This subpart contains rules that apply only to the Low Power Radio Service (LPRS).

Automated maritime telecommunications system (AMTS). An automatic maritime communications system administered under part 80 of this chapter.

Individuals with disabilities. Individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individuals. See section 3(2)(A) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102(2)(A)).

Low Power Radio Service (LPRS). A short-distance voice and data communication service for providing auditory assistance to persons with disabilities (and others), health care related communications, law enforcement tracking, and for certain other purposes.

Subject to the requirements of §§ 95.305 and 95.307, any person is eligible to operate a station in the Low Power Radio Service, except that only a person that holds an AMTS license issued under part 80 of this chapter may operate an LPRS station for AMTS purposes (see § 95.2131(d)).

Prior to operating a LPRS transmitter with an AMTS, the AMTS licensee must notify, in writing, each television station that may be affected by such operations, as defined in § 80.215(h) of this chapter. The notification provided with the station's license application (under part 80 of this chapter) is sufficient to satisfy this requirement if no new television stations would be affected.

Operation of LPRS stations must not cause harmful interference to the United States Air Force Space Surveillance system (operating in the 216.88-217.08 MHz frequency band) or to reception within the service contour of any type of DTV or TV Broadcast station operating on Channel 13.

LPRS stations may be used to transmit voice, data, or tracking signals, as appropriate, to provide:

(a) Auditory assistance communications (including, but not limited to, applications such as assistive listening devices, audio description for the blind, and simultaneous language translation) for:

(1) Individuals with disabilities;

(2) Individuals who require language translation; or

(3) Individuals who may otherwise benefit from auditory assistance communications in educational settings.

(b) Health care related communications for the ill;

(c) Law enforcement tracking signals (for homing or interrogation) including the tracking of persons or stolen goods under authority or agreement with a law enforcement agency (Federal, state, or local) having jurisdiction in the area where the transmitters are placed;

(d) Point-to-point network control communications for AMTS licensed under part 80 of this chapter.

LPRS stations must not be used for two-way voice communications.

LPRS operators must ensure that their stations satisfy the antenna requirements in this section.

(a) For LPRS units where the antenna is an integral part of the unit, and for LPRS stations operating entirely within an enclosed structure, e.g., a building, there is no limit on antenna height.

(b) For all other LPRS units, the tip of the antenna must not exceed 30.5 meters (100 feet) above ground level. If harmful interference occurs, the FCC may require that the LPRS station antenna height be reduced.

(c) Directional transmit antennas must be used for LPRS stations used with AMTS.

(d) LPRS antennas must also meet the requirements in § 95.317 regarding menaces to air navigation. See 47 CFR 95.317 and consult part 17 of the FCC's Rules for more information (47 CFR part 17).

(a) Each LPRS transmitter (a transmitter that operates or is intended to operate in the LPRS) must be certified in accordance with this subpart and part 2 of this chapter.

(b) A grant of equipment certification for the LPRS will not be issued for any LPRS transmitter type that fails to comply with all of the applicable rules in this subpart.

LPRS transmitters may operate on any channel listed in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section. Channels 19, 20, 50, and 151-160 are available exclusively for law enforcement tracking purposes. AMTS transmissions are limited to the 216.750-217.000 MHz frequency band for low power point-to-point network control communications by AMTS coast stations. Other AMTS transmissions in the 216-217 MHz frequency band are prohibited.

(a) Standard band channels. The following table lists the standard band channel numbers and corresponding center frequencies in Megahertz.

(b) Extra band channels. The following table lists the extra band channel numbers and corresponding center frequencies in Megahertz.

(c) Narrowband channels. The following table lists the narrowband channel numbers and corresponding center frequencies in Megahertz.

(d) AMTS network control communications. LPRS stations operating as part of an AMTS may use the 216.750-217.000 MHz frequency range as a single 250 kHz bandwidth channel.

Each LPRS transmitter type must be designed to satisfy the frequency accuracy requirements in this section.

(a) LPRS transmitters operating on standard band (25 kHz) or extra band (50 kHz) channels must be designed such that the carrier frequencies remain within ±50 ppm of the channel center frequencies specified in § 95.2163(a) and (b), respectively, during normal operating conditions.

(b) LPRS transmitters operating on narrowband (5 kHz) channels must be designed such that the carrier frequencies remain within ±1.5 ppm of the channel center frequencies specified in § 95.2163(c) during normal operating conditions.

Each LPRS transmitter type not intended for use with an AMTS station must be designed to satisfy the transmitting power limits in paragraph (a) of this section. The licensee of each AMTS station is responsible for compliance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(a) The ERP of an LPRS transmitter, other than an LPRS transmitter used with an AMTS station, must not exceed 100 mW.

(b) The ERP of an LPRS transmitter used with an AMTS station must not exceed 1 Watt.

Each LPRS transmitter type must be designed such that the occupied bandwidth does not exceed the authorized bandwidth for the channel bandwidth used.

(a) The authorized bandwidth for emissions transmitted on the narrowband channels listed in § 95.2163(c) is 4 kHz.

(b) The occupied bandwidth for emissions transmitted on the standard band, extra band or AMTS channels listed in § 95.2163(a), (b), or (d), respectively, is limited through compliance with the unwanted emissions rule (§ 95.2179).

The requirements in this section apply to each LPRS transmitter type both with and without the connection of attachments, such as an external microphone, power cord and/or antenna.

(a) Emission masks. Emission masks applicable to transmitting equipment in the LPRS are defined by the requirements in the following table. The numbers in the paragraphs column refer to attenuation requirement rule paragraph numbers under paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Attenuation requirements. The power of unwanted emissions must be attenuated below the transmitter output power in Watts (P) by at least:

(1) 30 + 20(fd − 2) dB, 55 + 10 log (P) dB, or 65 dB, whichever is the least attenuation, on any frequency removed from the center of the authorized bandwidth by a displacement frequency (fd, in kHz) of more than 2 kHz, up to and including 3.75 kHz.

(2) 55 + 10 log (P) dB on any frequency removed from the center of the authorized bandwidth by more than 3.75 kHz.

(3) 30 dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by 12.5 kHz to 22.5 kHz.

(4) 43 + 10 log (P) dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by more than 22.5 kHz.

(5) 30 dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by 25 kHz to 35 kHz.

(6) 43 + 10 log (P) dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by more than 35 kHz.

(7) 30 dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by 125 kHz to 135 kHz.

(8) 43 + 10 log (P) dB on any frequency removed from the channel center frequency by more than 135 kHz.

(c) Measurement conditions and procedures. The power of unwanted emissions in the frequency bands specified in paragraphs (b)(1), (3), (5), and (7) of this section is measured with a reference bandwidth of 300 Hz. The power of unwanted emissions in the frequency ranges specified in paragraphs (b)(2), (4), (6), and (8) is measured with a reference bandwidth of at least 30 kHz.

Transmitters intended for operation in the LPRS may be marketed and sold only for those uses described in § 95.2131.

Each LPRS transmitting device must be labeled with the following statement in a conspicuous location on the device:

(a) Where the LPRS device is constructed in two or more sections connected by wire and marketed together, the statement specified in this section is required to be affixed only to the main control unit.

(b) When the LPRS device is so small or for such use that it is not practicable to place the statement specified in this section on it, the statement must be placed in a prominent location in the instruction manual or pamphlet supplied to the user or, alternatively, must be placed on the container in which the device is marketed.

Manufacturers of LPRS transmitters used for auditory assistance, health care assistance, and law enforcement tracking purposes must include with each transmitting device the following statement: