• Brian D. Justin, Jr., an amateur radio operator, filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to operate a propagation test beacon on 70.005 MHz at Bedford, Virginia. In his application, he reports an increasing interest in trans-Atlantic VHF communications by amateur radio operators, in part because of recent changes in EU regulations. A beacon would help operators know when sporadic E propagation (E-skip) conditions were good for communications near that frequency. (E-skip is enabled by scattered regions of relatively dense ionization that develop seasonally and reflect signals up to about 150 MHz.) Today, there are beacons on 50 MHz, and FM broadcast stations act as beacons in the 100 MHz range. There’s a gap at 70 MHz; AM video carriers once served as beacons (e.g., VHF channel 4 with a video carrier at 67.25 MHz), but those have gone away with the DTV transition.

• The University of Michigan’s Professor James Cutler filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to operate communication links for the Michigan Multipurpose Minisat (M-Cubed), a small student-built satellite that will capture images of Earth and transmit them to a ground station. The satellite weighs 1.3 kg and forms a cube 10 cm on a side. The imaging system consists of a 2.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor and Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) coprocessor. The test is to prove the reliability of the radiation-hardened FPGA in the space environment and assess the performance of the processing algorithm that will resolve the images in the satellite. M-Cubed will be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a Delta-II rocket in the fall of 2011. The uplink will be on 144-146 MHz. The downlink will be on 437-439 MHz using an Astrodev Li-1 radio.

• Carlson Wireless Technologies filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test TV white-space radios in rural, rugged, and forested areas. Testing will take place in various areas around New England on 174-216 MHz.

• Rockwell Collins filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to demonstrate its FlexNet software-defined radio technology at the 2011 Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration,  an annual event directed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that is intended to showcase new information technology. Operation will be on 245-327 MHz at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

• Telephonics Corporation filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test an existing 2.4 GHz ISM band product modified for operation in the 300-400 MHz military band. In addition to the change in frequency, the multiple-access method will be changed to frequency-hopping spread spectrum. The objective is to achieve superior communications in urban environments compared to 2.4 GHz operation. Testing will occur in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

• Panasonic Avionics Corp. filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to conduct ground testing in support of the Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite, featuring the eXConnect Ku-band aeronautical mobile-satellite service (AMSS) system, providing broadband connectivity to passengers in flight. Panasonic wants to test the potential for interference from transmitting portable electronic devices to aircraft avionics and communications. The test will use a signal generator to simulate the operation of multiple devices. Test results will be used to support certification of Panasonic’s aircraft equipment with the FAA. The tests will occur in Roswell, New Mexico on various frequencies between 410 MHz and 5.825 GHz.

• Carlson Wireless Technologies filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to test fixed white-space devices with attached cellular femtocells. Carlson Wireless and Vergennes Broadband are working jointly with Spectrum Bridge to investigate the applicability of white space spectrum for use in rural broadband applications, including support of femtocells. Operation will be in Vergennes, Michigan on 470-698 MHz.

• Microsoft filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to demonstrate interactive Xbox Live HD (1080p) video streaming over TV-band white-space spectrum during the April 11-14 NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The demonstration was to incorporate Microsoft Research’s prototype white-spaces database, which controls white-space device access to help protect incumbents from interference. The frequency bands requested were 512-608 MHz and 614-698 MHz.

• Shared Spectrum Company filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to conduct tests as part of DARPA’s Wireless Network after Next (WNaN) program. The goal of the program is to “develop and demonstrate technologies and system concepts enabling densely deployed networks in which distributed and adaptive network operations compensate for limitations of the physical layer of the low-cost wireless nodes that comprise these networks.” Operation will be on 902-928, 2400.0-2483.5, 4400-4900, and 5650-5925 MHz in Stafford and Prince William Counties in Virginia.

• LightSquared filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to communicate with SkyTerra-1, a licensed and in-orbit satellite, and conduct a six-month test of two prototype models of Access Terminals (ATs) using the L-band spectrum coordinated for LightSquared’s satellite system. The ATs will transmit on 1626.5-1660 MHz and receive on 1525-1559 MHz. Testing will occur throughout North America.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application with exhibit for experimental license for flight tests of real-time video transmission using the company’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The video source will be the F-35’s Electro Optical Targeting System (EOTS).  EOTS video data will be compressed and routed to an L-3 VORTEX transmitter. The transmitted signal will be received by an L-3 ROVER 5 handheld transceiver with the video displayed on a screen in the device. Operation will be at several locations around the US on 1710-1850 and 2200-2500 MHz.

• GBL Systems filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to develop, test and validate homeland security applications based on a peer-to-peer system under development by Qualcomm. Operation will be in Camarillo, California on 1915-1920 MHz.

• Row 44 Inc. filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to conduct tests using its aeronautical-mobile satellite service (AMSS) network. The tests will use a GSM picocell connected to Row 44′s Ku-band network in a simulated aircraft cabin environment. The objective is to understand the operation of GSM devices in the on-board environment. The tests will take place in Lombard, Illinois on 1930-1990 MHz.

• L-3 Communications filed an application for special temporary authority to operate on 2025-2120 MHz at Simi Valley, California. L-3 builds antennas for satellite tracking, telemetry, and control. The company says it has been experiencing high passive intermodulation (PIM) distortion that “causes transmitter noise to bleed into the receive band.” The testing is intended to resolve this problem.

• AeroVironment Inc. filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to conduct experiments with small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS) technologies intended for use by to state and local public safety agencies. Operation is to be on 4940-4990 MHz in the Camp Roberts and Simi Valley areas of California.

• Kongsberg Seatex AS, a Norwegian company, filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test its Embedded Maritime Broadband Radio (EMBR) system. The system is intended to provide maritime users with reliable broadband data links using a system with no moving parts such as mechanically-steerable antennas. The system can operate at 5 Mbps when the distance between the nodes is up to 10 km. To eliminate the mechanically-steerable antenna, the system uses an electronically-steerable antenna array comprised of 60 antenna/transceiver sub-units. While there are other maritime broadband data link systems, such as those based on Wi-Fi and WiMAX, this system is said to outperform those due in part to a custom Physical Layer and Media Access Control Layer. Operation will be at 5220-5240 MHz on a route between Galveston, Texas and a Shell oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test its Pathfinder maritime radar system in border surveillance applications.  Operation will be on 9.41-9.71 GHz in McKinney and Falcon, Texas.

• SRC Inc. filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct demonstrations of the SR Hawk ground surveillance radar at Fort Benning, Georgia. Operation will be on 16.21-16.50 GHz.

• Laurel Technologies Partnership filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test the operating capability of the Manportable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) after its integration into a border and force protection ground surveillance system. The system is comprised of a trailer-mounted telescoping mast that supports a sensor package. That package includes the MSTAR radar and two video cameras (for day and night). The experiment will test and evaluate target detection and tracking capabilities of the radar and visual capabilities of the cameras once a target is acquired. Testing will be on 16.75-17.25 GHz in the Largo, Florida area.

• Samsung filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct sounding and propagation measurements on 28 GHz in Richardson, Texas. Samsung wants to better understand the outdoor mobile environment and impacts to path loss, angular spread, delay spread, non-line-of-sight beamforming, and blocking issues.

• Virginia Tech filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to operate on several frequency bands: roughly, in the 160, 220, 410, 470, 800, 900, 1850, 1950, and 3500 MHz range. This is for its CORNET cognitive radio network test bed, which is for the use of researchers evaluating cognitive radio engines, sensing techniques, applications, protocols, performance metrics, and algorithms in a real-world environment. The test bed has 48 nodes distributed on four floors of a campus building. Nodes consist of an Ettus Research USRP2 software-defined radio (SDR), or similar, each with a wideband antenna.  Frequency, operating mode, and protocols are controlled by computer through a wired connection. “Mobile” units are used in the building to evaluate handoff and interference characteristics.

• BAE Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test a new version of the Army’s Ground Mobile Radio. Testing will take place in Wayne, New Jersey on 287 and 425 MHz.

• The University of Wyoming filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to operate radios on 401.65 MHz in support of sage-grouse research in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming. The study will monitor the effects of bentonite clay mining on sage-grouse by comparing hen survival, nest survival, and brood survival in an area actively mined to a reference area where mining is not taking place. The study will monitor the movement of about 50 birds in each study area. Each sage-grouse will be fitted with a 22-gram solar-powered integrated GPS receiver and UHF transmitter manufactured by Microwave Telemetry. The device records two-dimensional location data and transmits it at intervals.

• L3 Communications filed an application with exhibits on behalf of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for special temporary authority to conduct demonstrations of prototype cognitive radio technology developed by university researchers and funded by NIJ. The technology is being developed to improve public safety and law enforcement communications.  Frequency bands around 462, 769, 799, 2412, 4940, and 5150 MHz will be used. The demonstrations include cognitive channel management, radio-channel waveform identification, and reconfigurable OFDM waveforms.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test a high-speed data-gateway radio system that operates in TV white space. It uses 12 channels, each 1.2 MHz wide. Operation will be in several California cities on 470-698 MHz (TV channels 14-51).

• General Dynamics filed an application with exhibit for experimental license to test digital data links for the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). The new links are designed to allow higher concentrations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the same battle space. Testing will occur in South Carolina and Vermont on 1760-1850 and 2202-2290 MHz.

• TerreStar filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to operate a prototype transceiver for automobiles. TerreStar operates a 2 GHz satellite (TerreStar-1). In connection with providing services over the satellite, TerreStar is working with a vendor to develop and bring to market an automotive kit composed of a transceiver and a cradle for TerreStar’s GENUS satellite smartphone (currently marketed as Satellite Augmented Mobility (SAM) by AT&T). The transceiver and cradle will be mounted in an automobile and a roof-mounted antenna added. The transceiver will transmit on 2005-2010 MHz using linear polarization and will receive on 2195-2200 MHz using left-hand circular polarization; these frequency bands have been allocated for use by TerreStar-1 to provide mobile satellite service (MSS). Operation will be at various locations throughout the continental United States.

• ZAI filed an application with exhibit for special temporary authority to test an ultra-wideband (UWB) vehicle-mounted radar system for identifying roadside threats and obstacles. The hardware is manufactured by Time Domain Corporation and operates on 3100-5600 MHz. Testing will be done in Jefferson, Maryland. The device generates a signal that is pulse-position modulated; the position of the modulated pulse varies randomly in time producing an approximate Gaussian noise signal.

• Integral Systems Inc. filed an application with exhibits for experimental license to test a transportable Rapid Attack Identification Detection Reporting System (RAIDRS). RAIDRS consists of a central operating location and a variety of transportable antennas deployed around the world to detect, characterize, geolocate, and report sources of RF interference to U.S. military and commercial satellites. In the test, the RAIDRS will be connected to a transportable satellite terminal and linked to an earth station through an X-band or Ku-band satellite transponder. Link quality will be measured and recorded continuously to isolate any communications link failures. Data rates for the test will be 4352 and 8192 Kbps. Operation will be on 7.9-8.4 and 14.0-14.5 GHz.

• Teledyne Brown Engineering filed an application with exhibits for special temporary authority to experiment with Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) radar, intended to allow helicopter pilots to have a visual representation of the ground when it is obscured. It also serves as an altimeter. Testing will take place on 35.2 GHz at Huntsville, Alabama.

• Google filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct experiments of advanced driver assistance systems it’s developing. Each test vehicle contains several radars, operating in the 76.0-77.0 GHz band, that are used to sense the environment. The vehicles will be driven through a variety of traffic situations, including along freeways, on urban streets, and through complex intersections. Google suggests one test would be for the case when a vehicle is about to make a right turn on to a busy road; a left-sensing radar would inform the vehicle to allow high-speed traffic to pass before proceeding.

First, note that the FCC’s NPRM on changing the experimental licensing rules was published in the Federal Register on February 8. That means the comment deadlines are set. Comments are due March 10, and Reply Comments are due April 11. Consider filing comments in support of relaxed rules for industry as well as for academia. A few good comments have been filed already.  I point to the comments of Hans Schantz as exemplary.

On to the applications, which I list in order of frequency:

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate in Wayne, New Jersey on several frequency bands between 27 and 2003 MHz. This is to support development of a more cost-efficient and robust Ground Mobile Radio system for the Army.

• Raytheon Missile Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to conduct propagation tests in Tucson, Arizona on the following frequencies: 86, 87.5, 87.7, and 87.9 MHz (in the broadcast band). This is to aid in the development of transmission systems on those frequencies. (For a missile company, an unusual band in which to conduct experiments.)

• Michigan Technological University Aerospace Enterprise filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 145.97, 435.52, and 2400.0-2483.5 MHz to support the Oculus-ASR satellite project. The frequencies are for downlink control at 1200 bps, uplink control at 1200 bps, and downlink image data at 230 kbps, respectively. “Oculus-ASR is a nanosatellite currently being developed to aid in the advancement of U.S. Space Situational Awareness as part of the University Nanosatellite Program. The program gives students the opportunity to work with industry sponsors in an effort to construct the best nanosatellite in a nationwide competition, hosted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).”

• Carlson Wireless Technologies filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test a TV white space system using a TV broadcaster’s tower. The intent is to show how white space and broadcasting radios can coexist without objectionable interference. Operation is requested on 174-216 MHz (TV channels 7-13) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

• Harris filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to conduct field testing of software-defined radio (SDR) equipment in Melbourne, Florida on 232.375, 300.375, and 362.250 MHz. The testing will verify line-of-sight communication capabilities of radios ultimately deployed by the military abroad. This testing precedes more stressful at Army test ranges.

• BAE Systems Unmanned Aircraft Programs Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to develop radio link equipment used in the unmanned aircraft systems operated by military branches for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance  (C4ISR) applications. More specifically, the testing will involve the testing of a Microhard Systems model MHX320 wireless modem at BAE Systems’ factory in Tucson, Arizona. The MHX320 is a 310 to 390 MHz frequency hopping modem, which can be optimized for long distance communications of over 60 miles with throughput up to 230 kbps. Testing will be on 310.0-328.6 and 335.4-390.0 MHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test its Aurora and Wireless IP-capable Network (WIPN) radios, which provide a Mobile Adhoc Network (MANET) data network capability able to provide effective throughput up to 11 Mbps. Operation will be on 420-450 MHz in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This may be related to DARPA’s Mobile Ad-Hoc Interoperable Network GATEway (MAINGATE) program, which was initiated to develop systems required to enable network-centric warfare among Coalition and U.S. Forces, as well as to facilitate military operations with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and first responders.

• Stark Aerospace filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test a remotely piloted aircraft for public safety and military applications.  Communications from ground to aircraft is by two uplink modes; a primary mode and a backup mode. The primary mode uses the bands 4500-4800 and 4940-4990 MHz. The backup uses the 465-510 MHz band. No information on the downlink is found.

• 4 Tech Media filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct white spaces experiments in Washington DC. This work is to be done jointly with District of Columbia government and the Community College of the District of Columbia, and is to investigate the usefulness of available white space spectrum for use in home networking applications.  The network is to consist of 5 base stations and 1,200 access points.  Although the request is for frequencies that span the entire UHF portion (470-698 MHz) of the white space band, only channels permitted for use by FCC rules are to be used. From the exhibits, it appears this experiment is supported by about $30 million of government grants, most by way of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

• Motorola Solutions filed an application (with associated exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate in the 758-768 and 788-798 MHz bands to conduct tests in connection with the development of Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband equipment. The testing will be conducted from up to three sites near the offices of Motorola Solutions in Schaumburg, Illinois. The requested frequencies encompass both the 758-763 and 788-793 MHz bands known as the upper 700 MHz D block, which has not yet been licensed for regular operation, and the 763-768 and 793-798 MHz public safety block licensed on a nationwide basis to the Public Safety Spectrum Trust.

• Florida Atlantic University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 824-849, 880-915, and 1850-1910 MHz in and around Boca Raton, Florida. The intent is to support lab exercises in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Equipment to be used includes a GSM and a CDMA base station, operating at up to 100 watts effective radiated power. The University says it will coordinate with other licensees, which would include cellular and PCS operators.

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to conduct in-flight calibration and verification of a radio direction finding system on an unmanned aircraft at Victorville, California. Several frequency bands will be used between 880 MHz and 15.35 GHz. This test supports the company’s work for the US Air Force and DARPA.

• The University of California, Berkley, Computer Science Department filed an application for special temporary authority to operate in support of OpenBTS technology investigations. Testing would be on 890-915 and 935-960 MHz.

• DRS ICAS, LLC filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) interrogator equipment that is being developed under a contract with the Italian Air Force. Operation will be on 1030 and 1090 MHz at Cheektowaga, New York.

• Lockheed-Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test IFF systems part of a sale to the Royal Saudi Air Force. The system uses the TPS-77 transportable radar platform. Operation will be on 1030 MHz.

• Qualcomm filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on Cambridge, Massachusetts on 1915-1920 MHz.    Qualcomm is collaborating with faculty and students at MIT to further its testing, validation and application concepts around a peer-to-peer system currently under development. It appears to allow peer-to-peer communications over licensed spectrum without infrastructure support. Qualcomm says the primary objective is to explore creative application ideas which are enabled by this technology, validate system performance, and get feedback on the networking architecture from those studying the subject at MIT. There has been some press attention of this technology at this writing. For better information, a Qualcomm acquaintance has pointed me to this presentation and to this IEEE magazine article.

• Boeing filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 2345‐2390 MHz in air-to-ground mode at three locations in Delaware, New Jersey, and Texas.  No further details are publicly available due to a confidentiality request; flight test telemetry is a likely purpose. The Navy is not enthusiastic about the proposal, and the application has yet to be granted.

• Sportvision filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate an auto race track wireless data system that would allow television viewers to see, displayed on-screen, the real-time location of cars during a racing event. Vehicles equipped with GPS receivers and radios would provide updates every 200 milliseconds. Operation will be on 2395-2400 MHz at 23 motor speedways across the US. Modified Wi-Fi hardware will be used. The requested frequency band is just below the 2 GHz ISM band (high noise levels preclude operation there) and is allocated to the Amateur Radio Service. No interference is expected due to the short duration of operation and low power involved (1 watt). Operation will be coordinated with the ARRL.

• Florida International University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate a WiMAX base station on 2590 MHz in Miami, Florida in support of the Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) project.

• 4-D Security Solutions filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test surveillance radar on 8.75-8.95 and 10.32-10.48 GHz at locations in New Jersey and Wisconsin. The radars to be tested are Elta Systems models EL/M-2105 and EL/M-2129. This testing is in support of the company’s development of homeland security systems intended to provide protection for sensitive installations, borders, and coastlines.

• Denso Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate nationwide on 24.125 and 25.5 GHz. Due to a confidentiality request, details of the experimental plan are not publicly available. This experiment is likely related to Denso’s ongoing work developing vehicle radar systems to detect preceding vehicles and obstacles as input to anti-crash and pre-crash systems.

• Battelle filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate an experimental point-to-point communications link operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. The link uses optical components to generate and modulate the signals, and has the capability of transmitting 10 Gbps on a 100 GHz carrier. Operation will be at three locations on 95-105 GHz. The proposed study includes investigation of candidate modulation formats at distances up to 1 km.

• ShawnTech Communications filed an experimental application about which nothing is known due to a request for confidentiality. ShawnTech provides phone and related services to the corrections industry. This may be an experiment of cell phone jamming or managed access technology to address contraband wireless devices.

A basic idea in these systems is to take advantage of the time a user is not transmitting, and let someone else use that spectrum until the original user needs it again. If the second user is in the middle of something when the first user needs it back, the second user identifies another piece of spectrum to move to. Both users, ideally, notice no degradation of performance. Overall spectrum capacity is increased.

For the purpose of the FCC’s inquiry, dynamic spectrum access is a broad term that includes cognitive radio; radio that is aware of the RF environment and uses that information to make decisions based on its objectives. The term Software Defined Radio (SDR) is sometimes used in this context, but an SDR device may be used for other purposes.

The following issues are some of those identified in a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) that the Commission adopted at its November 30 meeting:

• Technical advances. The Commission wants information on the state of the art of spectrum sensing, interference suppression, propagation models, and policy-based radios, whose emissions are governed by a set of rules. Information is sought on how radios could be tested as part of the equipment authorization process. A related issue is how the Commission should police interference complaints in an increasingly-dynamic radio environment.

• Development and deployment. The Commission looks for opportunities to progress dynamic radio systems. It wants comment on how its database and Spectrum Dashboard can be made more useful. It asks how existing secondary-spectrum market rules might be revised to accommodate dynamic radios. (Existing rules are described as providing “wide latitude” for flexible spectrum use and spectrum leasing, and there’s a suggestion that the public doesn’t fully realize that.) The Commission asks which bands are most appropriate for dynamic spectrum access techniques, discusses the opportunity to aggregate “scraps” of narrower-band spectrum into something more useful, and asks about the feasibility of using spectrum in the 40 GHz range and higher.

• Test-beds. A test-bed would be an area in which certain frequencies are set aside, and guidelines established, for dynamic radio experimentation beyond that contemplated by the experimental licensing rules. The Commission looks for opportunities to fund such a test-bed and encourage participation.

• Real-time databases. It’s possible to take the database model used for TV white spaces and apply it to other bands. Dynamic radio systems could use such databases to determine current spectrum availability. The experience with TV white space operation can inform this and subsequent dynamic spectrum access proceedings.

• Real-time spectrum monitoring. The Commission has a vision of deploying spectrum monitoring equipment throughout the country, in a manner similar to weather monitoring stations seen along highways and atop some schools. A dynamic radio system could query the monitoring equipment for a specific area, and would then have current information on the RF environment. The Commission asks if such a system is practical, and who should run it.

• Public safety. The Commission asks about the potential use of dynamic radios by the public safety community to address ongoing interoperability problems.

The Commission does not address the issues of the definition of harmful interference, the rights of incumbent spectrum users, and receiver standards, except to say that they are matters of general spectrum policy that might be addressed in future proceedings.

Some of the issues in the NOI are interrelated. When a dynamic radio system queries a spectrum database, the information received is processed and an appropriate message is sent to the radio. This introduces latency, and the messaging over the air interface can consume a substantial portion of the data capacity one had hoped to gain. One way to relieve this, depending on the state of the art, is to add functionality to the radio that allows it to make more decisions on its own. This increased processing, however, reduces battery life. These and other tradeoffs are being explored by system developers. It would help them, and the FCC’s goal of promoting these systems, if the rules eventually adopted give them sufficient freedom to innovate.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 76, 78, 4590, and 4640 MHz in Orlando, Florida to demonstrate and collect operational information from voice and data communication links between a fixed ground station and a rotary-wing aircraft. Testing will use a Raytheon model RT-1808A transceiver for the lower frequencies, and an L3 Communications model 60057879+001 transmitter for the higher frequencies.

• Motorola filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a prototype radio system designed to support the internal communications requirements, including those related to public safety, an electric power generation and transmission cooperative in Kentucky. Motorola wants to demonstrate the functionality and capability of the system, determine user acceptability, and get feedback for improvement. Operation will be on 151.4725-154.5675 MHz and 157.1875-162.9625 MHz in 26 locations.

• Carson Wireless filed an application (with associated exhibits) to conduct testing of TV white space devices on 174-216 and 470-698 MHz at Klamath, California. Equipment to be used is manufactured by Koos Technical Services and includes a base stations connected to the internet. The base stations provide 3 Mbps connections (using FSK modulation) to fixed client devices. One goal is demonstrate a practical solution for providing broadband connectivity in a rural community, including in challenging terrain. Applications for utilities are to be tested as part of the experiment.

• Telephonics Corporation filed an application (with associated exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 200-400 MHz at Farmingdale, New York. The company has an existing product, the TruLink Wireless Intercommunication System, that operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band and is currently used by US Armed Forces. The experimental operation is to support a redevelopment of the product for use on the Armed Forces’ “preferred” band. The FCC has instructed the applicant to coordinate frequency use with the FAA which operates on 328.6-335.4 MHz, and with NTIA’s Military Assignment Group as the bands 225-328.6 MHz and 335.4-399.9 MHz are used for military purposes.

• NIITEK filed an application (with accompanying exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 200-7000 MHz to develop a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. The GPR is a component of NIITEK’s landmine detection system designed to detect and locate various buried explosive devices, including mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The system is for use by the US Army in the Middle East.

• Microsoft filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to conduct testing of TV white-space fixed devices on 470-698 MHz. The system will consist of one base station and five access points operating at 10 Mbps using OFDM modulation. One goal is to show how TV white-spaces equipment provides broadband coverage and connectivity within a home or neighborhood network, even in non-line-of-sight environments. Applications for utilities will be part of the test.

• Qualcomm filed an application for special temporary authority to test UMTS technology in Manhattan on three frequency bands: 722-728, 1720-1730, and 2120-2130 MHz.

• Wireless Seismic filed an application (with associated exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 2400.0-2483.5 MHz in all 50 states. The company is a provider of seismic data acquisition systems, and is finalizing development of a new wireless networking product that will connect geophones used to record acoustic reflections off underground layers. (Those reflections are used to determine the presence of oil and natural gas fields.) The equipment replaces that using wired connections. The system will soon be sent for equipment authorization, and before that the applicant wants to test it in typical deployments to confirm its operational capability.

• Raysat Antenna Systems filed an application (with associated exhibit) for experimental license to test up to five Land Mobile Satellite Service (LMSS) earth stations in the 11.7-12.2 and 14.0-14.5 GHz bands. (There is a discrepancy between the frequencies listed on the application form and in the exhibit.) The earth stations are to communicate with the AMC-5 and AMC-6 satellites at 79° W.L. and 72° W.L., respectively. The satellites will also communicate with the Spacenet hub earth station in McLean, Virginia. This testing is in in connection with a Department of Defense/Logistics Innovation Agency satellite communications program contract. Part of the test is the applicant’s SR-70 antenna for mobile applications, featuring a 6 inch-by-6 inch antenna panel array capable of simultaneous transmission and reception within the 11.7-12.7 and 14.0-14.5 GHz bands. The antenna allows tracking in three axes: azimuth, elevation and polarization.

• Ingegneria Dei Sistemi filed an application for special temporary authority to operate on 17.1-17.3 GHz at Bingham Canyon, Utah. The company has developed a system, based on microwave interferometry, for monitoring displacement of land and structures, and wants to demonstrate land-slope-stability monitoring at an open-pit mine. The demonstration is to show that the system can monitor land movement as slow as a few millimeters per month.

• In connection with a US Army contract, Battelle filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to test a millimeter-wave communications system at 95-105 GHz having a data rate of 10 Gbps. Testing was to have been done at several locations in Ohio. The FCC dismissed this application, however, due to “potential harmful interference to Federal Government operations.”

• Northrop Grumman filed an application for special temporary authority in support of airborne experimental testing of the STARLite Tactical Radar System a small, lightweight (65 pounds) radar used for tactical reconnaissance by Unmanned Aerial Systems. Transmissions will be between 16.2 to 17.3 GHz. The radar has three modes: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), and Maritime Moving Target Indicator. In the SAR mode, the radar imagery can be one of three forms: parallel to the aircraft flight vector, along a specified ground path independent of the aircraft flight path, or a higher-resolution spot image. In the GMTI mode, the radar provides moving target locations overlaid on a digital map. The MMTI mode performs a similar function for targets over water.

• DRS Tactical Systems, a supplier of rugged computer equipment for military environments, filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a mobile radio gateway. In the test, the mobile node will be a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (Humvee) with a mast. Equipment will be Harris model RF-7800W-OU440 broadband Ethernet radios attached to a DRS gateway system. This system is intended aid military and commercial entities by providing complex gateway functionality while in motion. Operation will be on 4.94-4.99 GHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate on 420-450 MHz to demonstrate a communications system that can be used without infrastructure: for example, in times of natural disaster. The system uses the company’s MicroLight RT 1922 software-defined radio in mobile units. It acts as a repeater to route communications through the network.

• Raytheon IDS filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 3101-3399 MHz to test a prototype radar system. The system will use either pulsed Linear FM (LFM) 100 KHz, pulsed LFM 300 KHz, or pulsed unmodulated carriers.

• SpectraCom filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate a GPS simulator on 1575.42 MHz. This is to test GPS receivers. The testing will use the company’s own 8-channel GPS simulator. The signal is to be transmitted indoors-only and the applicant intends to meet NTIA emission limits on devices that radiate GPS signals (Section 8.3.28 of the Manual of Regulations and Procedures for Federal Radio Frequency Management).

• Universal Avionics Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to flight-test its UniLink UL-801, an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) Communication Management Unit (CMU) that contains an embedded VHF Data Radio (VDR). The VDR supports data communications in two modulation modes, D8PSK and MSK.

Operation will be on 131.550, 136.850, and 136.975 MHz. The frequencies are coordinated by Aviation Spectrum Resources Inc (ASRI), the band manager for aeronautical en route spectrum.

• Clearwire filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test WiMAX equipment at several sites in California. Operation is to be on 2502-2568 MHz. Clearwire is going to evaluate the capability of WiMAX equipment to operate satisfactorily when collocated with equipment on other frequencies.

• NJ TRANSIT filed an application for special temporary authority to test TETRA radio technology within its operations area and on its current frequencies, which are in the 800 MHz band. This application is being filed because the TETRA equipment to be tested is not type-accepted by the FCC. In addition, the standard TETRA emission mask does not meet current FCC guidelines. One issue for evaluation is whether the TETRA equipment can coexist with NJ Transit’s legacy systems.

• Northrop Grumman filed an application for special temporary authority to test electronically-scanned-array radar that is to be used to support a missile interceptor system. Operation will be on 16.2 – 17.3 GHz.

• General Dynamics filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to conduct demonstrations of its CrossComm land mobile interoperability system. The system of hardware and software components is intended to bind disparate communication systems together enabling network layer interoperability, an approach General Dynamics finds superior to radio interoperability. Public Safety is one target market. The demonstrations will be on several frequencies around 420 MHz.

• Northrop Grumman filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test a Furuno model 1945 marine radar for target detection, perimeter intrusion, and operation in the presence of line-of-sight terrain obstructions. (This is another in a string of applications by various entities proposing unconventional use of this radar system.)

• Tideland Signal filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test and demonstrate Automatic Identification System (AIS) Aid to Navigation (AtoN) equipment. According to the application, “AIS AtoN equipment works with the international ship-based AIS and provides AtoN position and health status information to the mariner. AIS AtoN is also used to report AtoN status information to the shore-based owner or operator of the AtoN.” The frequencies requested are international AIS channels: 161.975 and 162.025 MHz (AIS 1 Marine VHF Channel 87 and AIS 2 Marine VHF Channel 88B, respectively)

• Intellibs filed an application for special temporary authority to test WiMAX in indoor and outdoor environments. The user-experience in general, and handover in particular, will be evaluated. Operation will be on 2624.25-2640.25 MHz.

• ShawnTech Communications filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on US cellular and PCS bands (in the 800 and 1900 MHz regions) in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Confidentially was requested by the applicant for some exhibits, so there is not much detail available. The geographic coordinates resolve to a prison. As part of its business, ShawnTech provides communications systems to prisons. This may be a test of technology to suppress unauthorized cellphone use by inmates.

• Mustang Technology Group filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a pulsed Doppler radar with a variable duty cycle from 1% to 25%, capable of frequency hopping in the frequency range of 33.5 – 35.5 GHz. This radar is to be used for development and refinement of detection and tracking capabilities.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 894-896 MHz, a band used for Air-Ground Radiotelephone Service. Raytheon maintains an FAA-approved repair station for the MagnaStar digital telephone system, which is designed for aviation applications.  There is not much detail in the application, and I expect FCC staff to ask for more. For now, it seems that operation under the requested license is intended to support these repair services, which would be an unusual use of an experimental authorization.

• FreeFlight Systems filed an application for special temporary authority to operate on 978 MHz in support of development and testing of an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transmitter. ADS-B is a cooperative surveillance technique being developed as part of the Next-Generation Air Transportation System. FreeFlight sells a variety of ADS-B products.

• BelAir Networks filed an application (with associated exhibits, one confidential) for experimental license to operate at McCormick Place in Chicago on 1930-1990 MHz. From what can be gleaned, the company plans to demonstrate its model 100SP Strand Picocell at 4G World. This device is basically a small base station that can hang on a cable system, provide wireless services over both 3G and Wi-Fi, and leverage existing cable infrastructure for power and backhaul.

• ComTech Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test its Transportable Fast Link Antenna product. Testing will be on 4400, 4700, and 4935 MHz.

• AAI / Textron Systems Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test its Aerosonde, a small (34 pounds) gas-powered Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)  that supports tactical applications and scientific missions for the US military. Testing will be done at the NASA flight test range at Wallops Island, Virginia. Several frequencies will be used from 310 to 4999 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 956-959 MHz in support of testing of “edge communications architecture.” This architecture is intended to provide robust, on-demand, end-to-end communications for tactical and first responders who currently have limited or no communications in the field. Moreover, the architecture is for applications in which the user may be unpredictable. The architecture attributes include low power, low probability of detection and interception, self-forming and healing, support of heterogeneous RF waveform/modulation schemes and heterogeneous data transport protocols, and fixed and mobile router/bridging nodes.

• ViaSat filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license for over-the-air testing of ViaSat’s SurfBeam 2 Consumer Satellite Terminal in advance of the launch of the ViaSat-1 satellite. Operation will be at 29.5-30.0 GHz. ViaSat says the “SurfBeam 2 terminal is a second generation consumer broadband terminal very similar to the current SurfBeam 1 terminals operating under Blanket License E050033 on the WildBlue-1 and ANIK-F2 satellites. The new SurfBeam 2 terminal is designed to take advantage of the higher performance of the ViaSat-1 satellite and is intended to offer higher data rates to the consumer while still meeting FCC 25.138 off-axis EIRP density requirements.” The reflector size is 77 x 72 cm and the nominal terminal EIRP at full power is 48.4 dBW. Tests will include throughput, RF performance, and modem performance.

• Commtact filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test a low-profile mobile satellite antenna system on 13.75-14.50 GHz and 27.50-30.00 GHz. Commtact says the system “combines transmission, reception and polarization tracking capabilities with advanced stabilization system, making it possible to build compact, low profile antennas that are suitable for various mobile platforms.”

• Harris filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test its Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) mobile ad hoc radio system. Harris describes WIN-T as the US Army’s on-the-move, high-speed, high-capacity backbone communications network, linking Warfighters on the battlefield with the Global Information Grid. Operation will be at 4.44-4.99 GHz and 14.50-15.35 GHz.

• INOVA Geophysical Equipment Limited filed an application (with supporting exhibits) to test a proprietary mobile radio system in the 30-36 MHz and 150-174 MHz bands. The radio links would be used to control remote geophysical seismic recording equipment, which INOVA manufactures. At the end of testing, INOVA plans to put the radio equipment into production and lease it to customers.

• Fortress Technologies filed an application for experimental license to test several of its secure mesh-networking products developed for military applications. Several exhibits are included but they are not publicly available due to a confidentiality request. Operation is to be on 4.9425-4.9875 GHz.

• The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey filed an application for special temporary authority to operate on 5250-5500 MHz while testing to find the best location for an Elta 2127 ground surveillance and movement detection radar at JFK Airport. Three similar applications were filed for testing at La Guardia, Newark, and Teterboro Airports.

• General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate on 1760-1850 MHz and 2200-2300 MHz to conduct testing based on Department of Defense requirements for fully-digital data links for small unmanned aircraft systems to allow for higher concentrations of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in the same battle space. A new data link is to be tested. The new data link is compatible with ground based Remote Video Terminals (ROVERs) allowing for real-time reception of video imagery by ground troops.

• Fujitsu Ten Limited filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 76-77 GHz. The exhibits are not available for viewing, presumably because of a confidentiality request. From other information, this appears to be a test of radar for safe-driving assistance systems. This application was granted on August 27.

• Sikorsky Aircraft filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 30-400 MHz. This is to test Rockwell-Collins AN/ARC-210 radios on military helicopters being sold to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the applicant, the “Rockwell-Collins AN/ARC-210 radios will have several unique frequency hopping waveforms which are proprietary to Rockwell-Collins. These waveforms are called TALON and Quicklook waveforms, respectively. The AN/ARC-210 TALON/Quicklook radios will be used aboard the [helicopters] to communicate with UAE ground forces. The Quicklook frequency hopping waveform is used in the 30-90 MHz band. The TALON frequency hopping waveform is used in the 90 to 400 MHz bands.”

• Abbott Diabetes Care filed two applications to test equipment at 433 MHz. The company has requested confidential processing of its application, and few other details are publicly available from the FCC. This may be related to Abbott’s wireless glucose monitoring products. The company announced in April 2010 that it had supply problems with a wireless product.

• WCA Holdings III, LLC filed an application (with associated exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 14.00-14.47 GHz for on-ground and flight testing of a single aircraft earth station antenna. This is to assist with Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certification testing, as well as further testing and demonstration of the functionality of the antenna with the eXConnect Ku-band Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite Service (AMSS) system. WCA has partnered with Panasonic Avionics Corporation, proponent of the eXConnect System.

The eXConnect System is Panasonic’s. It is designed for in-flight passenger internet access and other communication services. It can be looked at as a replacement for the now-defunct Boeing Connexion system. Lufthansa, for one, plans to use eXConnect on the majority of its 70 aircraft already fitted with Connexion hardware.

This application was received on August 6. On September 1, the application record was updated to note that WCA’s operating partner, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, is in the process of developing a detailed coordination agreement with NASA to protect existing and future Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) operations from potential interference from Ku-band AES operations. The application was granted on September 7.

• Pro Xplor Services filed an application but few details are available due to a request for confidential processing, which FCC staff has asked the company to justify. It also requested a nationwide license, and FCC staff has suggested that a smaller operating area would suffice.

On July 7 of this year, the FCC denied the company’s request for waiver of the technical rules in Section 90.259 of the Commission’s Rules in order to permit certain proposed secondary telemetry operations.  At the time, it had sought authorization to operate in parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas on 217/219 MHz frequencies with up to fifteen watts output power on 600-kilohertz and 800-kilohertz channels.

• INSITU filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test the SeaLancet IP network radio in a flight test on 2367 MHz.

• Boeing filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test an Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system installed on a modified Boeing 767. Operation is to be on 800 MHz, 5.4 GHz, and 9.4 GHz. “The test involves personnel walking around the aircraft with a signal generator and horn antenna directed at the aircraft to stimulate ESM sensors mounted on the aircraft skin.” This application was granted on August 27.

• Sensus Spectrum filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test Smart Grid devices on 410-430 MHz. Sensus manufacturers similar products on 900 MHz for the US market. The requested frequencies are for testing of devices intended for Europe and the Middle East.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on 9.595-9.750 GHz and 10.15-10.43 GHz to operate a ground station used to exchange data with an airborne system. The equipment is said to be an improved version of a system previously delivered to a customer under the US Government Foreign Military Sales for the Peace Krypton program. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the “mission of the Peace Krypton system program (known internally to Lockheed Martin Corporation as the Eagle program) is to collect reconnaissance imagery of selected areas during long range missions using an airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery intelligence collection system.”

• Bowling Green State University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to use a Furuno FR-1525Mk3 marine radar to track bird and bat activity in areas of existing and planned wind turbine development as well as comparative control sites. Operation will be on 9.3-9.5 GHz.

• SET Corporation, founded by former DARPA scientists and now a subsidiary of SAIC, filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate in and around Denver, Colorado on 35.75 GHz. Details of the proposed test are confidential.

• Raytheon Missile Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test advanced antennas operating in the 80-200 MHz range. The testing will be used to determine three-dimensional far-field radiation patterns of the antennas.

• Harris filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate on various frequencies between 3 and 15 MHz to test an experimental high-frequency wideband waveform that is intended to operate at either 12 kHz bandwidth or 24 kHz bandwidth to allow faster data transfer via high-frequency communications.

• Harris also filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 4.94-4.99 GHz in support of development of US Army’s Warfighter Information Network: Tactical (WIN-T) and Future Combat Systems (FCS) programs. Equipment is to consist of the HNRe2 Highband Network Radio, manufactured by Harris. Harris says the HNRe2 is comprised of four elements: 1) the Baseband Processing Unit, 2) the Highband RF Unit (HRFU), 3) an Inertial Navigation Unit (INU), and a GPS device. The HRFU further consists of an upconverter, a High-Powered Amplifier (HPA), a Switched Beam Antenna (SBA), a Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA), and a downconverter). The test network will consist of five fixed nodes and one mobile node. The FCC has asked Harris to justify extended testing in a band that is primarily allocated for non-government public safety use.

• Canon U.S.A. filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate wireless devices in support of a private technology and product exhibition from September 1, 2010 through September 3, 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. Canon is planning to import many wireless devices from Japan to be used with displays during the exhibition. These devices are not FCC compliant and not expected to be FCC compliant until after the exhibition. Frequencies requested include 315.0-315.7 MHz, 2.40-2.50 GHz, 5.18-5.67 GHz, and 61.6-62.5 GHz. This application was granted on August 11.

• The Washington State Department of Ecology filed an application (and supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate 150 Design Analysis model H-222 GEOS satellite radios to transmit stream flow data. Operation is to be on 401.710-401.998 MHz.

• BAE Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to operate an antenna test range in Merrimack, New Hampshire in support of the manufacture of military systems. Many frequencies are requested from 1 MHz to 2587 MHz. The application was granted on July 29.

• Broad Comm filed an application for special temporary authority to operate in support of an “emergency project by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Ocean Engineering (MIT) related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. …  Part of the project requires collecting continuous video data from an aircraft that will fly over the Gulf. The video feed needs to be relayed to nearby receiving stations either on land or on vessels near the aircraft. The operation may require the aircraft to fly out over the Gulf to a maximum distance of 300 miles (483 km) from the New Orleans, LA area at altitudes up to 3,000 feet.” The application is inconsistent with regard to the specific frequencies requested. At one point it says three frequencies are being requested: 2,210, 2,220 and 2,230 MHz. At another point it says 2253.3 MHz. The application was granted on August 11.

• Olson Instruments filed an application for special temporary authority to test an IBIS sensor unit during static and dynamic bridge testing. Operation is to be on 17.101-17.299 GHz. This application was granted on August 11.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in the portions of the Gulf of Mexico affected by the oil spill. The SAR data collected will be used to classify oil debris in support of FEMA operations. Operation is at 16.9 GHz.

• DRS ICAS filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate in support of the manufacture of military systems. The company has requested confidential treatment of details, but appears to be testing the DRS X46-V SATCOM terminal and 4.8 meter ground station in support of development of X-band mobile satellite communications for Operation Enduring Freedom. Operation is to be on 8326-8332 MHz.

• Reindert A. Smit, apparently an amateur radio operator, filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to experiment with ROS digital communications modem software, whose purpose is to optimize high-frequency, moon bounce, and meteor-scatter digital communications. Operation is to be on several frequencies between 1.838 MHz and 14.416 MHz. Approval was granted on August 10.

• Northrop Grumman filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for special temporary authority to test a radar system that is to demonstrate the ability to track line-of-sight (LOS) terrain obstructions, target detection, and perimeter intrusion. The radar operates using a slotted waveguide array. Operation is to be on 9380-9440 MHz. This application was granted on July 31.

• Raytheon Missile Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate in support of development of interference-resistant command and control radio transmissions. Operation is to be on 430-440 MHz and 902-928 MHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibit) to test the Nett-Warrior Communications System. This system will be integrated into other Raytheon systems. Operation is to be on 30.025-74.600 MHz.

• CapRock Government Solutions filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test an antenna along with modulation and encryption techniques. Operation is to be on 8280-8300 MHz.

• The Alameda County [California] Sheriff’s Office filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 763-768 MHz and 793-798 MHz to develop and evaluate broadband Long-term Evolution (LTE) equipment.

• Alcatel-Lucent filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to test LTE at several cell sites in the Chicago area. The purpose of the testing is to verify LTE performance in a mobile environment and to optimize system settings under various environments. Key performance indicators to be verified include attach success rate, paging success rate, and handover success. Operation is to be on several frequencies between 698 and 793 MHz. This application was approved on August 7.

• The Aerospace Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on 92.05-99.95 GHz. As the applicant explains, in SAR radars, “the transmitter has a component of motion in a direction perpendicular to the beam, and the reflected signals are formed into an “image” of the scatterers when resolved into groups of scatterers in a two-dimensional map based on time-of-arrival (range coordinate) and Doppler frequency shift (azimuth coordinate).” The applicant notes that, in SAR, weather and vibration can mask man-made effects. Part of the research includes mitigating image degradation due to weather and vibration so man-made effects are more apparent. This application was approved on August 7.

• The Union Pacific Railroad Company filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct propagation testing on 220.725-220.750 MHz. The applicant explains that “the US rail industry is subject to a federal mandate to implement Positive Train Control (PTC) technology by the end of 2015. The industry is in the midst of a comprehensive development effort to realize this technology. A central component of PTC is wireless communications. The industry has identified 217-222 MHz as the band of operation for PTC, and some 220-222 spectrum licenses have already been acquired by an industry group. A concerted effort is underway to develop a radio specifically for this application, and we expect to have an authorized radio in early to mid 2011. However, as part of our deployment planning, we need to characterize the performance and propagation of modulated 220 MHz signals by doing field tests this year.”

• The Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate high-frequency Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar (CODAR) to map surface ocean currents. Operation was to be on several frequencies between 24.615 and 26.475 MHz. The FCC rejected the application, saying that CODAR is currently being reviewed for its potential as a service requiring a frequency allocation. Until that determination is made, there will be no more experimental authorizations.

• Rockwell Collins filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct experiments to test waveforms for high speed data over high-frequencies. Testing is to include characterization of performance and actual wideband channel propagation characteristics. Rockwell Collins says it is a member of the Technical Advisory Committee for MIL-STD-188-110C and MIL-STD-188-141C standards revisions and new standard definitions, and the experimental authorization will enable verification of performance and inter-operability metrics in the standards. Operation is to be on many frequencies between 2.398 and 29.720 MHz.

• Rockwell Collins also filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test a prototype transmitter (as part of a transceiver) for the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, a surveillance technique for air traffic control and similar uses. The company intends to conduct mobile ground testing in and around the Rockwell Collins’ facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Operation is to be on several frequencies between 977 and 1096 MHz.

• SpectrumBridge filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test the usefulness of white space spectrum for use in telemedicine applications – indoor telemetry, medical records exchange, M2M applications, and enhanced wireless broadband access for doctors, patients, and visitors residing within a hospital campus. Testing is to be done in association with Hocking Valley Community Hospital in Logan, Ohio. The requested frequency band is 470-698 MHz.

• Western DataCom filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to conduct a test of extending cellular telephone coverage on the waters of Lake Erie. Operation is to be on 2353.5-2370.0 MHz. The base station would operate from a tethered aerostat (helium balloon system) at 1000-1400 feet above ground.

• Keurig, Inc. filed an application for special temporary authority to test a coffee brewing system that uses RFID technology to adjust brewing parameters in accordance with the beverage being prepared. Operation is to be on 902-928 MHz. This application was granted on August 7.

• Columbia University filed an application (with supporting exhibits) to operate WiMAX equipment on 2535-2540 MHz in support of the GENI project. The application was approved on August 11.

• AAI/Textron Systems Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. The company wants to test its Shadow 200, Aerosonde, Orbiter and other unmanned aircraft systems. This is related to work for the United States Marine Corp. Operation is to be on 310-390 MHz, 902-928 MHz, 1090 MHz, 1350-1390 MHz, 1700-1859 MHz, and 4400-4999 MHz. Transmitting equipment is manufactured by Microhard Systems Corporation, Free Wave Technologies, Advanced Microwave Products, Global Microwave Systems, and Microair Avionics.

FCC staff has asked for several items of information before approving the application. The FAA operates in the frequency bands 328.6-335.4 MHz, 1090 MHz, and 1215-1390 MHz; FCC staff asks for coordination of these bands with the FAA Regional Office. In addition, the frequency bands 225-328.6 MHz and 335.4-399.9 MHz are used for military purposes, and the applicant was asked to coordinate with NTIA’s Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC).

• AAI/Textron Systems Corporation also filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 420-450 MHz and 2000-2400 MHz for a government project apparently involving the Orbiter miniature unmanned aircraft system. There is not much information about the proposed operation, and FCC staff has asked for more details.

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff notes that the “Aerospace & Flight Test Radio Coordinating Council (AFTRCC) oversees the frequency bands; 1435-1525 MHz, 2310-2320 MHz, and 2345-2390 MHz. These frequency bands need to be removed or need to be prior coordinated.”

• Sportvision filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority for testing of an automobile race track wireless data system that is to provide data communications between vehicles in a race track and one or more fixed base stations installed along a track. Operation is to be on 2395-2400 MHz.

One application seen for this system is video image enhancement for television broadcasting of automobile racing events. The would allow television viewers to see, displayed on screen, the real-time location of cars during a racing event.

The vehicles would be equipped with GPS receivers and other sensors that generate a data packet every 200 milliseconds. The wireless system would collect those packets and deliver them to a control station in real time. “The radio itself is a direct sequence spread spectrum unit, using production radios for 2.4 GHz. The system may ultimately be deployed on an unlicensed basis in the 2.4 GHz band or elsewhere, but the high noise levels in that band in the test locations (commercial automobile race tracks) are unsuitable for development and testing of the product.”

“An Intersil baseband processor performs the Direct Sequence modulation and demodulation. It is part of a five-chipset developed for the 802.11b standard. It uses 1/4th of the standard 802.11 speed resulting in a narrow occupied RF bandwidth.”

The frequency band requested is allocated on a primary basis to the Amateur Radio Service, and coordination is to be performed with the ARRL. This application was granted on June 4.

• Motorola filed an application (with supporting exhibit (as amended)) for special temporary authority to “test, evaluate and demonstrate a prototype radio communications system designed to support the internal communications requirements, including public safety-related communications, of an electric power generation and transmission cooperative in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

According to Motorola, “[o]peration under this experimental STA will be conducted on a non-interference basis on a limited number of 12.5 kHz channel pairs in the 151.4725-154.5675 MHz band and the 157.1875-162.9625 MHz band.”

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. Raytheon says it is working to build a “NetWarrior Communications System” using GSM technology. The primary use for this experimental license would be to test and evaluate this system while in development and conduct demonstrations for military and government officials.

The system is called GSMnet and is described as a unique communication solution that provides the ability to create a self-contained, privately managed mobile network based on GSM cellular standards. The enabling technology of GSMnet is said to allow military personnel to manage mobile phone access on the GSMnet communications infrastructure, delivering seamless cellular communications coverage to deployed military personnel and critical incident responders in remote or hazardous environments or when conditions have rendered existing GSM cellular networks inaccessible.

Operation is to be on 1922.6, 1927.4, 2112.6, and 2117.4 MHz. This application was granted on June 15.

• Sierra Nevada Corporation filed an application for special temporary authority to conduct flight testing of X-NET Air WiMax transceiver radio devices. The flight tests will determine the range of the data communications that can be achieved and the data throughput that can be achieved at different ranges.

As background, the C4N (Command, Control, Computers, Communications, and Networks) Division of the Sierra Nevada Corporation has developed an air-ground data communications link under contract with the USAF Rivet Joint aircraft operations as a part of the Big Safari Program. The Sierra Nevada equipment is called the X-NET Air System. It is a dual channel FDD radio link. Operation is to be on 2675 and 2685 MHz. This application was granted on June 28.

• Raysat Antenna Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate up to five Land Mobile-Satellite Service (LMSS) earth stations with the AMC-5 and AMC-6 satellites at 79° W.L. and 72° W.L., respectively. The company seeks to test and demonstrate the new SR70 earth terminal, a single-panel, Ku-band array antenna in connection with Department of Defense/Logistics Innovation Agency (DOD/LIA). Operation is requested at 14.0-14.5 MHz.

“The SR-70 antenna technology builds upon RAS’s proven antenna technology for mobile applications. The major enhancement is in the antenna panel which is capable of simultaneous Ku-band transmission and reception within the 14.0-14.5 GHz and 11.7- 12.7 GHz bands, respectively. The antenna allows tracking in three axes, azimuth, elevation and polarization.”

“The antenna consists of a single 6 inch by 6 inch panel array which is mounted on a rotatable platform. The platform rotates in azimuth to orient the panel towards the satellite. The panel also tilts to set the elevation angle. Finally, the antenna has a polarization control mechanism which sets the correct polarization angle for both transmit and receive.”

“During operation, the antenna uses a built-in GPS receiver to determine its position on the earth. It then uses the geographical position and the longitudinal position of the satellite to determine the appropriate elevation angle. Once the elevation angle is set, the antenna rotates in azimuth. During the scanning process the antenna receives Eb/No information from the modem to verify that the target satellite has been acquired. Once the satellite is acquired, the antenna dithers in both azimuth and elevation by ±2.0° to maintain peaking on the satellite and the transmission is enabled. The antenna also has internal 3-axis gyroscopes and 2-axis inclinometers to help with the tracking while the antenna is in motion.”

This application was granted on June 16.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) to experiment with a swept-frequency radar system operating at various frequencies between 1.0 and 15.4 GHz. The radar transmit-and-receive system will be coherently frequency step-chirped from the start frequency to the final frequency, with a pulse width of 95 ns. Other details are said to be classified; Lockheed Martin has requested confidential treatment of this application, and FCC staff has responded to the company asking for justification.

• Aircell, a provider of Wi-Fi service aboard aircraft (under the GoGo brand) filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct FAA-required tests to determine the susceptibility of aircraft avionics to interference from radio frequency emissions from consumer devices operating in Wi-Fi bands. Aircell says it must demonstrate conformance to those standards to receive FAA Supplemental Type Certificates necessary for the deployment of its service aboard commercial airliners. Testing is to be on 2400.0-2483.5 MHz, 5250-5350 MHz, and 5725-5825 MHz.

Aircell says that “[p]ursuant to Documents DO-294B and DO-160 of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RCTA), and the FAA, standards for testing the susceptibility of avionics to interference have been set. To comply with these standards, tests within an aircraft must radiate at the legal maximum power authorized for the radiating device, plus the link budget of the highest gain antenna permitted, times the number of simultaneous radiating devices. For the purpose of Aircell’s tests, the math computes a 1 watt signal into a 6 db gain antenna times three wireless access points (WAP). That comes to 30 dBm + 6 dB = 4 watts X 3 WAPs = 12 watts. Since the 12 watt signal exceeds the allowed limits for unlicensed devices, an Experimental License is required.”

• Clearwire Spectrum Holdings III filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test WiMAX IEEE 802.16m technology in the Phoenix, Arizona market. (The 802.16m standard is now being finalized in IEEE 802.) Clearwire says it is evaluating 802.16m and other 4G technologies “as a potential technology evolutionary strategy.” Clearwire is planning to test overlay 802.16e WiMAX using 10 MHz channels, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) using 20 MHz channels, and Time Division Duplex (TDD) using 20 MHz channels. Operation is to be on 2496-2690 MHz.

Equipment from “many vendors” will be evaluated. Many tests are to be performed, including those for end-to-end system performance, mobility management, MIMO, scheduler and QoS, base-station RF characteristics, self-organizing networks, and VoIP. This application was granted on June 29.

• Flight Research, Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to operate on 2.4 GHz to send NTSC video from a small aircraft to ground. A Strain Security transmitter is to be installed in a Cessna 150 aircraft operating as a surrogate UAV. (SUAV). The SUAV is to fly locally as an academic exercise for students in a UAV flight test short course that is part of the National Test Pilot School. Students will execute tests in remotely-piloted and command-directed modes from a ground control element, collecting data employing typical flight test techniques and evaluating the system. Part of that training involves sending video from the aircraft to the ground. (Much of this information was not in the original application but was supplied by e-mail to FCC staff later.)

• Global Technical Systems filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test an aircraft-mounted ground-penetrating radar. In the test, a metal target will be buried 6 feet underground and illuminated by the radar for 60 seconds on each pass of the aircraft, which will be flying at 10,000 feet above ground. Data will be collected for ground processing.

Correspondence between the applicant and FCC staff reveals some confusion as to the frequency of operation. It seems it will be in the 1250-1400 MHz range.

• InterDigital filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct research using vacant spectrum in the television broadcast bands (the “white spaces”) for indoor testing of fixed and portable white-space devices. InterDigital says its “goal is to develop technology and enable products for efficient use of bandwidth by combining the advantages of multiple radio access technologies and frequency bands.” “InterDigital plans to test technology that provides cost effective options for wireless distribution of various data types including, for example, broadband content (video) and machine-to-machine packets.” “Another goal of the experimentation is to develop and validate cognitive radio technology.”

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff asks for details on how InterDigital plans to prevent interference to TV licensees. The links above are for an application for operation in Melville, New York. An essentially-identical application was also filed for operation in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

• Panasonic Avionics Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license for ground and flight testing of up to twenty aircraft earth stations (AESs) of two AES types – ten MELCO reflector terminals and ten Aura LE terminals – to further test and demonstrate the functionality of its eXConnect Ku-band Aeronautical Mobile-Satellite Service (“AMSS”) system. The company says eXConnect is to provide broadband internet access, real-time video content, voice and other services aboard commercial aircraft.

The company does not envision formal launch of the eXConnect system onboard U.S. commercial airlines in the near term. It is, however, preparing an FCC blanket license application for authority to operate eXConnect AESs on a full commercial basis. In the meantime, the company wants to conduct limited market studies. Operation is to be on 14.000-14.470 GHz.

• Virginia Tech Mobile and Portable Radio Research Group (MPRG) filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to perform experiments related to new TV band (white space) devices.

The Group intends to test prototype TV white space devices to determine how their operation will affect other co-channel and adjacent-channel users, such as wireless microphones and other professional audio equipment that is commonly operated in the television bands. Frequencies will be coordinated prior to operation by the local SBE frequency coordinator. Operation is to be on 512-608 MHz and 614-698 MHz.

• Lockheed Martin filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test a Harris model RF-7800S-TR radio as a potential weapon data link to provide in-flight moving target location updates to a weapon to facilitate engaging moving surface targets. The objective of the test is to evaluate the affects of message rate, latency and bit-error-rate on target engagement and determine a realistic target engagement envelope. A larger goal is to demonstrate this class of radio as a viable option to improving moving target strike effectiveness and support the development of low cost, low collateral damage weapons. Operation will be on 350-450 MHz.

• GlySens Incorporated filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test implantable electronic medical devices on 433.92 MHz. The company has requested confidential processing of its application, so few other details are publicly available from the FCC. This application was granted on June 28.

This is likely related to the company’s announced development of a long-term continuous glucose monitoring system that is designed to provide an unobtrusive means to continuously track glucose levels in people with diabetes. The system is has two parts: a long-lived fully-implanted sensor and an external monitor with a display. The sensor continuously monitors glucose levels in subcutaneous tissue, which are correlated to blood glucose levels. The sensor transmits the glucose measurements wirelessly to the  external display device. This device indicates the current blood glucose level, shows a historical chart of the previous blood glucose values, provides adjustable automatic warnings of high and low blood glucose readings, and stores information for analysis.

• Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) filed an application for special temporary authority to use telemetry, ranging, and video transmitters for the second launch campaign of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The vehicle will be launched for NASA from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, under launch authorities granted by the U.S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration. SpaceX is under an active STA for this, but due to delays the STA will expire before launch. This application is to continue that authority, as the FCC does not grant extensions for experimental STAs.

SpaceX will utilize a telemetry and video transmitter on both the first and second stages of the vehicle, plus a C-band ranging transmitter on the vehicles second stage. The first stage will begin transmitting 15 minutes prior to launch and remain active for 2.9 minutes after launch. The second stage will continue transmitting for up to 2 hours after launch. Operation will be on 2213.5, 2221.5, 2251.5, 2273.5, and 5765.0 MHz.

In correspondence to the applicant, FCC staff says that the applicant will have to obtain an orbital debris statement from Space Exploration Technologies, Inc., in accordance with 47 CFR, Part 5.63(e) which states, in part, that “Applicants for an experimental authorization involving a satellite system must submit a description of the design and operational strategies the satellite system will use to mitigate orbital debris.”)

• Professor David Miller from MIT filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to transmit spacecraft telemetry on 2.4000-2.4836 GHz. This is in support of testing of the CASTOR (Cathode/Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Repositioning) satellite. Testing is to validate the performance and application of Diverging Cusped Field Thruster (DCFT) technology. This will be achieved by taking on-orbit state data to compare the degradation experienced by the DCFT to that of similar technologies such as Hall thrusters.

• RLM Communications filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license. Operation is to be on various broadcast bands from 540 kHz to 806 MHz. The company says it is “providing the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) research and development support in the areas of Joint Integration and Compatibility Development System (JCIDS) and Special Operations Forces Integration Development System (SOFCIDS) requirements development, product evaluation and systems testing and training. RLM will be providing training documentation, technical writers, training specialists, electronic technicians and other media support professionals in the upcoming Design Testing (DT), Operational Testing (OT) and new equipment training (NET) for a family of electronic broadcast systems which encompass broadcast radio in AM, FM, SW and television in UHF and VHF analog television and digital television. The nature of the activity will include erecting the antenna system several times, startup up the transmitter and increasing ERP into a dummy load and into the radiating” antennas.

• Polytechnic Institute of NYU filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to conduct a network research project using WiMAX on 2535-2540 MHz. This is part of the nationwide Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) project, a suite of infrastructure that will support experimental research in network science and engineering. GENI is supported by the National Science Foundation and managed by the GENI Project Office at BBN Technologies.

• Mnemonics, Inc. filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate in support of a research project that is to develop and demonstrate the viability of wirelessly extracting measured data from a network of passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor devices. This sensing technique is said to have several advantages over existing sensors, including no wired connections needed to extract data, no power requirements, operation up to 1000 degrees C., and sensor cost in-quantity in the tens of cents each. Operation will be on 915 MHz.

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to operate on 512-608 and 614-698 MHz. This is in support of research and evaluation of equipment that uses radio-location technology to precisely identify the location of firefighters and firefighter deployed sensors within a building.

• Zimmerman Associates filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to test prototype equipment that uses ultra wideband (UWB) technology developed by Time Domain Corporation. The equipment generates a signal that is pulse position modulated. The position of the modulated pulse varies randomly in time producing an emission that approximates Gaussian noise. The nominal center frequency of the signal is 4.4 to 4.5 GHz with the half power point bandwidth at 3.1 to 5.6 GHz. The radiated power of the device is below the general limits set forth in Part 15. This testing is in support of a U.S. Army contract.

• The Moment Lab, University of California, Santa Barbara filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to conduct experimentation regarding use of the TV white spaces. The Lab seeks to evaluate its solutions for modulation and coding scheme and channel width adaptation on long-distance (rural) white-space links. Operation will be on 512-608 and 614-698 MHz.

• Panasonic Avionics Corporation filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license  to conduct ground testing in support of Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite (GCS) featuring the “eXconnect” Ku-band aeronautical mobile-satellite service (AMSS) system supporting wireless connectivity for devices such as GSM phones and Wi-Fi enabled laptops. Using low-power wireless transceivers onboard aircraft, GCS processes passenger communications for transmission to ground networks via satellite communications networks. Operation will be on various frequencies between 421 and 5825 MHz.

• Ingegneria Dei Sistemi S.p.a. filed an application for special temporary authority to operate equipment for landslide monitoring as part of a demonstration for the US Geological Survey. The equipment is classified in Europe as a portable Short range Device (SRD) as it said to be compatible with primary services. Compliance testing of this equipment with the applicable requirements in the US, however, has not been yet been accomplished. Operation will be on 17.1-17.3 GHz.

• DRS EW & Network Systems filed an application for special temporary authority to test identification, friend or foe (IFF) equipment that is being developed under a contract with Italian Air Force. Operation is between 1030 and 1090 MHz.

• Boundary County Community Television filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to operate using vacant spectrum in the television broadcast bands (white spaces) for the testing of fixed white-space devices. Boundary County Community Television is working jointly with Spectrum Bridge in investigating the usefulness of available white space (UHF/VHF) spectrum by providing “rural broadband access and support of video, sensor, low power AM broadcast radio using IP streaming, Wi-Fi access and medical records exchange.” The two companies will also be working with the U.S. Customs and Forest Service in application development and evaluation. Operation will be on 174-216, 470-608, and 614-698 MHz near Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

• Magna Electronics filed an application (with supporting exhibits), apparently for experimental license (the application form is not available at this time). Magna Electronics says it is developing an automotive 77 GHz radar for use in the reduction of vehicular accidents through situational awareness. Research is underway to detect forward objects of interest that may cause an accident, to either warn the driver or autonomously brake the vehicle to reduce the impact energy. Magna also notes that over 1.8 million rear end collisions are reported in the United States annually; this is more than 1/3 of all reported accidents and is the leading accident type.

• Dell Marketing filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for special temporary authority to conduct market studies that focus on consumer acceptability of mobile digital television transmitted using the ATSC A/153 standard. This authority applies only to reception devices.  Transmission will be made from regularly licensed TV stations. The reception devices to be used in the test (up to 1000 specially configured Dell Netbook computers) will include tuners for the reception of ATSC A/53 conventional DTV signals and ATSC A/153 mobile DTV signals but not analog tuners. Frequencies to be used include 54-72, 76-88, 174-216, and 470-698 MHz.

According to Dell, “The receivers at issue are not to be sold directly to the public. Instead,, the receivers are to be sold to Dell commercial customers who, as a result of the tests they are to conduct, will be able to provide feedback as to such issues as the field performance of the receivers, acceptability of the user interface, consumer expectations and acceptability of possible prices (e.g. “Would you be willing to pay _____ for this device, provided that it includes DTV/MDTV reception capability?”), consumer use data (hours per day of viewing, principle reasons for viewing, reasons for stopping viewing), and perceived value of the service.”

Dell also says “Half of the proposed units will be sold to a major multi-channel video programming provider for use in a test in which the provider will make the receivers available to selected consumers who agree to participate in the test. The others are to be made available for sale to broadcast television transmission equipment makers who will provide them to broadcast stations for demonstration and consumer feedback purposes in connection with the launch of mobile television service this summer. In both cases, a condition of Dell’s sale will be to provide Dell feedback that will assist Dell in both product design and marketing, including being able to set initial prices should the Commission agree ultimately to permit the widespread marketing of portable receivers without analog tuners that are designed for on-the-go reception and are powered primarily from batteries.”

• Alcatel-Lucent filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to operate on various frequencies between 698 and 2155 MHz to evaluate LTE technology over-the-air. Specific tests are to include validation of call processing, handoffs, power control, and data scheduler algorithms.

• Inmarsat Hawaii filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to conduct technical demonstrations using new, pre-production Global Satellite Phone Service (“GSPS”) prototype handsets, test these handsets in connection with their production and the deployment of other parts of the GSPS network, and otherwise develop radio techniques, equipment, operational data and engineering data related to GSPS. Inmarsat Hawaii says that “GSPS will be a highly competitive offering in terms of hardware costs, airtime rates and service quality, with a strong combination of form and functionality that Inmarsat believes will change the landscape in the provision of the mobile satellite services. The requested experimental authority would facilitate the introduction of GSPS to the U.S. by enabling Inmarsat to develop the technical expertise to extend and enhance existing uses of L-band spectrum through the introduction of GSPS.”

• Associated Air Center filed an application for special temporary authority to perform electromagnetic interference susceptibility tests to demonstrate that the use of on-board cell phones do not cause interference on any electrical equipment installed on the aircraft while on the ground. “A direct influence on the aircrafts navigation and communication systems is not expected, but a susceptibility investigation is considered neccessary [sic] as the electromagnetic field levels are in close vicinity of the signal source might raise to levels that cause interference. The testing will concentrate on demonstrating the electromagnetic compatibility of RF bands used for CDMA, GSM, PDC and UMTS cell phones within a aircraft environment [sic].” Operation will be on various frequencies between 410 and 2700 MHz.

• Booz Allen Hamilton filed an application for special temporary authority to evaluate the RF performance of commercial IEEE 802.16e (Mobile WiMAX) equipment for United States Air Force Global Broadcast Service applications. Operation is to be on 2620.250-2628.500 MHz.

• Raytheon Network Centric Systems filed an application for special temporary authority to test a Ground Surveillance Radar (GSR) system, intended to provide all-weather detection and tracking capability for facility/critical infrastructure and border security programs. Operation is to be on 3100-3500 MHz.

• Vexcel, a Microsoft subsidiary, filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to demonstrate a specialized short range, low power trailer-mounted radar system that illuminates a rock wall next to a highway and maps the surface profile in detail. Vexcel says that this technique can be used to detect potential dangerous rockfalls that could damage vehicles and travelers on the adjacent highway. Operation is to be on 10.7-11.2 GHz.

As background, Vexcel says that in October 2007, it “made a presentation to the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHA) office proposing the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology for the detection and monitoring of rock fall and landslides on steep slopes that border busy transportation corridors. Vexcel had previously demonstrated through software simulation that integrating the interferometric SAR data processing technique into a ground-based system would enable the measurement of surface displacements on the order of a millimeter at stand-off distances of up to several hundred meters. Since surface displacements are a precursor to rock wall failure, the ability to measure surface displacement over time yields a capability to predict wall failures. This predictive capability would enable transportation authorities to schedule mitigation activities during low traffic periods thereby minimizing the risk to life and limb of rock wall failures and significantly reducing their negative economic impacts.”

“To properly verify the system operation, Vexcel needs to measure several different types of rock formations. To do this, the system will be installed on a trailer which can be towed to each experimental site. A drawing depicting the trailer system is shown in Figure 1. Directional horn antennas are used to transmit and receive the radar’s radio frequency signal. The antennas are mounted on a linear rail system and are moved horizontally and vertically along the rails. The motion is such that the antenna pointing direction is not changed during operation. The horizontal rail allows for 5 meters of motion. The vertical rail allows for 1.6 meter of motion. The antenna’s highest position above the ground during operation is 2.6 meters.”

• TWC Wireless, the wireless division of Time Warner Cable, filed an application (with supporting exhibits) for experimental license to test WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) equipment and applications over-the-air. These tests are intended to support system, application and device development, as well as quality assurance. Operation is to be on 2513-2535 MHz.

• L-3 Communications Linkabit Division filed an application (with associated exhibits) for experimental license to conduct a series of experiments with HF and VHF multiband radio equipment. The purpose of the experiment is to confirm performance of the equipment against engineering specifications, characterize field performance of the equipment, and rehearse scripted equipment demonstrations in support of marketing activities. Operation is to be on various frequencies from 1.8 to 107.5 MHz. The communications will be primarily voice with very limited digital data. Also, encrypted (AES 256) and unencrypted communications will be evaluated. Upon successful conclusion of the experiments, the equipment will be offered for sale worldwide, subject to US export regulations.

• Morehead State University filed an application for special temporary authority to operate a ground station and characterize the Mini-RF radar instrument, one of seven instruments on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The LRO is currently orbiting the Moon. The science team has a program requirement to characterize the transmit and receive paths of the Mini-RF instrument on a regular basis. The characterizations require one week of testing and repeated every 9-12 months. Operation is to be on various frequencies from 2370 to 7150 MHz.

• Telcordia Technologies filed an application (with supporting exhibit) for experimental license to conduct testing on 495-505 and 525-535 kHz in support of deliverables under a Department of Defense research program for the Laboratory of Telecommunication Sciences. The project includes experiments to better understand vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure to natural and man-made phenomena. In particular, Telcordia proposes to conduct experiments on the impact of radio frequency interference (RFI) into advanced communications services such as broadband access. It proposes to do this by running short term transmission experiments at a number of locations using conventional AM transmissions, but just below the commercial AM band to avoid interference with commercial broadcasts.