated while on board aircraft. It must be turned off at all times while on board aircraft.” [65 FR 59142, Oct. 4, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 46604, July 16, 2002; 67 FR 51110, Aug. 7, 2002; 68 FR 43645, July 24, 2003; 68 FR 47858, Aug. 12, 2003; 69 FR 5710, Feb. 6, 2004]
Title 47: Telecommunication
PART 25—SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Subpart B—Applications and Licenses
Earth Stations
§ 25.136 Licensing provisions for user transceivers in the 1.6/2.4 GHz, 1.5/1.6 GHz, and 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Services.
