Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 83789 

System falls under these categories by 

its nature as investigatory material, and 

for this reason, U.S. AbilityOne 

Commission is adding 41 CFR 51–9.6. 

Summary of Comment and Response 

The Commission received one 

comment on the proposed rule. 

Comment: One comment argued that 

the OIG should not be able to use the 

5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2) exemption because 

its function is not sufficiently criminal 

and sought more clarification on the 

nature of the system of records and how 

the exemptions apply. 

Response: The IG Act outlines the 

authorities of the Inspector General 

under 5 U.S.C. 404(a) and grants it the 

ability to conduct, supervise, and 

coordinate investigations related to the 

program and to manage identification 

and prosecution of fraud and abuse. 41 

CFR 51–9.601(c) explains the reasons 

the exemptions are justified to operate 

an investigatory system of records. 

Details about the system of records, 

such as what information it contains 

and how it is collected, are under the 

AbilityOne/OIG–001 Case Management 

System SORN, 88 FR 40223. 

List of Subjects in 41 CFR Part 51–9 

Privacy. 

For reasons stated in the preamble, 

the Committee amends 41 CFR part 51– 

9 as follows: 

PART 51–9—PRIVACY ACT RULES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 51– 

9 continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552a. 

■ 2. Revise subpart 51–9.6, consisting of 

§ 51–9.601, to read as follows: 

Subpart 51–9.6—Exemptions 

§ 51–9.601 Office of Inspector General 

exemptions. 

(a) Pursuant to section (j) of the 

Privacy Act of 1974, the Committee has 

deemed it necessary to adopt the 

following exemptions to specified 

provisions of the Privacy Act: 

(1) Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j)(2), the 

AbilityOne/OIG–001 Case Management 

System, System of Records is exempt 

from the following provisions of the 

Privacy Act: 5 U.S.C. 552a (c)(3)–(4); (d); 

(e)(1)–(3); (e)(4)(G)–(I); (e)(5); (e)(8); and 

(f)–(g) and from 41 CFR 51–9.1, 51–9.2, 

51–9.3, 51–9.4, and 51–9.7. 

(2) [Reserved] 

(b) Pursuant to section (k) of the 

Privacy Act of 1974, the Committee has 

deemed it necessary to adopt the 

following exemptions to specified 

provisions of the Privacy Act: 

(1) Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2), 

AbilityOne/OIG–001 Case Management 

System, System of Records is exempt 

from the following provisions of the 

Privacy Act, subject to the limitations 

set forth in those subsections: 5 U.S.C. 

552a(c)(3), (d), (e)(4)(G)–(I), and (f) and 

from 41 CFR 51–9.1, 51–9.2, 51–9.3, 51– 

9.4, and 51–9.7. 

(2) [Reserved] 

(c) Exemptions from the subsections 

are justified because application of these 

provisions would present a serious 

impediment to law enforcement. Access 

to the records contained in this system 

of records could inform the subject of an 

investigation of an actual or potential 

criminal, civil, or regulatory violation, 

of the existence of that investigation; of 

the nature and scope of the information 

and evidence obtained as to his 

activities; of the identity of confidential 

sources, witnesses, and law enforcement 

personnel, and of information that may 

enable the subject to avoid detection or 

apprehension. These factors would 

present a serious impediment to 

effective law enforcement where they 

prevent the successful completion of the 

investigation, endanger the physical 

safety of confidential sources, witnesses, 

and law enforcement personnel, and/or 

lead to the improper influencing of 

witnesses, the destruction of evidence, 

or the fabrication of testimony. In 

addition, granting access to such 

information could disclose securitysensitive or confidential business 

information or information that would 

constitute an unwarranted invasion of 

the personal privacy of third parties. 

Finally, access to the records could 

result in the release of properly 

classified information which would 

compromise the national defense or 

disrupt foreign policy. Amendment of 

the records would interfere with 

ongoing investigations and law 

enforcement activities and impose an 

impossible administrative burden by 

requiring investigations to be 

continuously reinvestigated. It is not 

possible to detect relevance or necessity 

of specific information in the early 

stages of a civil, criminal or other law 

enforcement investigation, case, or 

matter, including investigations in 

which use is made of properly classified 

information. Relevance and necessity 

are questions of judgment and timing, 

and it is only after the information is 

evaluated that the relevance and 

necessity of such information can be 

established. 

Michael R. Jurkowski, 

Director, Business Operations. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24087 Filed 10–17–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

47 CFR Parts 15 and 74 

[ET Docket No. 21–115; RM–11821; FCC 24– 

22; FR ID 207656] 

Wireless Microphones in the TV 

Bands, 600 MHz Guard Band, 600 MHz 

Duplex Gap, and the 941.5–944 MHz, 

944–952 MHz, 952.850–956.250 MHz, 

956.45–959.85 MHz, 1435–1525 MHz, 

6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz 

Bands 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal 

Communications Commission 

(Commission) revises the technical rules 

for low-power auxiliary station (LPAS) 

devices to permit a recently developed 

type of wireless microphone system, 

termed herein as a Wireless 

Multichannel Audio System (WMAS), 

to operate in the broadcast television 

(TV) bands and other LPAS frequency 

bands on a licensed basis. The 

Commission adopts technical rules for 

licensed WMAS operations in specific 

frequency bands under our LPAS rules 

and also permits WMAS to operate on 

an unlicensed basis under the rules in 

the TV bands and 600 MHz duplex gap. 

The Commission updates its existing 

LPAS and technical rules for wireless 

microphones, which already rely on 

certain European Telecommunications 

Standards Institute (ETSI) standards, to 

incorporate the latest version of that 

standard where appropriate. Finally, the 

Commission updates the wireless 

microphone rules to reflect the end of 

the post-Incentive Auction transition 

period. The Commission’s goal in the 

FCC document is to increase wireless 

microphone spectral efficiency and 

enable more intensive use in the 

spectrum available for such operations. 

DATES: This rule is effective November 

18, 2024. The incorporation by reference 

of certain material listed in this rule is 

approved by the Director of the Federal 

Register as of November 18, 2024. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Hugh VanTuyl of the Office of 

Engineering and Technology, at 

Hugh.VanTuyl@fcc.gov or 202–418– 

7506. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a 

summary of the Commission’s Report 

and Order, ET Docket No. 21–115 and 

RM–11821; FCC 24–22, adopted and 

released on February 15, 2024. The full 

text of this document is available for 

public inspection and can be 


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downloaded at: https://https://

docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC24-22A1.pdf. Alternative formats are 

available for people with disabilities 

(Braille, large print, electronic files, 

audio format) by sending an email to 

FCC504@fcc.gov or calling the 

Commission’s Consumer and 

Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 

418–0530 (voice), (202) 418–0432 

(TTY). 

Procedural Matters 

Regulatory Flexibility Act. The 

Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as 

amended (RFA), requires that an agency 

prepare a regulatory flexibility analysis 

for notice and comment rulemakings, 

unless the agency certifies that ‘‘the rule 

will not, if promulgated, have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities.’’ 

Accordingly, we have prepared a Final 

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) 

concerning the possible impact of the 

rule changes contained in the Report 

and Order on small entities. The FRFA 

is set forth in Appendix C of the FCC 

document, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/ 

attachments/FCC-24-22A1.pdf. 

Paperwork Reduction Act. The Report 

and Order does not contain new or 

modified information collection 

requirements subject to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public 

Law 104–13. In addition, therefore, it 

does not contain any new or modified 

information collection burden for small 

business concerns with fewer than 25 

employees, pursuant to the Small 

Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, 

Public Law 107–198, see 44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(4). 

Congressional Review Act. The 

Commission has determined, and the 

Administrator of the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget, 

concurs, that this rule is non-major 

under the Congressional Review Act, 5 

U.S.C. 804(2). The Commission will 

send a copy of the Report and Order to 

Congress and the Government 

Accountability office, pursuant to 5 

U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A). 

Accessing Materials. People with 

Disabilities: To request materials in 

accessible formats for people with 

disabilities (braille, large print, 

electronic files, audio format), send an 

email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the 

Consumer & Governmental Affairs 

Bureau at 202–418–0530 (voice), 202– 

418–0432 (tty). 

Incorporation by Reference. 

Incorporation by reference (IBR) is the 

process that federal agencies use when 

referring to materials published 

elsewhere to give those materials the 

same force and effect of law in the Code 

of Federal Regulations (CFR) as if the 

materials’ text had actually been 

published in the Federal Register. By 

using IBR, the Commission is able to 

give effect to technical instructions, 

testing methodologies, and other 

process documents that are developed 

and owned by standards development 

organizations. Referencing these 

documents in the Commission’s rules in 

accordance with requirements 

established by the Office of the Federal 

Register substantially reduces the 

volume of material that the Commission 

otherwise would have to publish in the 

Federal Register and the CFR. Once the 

Commission has completed any 

necessary notice-and-comment 

rulemaking proceedings and determined 

based on the record that any standards 

the Commission adopts is sound and 

appropriate, the Commission need only 

update the references to the standards in 

the Commission’s rules. 

Synopsis 

The Commission amends the part 74 

low-power auxiliary station (LPAS) 

technical rules to permit the use of 

Wireless Multichannel Audio Systems 

(WMAS) in most of the frequency bands 

where wireless microphones are 

currently permitted to operate. WMAS 

devices uses wider channelization than 

currently is permitted for wireless 

microphones under part 74, along with 

a more efficient operating protocol, that 

can enable more microphones to be 

deployed within the same amount of 

spectrum. Specifically, the Commission 

adopts a definition of WMAS and 

specifies the frequency bands in which 

WMAS will be permitted, along with 

the technical requirements (spectral 

efficiency, channel bandwidth, 

maximum output power, and emission 

masks) that govern the operation of 

these systems on a licensed basis under 

part 74. The Commission adopts 

technical rules for WMAS consistent 

with the recently updated, i.e., 2021, 

European Telecommunication 

Standards Institute (ETSI) standard for 

WMAS. The Commission also updates 

its existing technical rules for currently 

authorized part 74 LPAS wireless 

microphones, which already rely on 

certain ETSI standards, to require the 

applicable portions of the 2021 ETSI 

standard for WMAS. In addition, the 

Commission revises the part 15 

technical rules for unlicensed wireless 

microphone devices that operate in the 

TV bands and the 600 MHz duplex gap 

to permit WMAS operations in those 

bands and to require use of the 2021 

ETSI standard. Finally, the Commission 

makes minor updates to the part 15 and 

part 74 rules to reflect the end of the 

post-Incentive Auction transition. The 

existing licensing mechanisms and 

eligibility requirements under part 74 

subpart H of the Commission’s rules 

remain unchanged. 

At the time the Commission released 

the Notice, the latest ETSI standard for 

wireless microphones was the version 

released in 2017, but the Commission 

noted the possibility that ETSI could 

further update its standard during the 

pendency of the FCC document. The 

standard was updated in November 

2021 after the Commission released the 

NPRM (86 FR 35046, July 1, 2021). In 

assessing the changes between the 2017 

and 2021 versions, the Commission 

finds that none of the changes affecting 

the parts of the standard that pertain to 

the FCC proceeding were of a 

substantive nature; thus, the changes 

between the two versions does not affect 

the overall proposals or the nature of the 

record. Consistent with the Commission 

current practices regarding the ETSI 

wireless microphone standard, the 

Commission will continue to require 

only specific portions in its rules, i.e., 

the transmit emission masks and 

spurious emission limits. As noted, the 

Commission finds that there are no 

significant differences between the 2017 

and 2021 ETSI standards in that regard. 

Several parties recognize the pending 

update to the ETSI standard in their 

comments and explicitly support 

adoption of the 2021 version. 

The OFR has regulations concerning 

incorporation by reference. These 

regulations require that, for a final rule, 

agencies must discuss in the preamble 

to the final rule the way in which 

materials that the agency incorporates 

by reference are reasonably available to 

interested parties, and how interested 

parties can obtain the materials. 

Additionally, the preamble to the final 

rule must summarize the material. 

Sections 15.236(g), 74.861(d)(4), and 

(e)(7) of the final rules require certain 

wireless microphones to comply with 

the transmit emission masks and 

spurious emission limits in European 

Telecommunications Standards Institute 

(ETSI) standard EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11): Wireless Microphones; 

Audio PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 1: Audio 

PMSE Equipment up to 3 GHz; 

Harmonised Standard for access to radio 

spectrum. This standard specifies the 

technical characteristics and methods of 

measurements for ‘‘audio programme 

making and special events’’ (PMSE) 

equipment operating with up to 250 

mW output power on radio frequencies 

up to 3 GHz. PMSE equipment within 

the scope of this standard is equipment 

that is used in wireless applications for 


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audio transmission purposes including, 

but not limited to, wireless 

microphones, in-ear monitoring 

systems, conference systems, talkback 

systems, tour guide systems, cognitive 

PMSE, Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems (WMAS), and assistive 

listening devices. ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11) is available from ETSI 

at 650 Route des Lucioles, F–06921 

Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France. It may 

be downloaded at no charge from ETSI 

at: https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/ 

300400_300499/30042201/02.02.01_60/ 

en_30042201v020201p.pdf. 

Revisions to the Part 74 LPAS Rules To 

Authorize WMAS 

Definition of WMAS 

The Commission adopts the WMAS 

definition in the 2021 ETSI standard, 

‘‘wireless audio transmission systems 

using digital broadband transmission 

techniques for microphone and in-ear 

monitor systems applications, and other 

multichannel audio PMSE use, e.g. with 

the ability to support three or more 

audio channels per MHz,’’ with two 

modifications. The Commission does 

not include the term ‘‘PMSE,’’ which is 

not used in the Commission rules and 

is not needed because the part 74 rules 

already define the device categories to 

which the rules apply. The Commission 

also does not include the phrase 

concerning ‘‘the ability [of WMAS] to 

support three or more audio channels 

per MHz’’ since that is listed merely as 

an example in the definition, but the 

Commission separately specifies a 

similar spectral efficiency requirement 

in the rules. Accordingly, for purposes 

of parts 15 and 74, the Commission 

defines ‘‘Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems’’ as ‘‘[w]ireless audio 

transmission systems using broadband 

digital transmission techniques for 

microphone and in-ear monitor system 

applications and other multichannel 

audio use.’’ The Commission believes 

that this definition will encompass the 

types of WMAS devices that 

manufacturers are developing, and is 

consistent with several commenters’ 

requests to adopt a WMAS definition 

similar to ETSI’s definition. 

Frequency Bands of Operation 

The Commission permits WMAS to 

operate on a licensed basis in all of the 

bands it proposed in the Notice, 

specifically, the VHF–TV bands (54–72 

MHz, 76–88 MHz, and 174–216 MHz), 

the UHF–TV band (470–608 MHz), the 

653–657 MHz segment of the 600 MHz 

duplex gap, and the 941.5–944 MHz, 

944–952 MHz, 952.850–956.250 MHz, 

956.45–959.85 MHz, 1435–1525 MHz, 

6875–6900 MHz, and 7100–7125 MHz 

bands. Several of these bands, including 

the TV bands, allow for WMAS channel 

sizes of 6 megahertz or greater, while 

the smaller bands (the 653–657 MHz 

segment of the duplex gap, the 952.850– 

956.250 MHz band, and the 956.45– 

959.85 MHz) each contain three to four 

megahertz of spectrum. While 

Sennheiser argues that WMAS works 

best with at least 6 megahertz of 

spectrum, it and other parties indicate 

that WMAS can work with a lesser 

amount. 

The Commission disagrees that it 

should prohibit either WMAS or the 

types of wireless microphones currently 

permitted under part 74 from operating 

in the 6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 

MHz bands that are available for use by 

low power indoor Unlicensed National 

Information Infrastructure (U–NII) 

devices under part 15 of the rules. The 

Commission first permitted licensed 

wireless microphones to use these 

bands in the 2015 Wireless Microphones 

R&O, 80 FR 71702, November 17, 2015, 

which was intended to accommodate 

the future needs of wireless 

microphones by making additional 

spectrum available where they could 

operate. Some parties now argue that 

the 6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 

MHz bands should be removed from the 

list of frequencies available for licensed 

wireless microphone operations because 

the bands are not heavily used by 

wireless microphones at this time, 

retaining these bands creates regulatory 

uncertainty, and wireless microphones 

operating at these frequencies may have 

limited range as compared to wireless 

microphones in other bands. However, 

such a decision is beyond the scope of 

this order as the Commission did not 

seek comment in the Notice on the 

removal of the 6875–6900 MHz and 

7100–7125 MHz bands from the list of 

bands available for part 74 wireless 

microphones. In any event, the 

Commission does not believe that the 

relatively low current usage of these 

bands is a reason to remove them since 

they provide 50 megahertz of spectrum 

that could accommodate licensed 

wireless microphones at locations 

where additional spectrum capacity for 

microphones may be needed. 

Moreover, other parties express 

concern that WMAS operations in the 

6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz 

bands could negatively impact 

unlicensed devices and recommend that 

WMAS not be permitted to operate in 

those bands or that the WMAS power 

level be limited to reduce the potential 

for harmful interference. Because the 

Commission established rules for 

licensed wireless microphones in these 

bands prior to the 2020 6 GHz Report 

and Order, 85 FR 31390, May 26, 2020, 

that established rules for unlicensed 

devices in these bands, parties 

developing or operating unlicensed 

devices were already aware that they 

will have to share spectrum with 

licensed wireless microphones 

operating at power levels up to one 

watt. Allowing WMAS to operate in the 

6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz 

bands in addition to the part 74 wireless 

microphones currently permitted will 

not negatively impact unlicensed 

operations as some parties suggest. As 

discussed below, WMAS must comply 

with the same power limit as other part 

74 wireless microphones in the 6875– 

6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz bands, 

i.e., one watt, but the Commission is 

establishing a wider 20-megahertz 

maximum allowable bandwidth for 

WMAS. Therefore, WMAS power 

spectral density (PSD) in these bands 

will be lower than that permitted by the 

current rules, so the interference 

potential of WMAS to unlicensed 

devices will be lower than current 

wireless microphones. Further, as 

parties noted, the wireless microphone 

operating range in the 6875–6900 MHz 

and 7100–7125 MHz bands is short, 

which means that the distance at which 

unlicensed devices could potentially 

receive harmful interference from them 

is also short. And finally, the 

Commission notes that unlicensed 6 

GHz devices in that band are limited to 

low-power-indoor devices. These 

devices are required to incorporate a 

contention-based protocol that will help 

promote co-existence with other band 

users, including wireless microphone 

users. For these reasons, the 

Commission disagrees that the decision 

to permit WMAS and other part 74 

wireless microphones to operate in the 

6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz 

bands will create regulatory uncertainty 

for manufacturers and users of 

unlicensed devices in these bands. 

The Commission disagrees with 

ViacomCBS that it should prohibit 

WMAS from operating in the UHF–TV 

band or make WMAS operations 

secondary to narrowband wireless 

microphones. The UHF–TV band has 

historically been used by wireless 

microphones for reasons such as good 

signal propagation and compact device 

size, and multiple parties support its 

use by WMAS. Prohibiting WMAS 

operation in this band would severely 

reduce the public benefits that more 

efficient wireless microphone systems 

will provide. In any event, it is not clear 

that allowing WMAS in the UHF–TV 

band would have a significant impact 


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on narrowband wireless microphone 

use by broadcasters. Because the 

Commission will not permit licensed 

WMAS to operate with any greater 

power than a single licensed 

narrowband wireless microphone and 

the wider bandwidth will result in 

lower PSD, the distance at which a 

WMAS could interfere with other 

wireless microphones will be short, 

meaning that any impact on narrowband 

wireless microphone usage will be 

extremely localized. Further, under the 

part 74 rules, licensees operating 

wireless microphones are expected to 

work with other nearby licensees to 

avoid mutual interference, and 

ViacomCBS has provided no evidence 

that this process would not work 

between licensees using WMAS and 

narrowband wireless microphones. The 

Commission declines to make WMAS 

secondary to narrowband wireless 

microphones and therefore gives 

narrowband wireless microphones users 

greater spectrum rights. Such an action 

could result in undesirable situations 

where a single licensed narrowband 

wireless microphone user could 

preclude a more efficient WMAS from 

operating, as opposed to those users 

being required to work cooperatively to 

enable both types of wireless 

microphones to operate. 

Licensed WMAS Technical 

Requirements 

The Commission adopts technical 

requirements for WMAS devices 

operating on a licensed basis under part 

74 of the rules. While the current part 

74 rules for wireless microphones are 

based on narrower bandwidths than 

those required for WMAS, the 

Commission permits wider bandwidths 

for WMAS at no higher power levels 

than the current rules permit and 

specify emission masks for these 

devices. 

Bandwidth 

The Commission permits licensed 

WMAS to operate with a maximum 

bandwidth of 6 megahertz in the VHF– 

TV and UHF–TV bands specified in part 

74 of the rules. This corresponds to the 

size of a TV channel and is supported 

by the record. The Commission also 

adopts its proposal to require a WMAS 

device to operate entirely within a 

single 6 MHz channel and not span 

parts of two adjacent channels to 

promote more efficient spectrum 

sharing between narrowband wireless 

microphones, WMAS, and white space 

devices. WMAS devices operating in the 

4 megahertz portion of the 600 MHz 

duplex gap available to licensed 

wireless microphones will be limited to 

the width of that band. 

Outside of the TV bands and 600 MHz 

duplex gap, the Commission permits 

WMAS to operate with bandwidths up 

to 20 megahertz in spectrum bands 

where licensed microphone use is 

permitted by the part 74 rules and that 

contain sufficient spectrum, consistent 

with the 2021 ETSI standard, which 

requires a WMAS bandwidth that is less 

than or equal to 20 megahertz. Wireless 

microphones operating in bands that are 

less than 20 megahertz wide will be 

limited to the width of those bands. If 

ETSI adopts a standard in the future 

permitting bandwidths greater than 20 

megahertz and the Commission, after 

notice and comment, adopts that 

standard and makes corresponding 

amendments to the rules, parties will be 

permitted to operate WMAS with wider 

bandwidths in frequency bands that 

contain sufficient spectrum to do so. 

The Commission does not believe that a 

20 megahertz bandwidth limit is overly 

restrictive since there is no indication in 

the record that wireless microphone 

manufacturers are interested in 

developing systems with greater 

bandwidths, and in the event a party 

has a need to operate in a larger amount 

of spectrum, it could use multiple 

WMAS systems. The Commission also 

does not believe that allowing 

bandwidths of greater than 6 megahertz 

outside the TV bands will increase the 

likelihood of harmful interference to 

other services or unlicensed operations. 

On the contrary, as discussed in more 

detail below, the Commission is 

requiring WMAS devices operating 

under part 74 to comply with the same 

power limits currently in the rules, 

resulting in a lower power spectral 

density and thus reducing the 

likelihood of harmful interference to 

other users in the bands where WMAS 

operates. The Commission declines to 

require WMAS devices operating in the 

6875–6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz 

bands to avoid specific frequencies that 

could be used for unlicensed operations 

because under the rules unlicensed 

devices do not receive interference 

protection from licensed services. 

However, the Commission expects that 

any potential impact to unlicensed 

operations would be limited as wireless 

microphones generally only operate 

over relatively short distances and are 

generally itinerant and intermittent. 

Additionally, there are other channels 

in the 6 GHz band that unlicensed 

devices could move to at the times that 

they might be near a wireless 

microphone operation. 

The Commission notes Sennheiser’s 

argument that WMAS may not work as 

well using bandwidths less than 6 

megahertz and other parties assertions 

that WMAS should not be permitted in 

a bandwidth of less than 1 or 1.5 

megahertz. However, the Commission 

declines to specify a minimum 

bandwidth for WMAS devices operating 

in any frequency bands because parties 

are developing systems that can operate 

in smaller bandwidths (e.g., 1 or 2 

megahertz) and the Commission does 

not wish to preclude WMAS technical 

advancements that could allow more 

efficient operation in smaller 

bandwidths. 

Spectral Efficiency 

Consistent with the 2021 ETSI 

standard and the suggestions of 

Sennheiser and Waves, the Commission 

requires WMAS to have an operational 

mode capable of providing at least three 

audio channels per megahertz, but the 

Commission will not require WMAS to 

operate with a specific minimum 

number of channels at all times. As 

Sennheiser notes, WMAS allows 

dynamic resource allocation within a 

single TV channel for improved wireless 

microphone efficiency, e.g., higher 

audio quality for an act performing on 

stage, fewer resources (lower audio 

quality) for an act testing equipment 

prior to going on stage, and even fewer 

resources (intercom quality) for an act 

that has just finished. Because of this 

ability to modify channel usage, e.g., 

number of channels and/or their sizes, 

the Commission agrees with Sennheiser 

that a single spectral efficiency metric 

that must be met at all times would be 

inappropriate since the amount of 

spectrum needed can vary rapidly over 

time and may not always equal or 

exceed three audio channels per 

megahertz. Moreover, requiring a 

WMAS system to operate with at least 

three audio channels per megahertz at 

all times could create other 

inefficiencies and hardships for users. 

As noted, microphone usage 

requirements vary based on specific 

requirements at the time a microphone 

is needed. If the Commission were to 

require by rule that there be at least 

three audio channels per megahertz in 

operation at all times, then users would 

either need to have one or more 

narrowband microphone systems 

installed along with a WMAS system for 

those times when the spectral efficiency 

requirement was not being met, or the 

WMAS system would have to establish 

a connection to microphone(s) not 

actually needed at a given time just to 

meet the requirement. Neither outcome 

is desirable as they lead either to 

additional cost and complexity for users 

or inefficient spectrum use without any 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 83793 

corresponding benefits to the public. 

The Commission therefore believes that 

ETSI’s suggestion for WMAS to be 

capable of operating with three audio 

channels per megahertz is more 

appropriate than its initial proposal to 

require WMAS to meet this efficiency 

requirement at all times. 

The Commission recognizes the 

concerns of Microsoft, Lectrosonics, and 

Shure/NAB/Paramount about the need 

for efficient spectrum use by WMAS, 

but note that WMAS is expected to be 

high-end, and therefore significantly 

more complex and expensive equipment 

than current narrowband wireless 

microphone systems, making it likely to 

be used only at events where a large 

number of simultaneous audio channels 

is necessary. As Sennheiser indicates, 

WMAS’ inherent design efficiencies 

mean that in the vast majority of cases 

WMAS will operate with 24 or more 

audio channels within a 6 megahertz TV 

channel, thereby using more wireless 

microphones than required by the 

minimum capability mode the 

Commission is requiring. Also, under 

the part 74 rules, licensed wireless 

microphone users are required to 

coordinate among themselves to ensure 

that they do not cause mutual 

interference. This required coordination 

will help ensure efficient spectrum use 

by and promote co-existence among 

parties using both WMAS and 

conventional narrowband wireless 

microphones. Finally, the Commission 

notes that any potential conflicts 

between WMAS and narrowband 

wireless microphones are likely to raise 

similar scenarios as those that occur 

between parties operating narrowband 

wireless microphones under the existing 

rules and for which such users 

successfully manage and coordinate 

today, in that a single party could 

operate multiple narrowband wireless 

microphones that fill a single 6 

megahertz TV or multiple TV channels. 

Output Power 

The Commission permits WMAS to 

operate on a licensed basis under the 

part 74 rules at the same power levels 

currently permitted under these rules, 

i.e., 50 milliwatts EIRP in the VHF–TV 

bands, 250 milliwatts conducted power 

in the UHF band, 20 milliwatts EIRP in 

the 600 MHz duplex gap, 250 milliwatts 

conducted power in the 1435–1525 

MHz band, and 1 watt conducted power 

in all other bands. These power levels 

are supported by the record. Because the 

Commission is permitting WMAS to 

operate with wider bandwidths than the 

part 74 rules currently permit, the 

power spectral density for WMAS, 

which will operate using wider 

bandwidths than that used for 

narrowband wireless microphones, will 

be lower than for a single narrowband 

wireless microphone, and therefore 

significantly lower than when multiple 

narrowband wireless microphones 

operate within a single channel. This 

will result in a decreased potential for 

WMAS to cause harmful interference to 

other users in the bands where they 

operate, including broadcast TV, 

licensed and unlicensed wireless 

microphones (narrowband or WMAS), 

unlicensed white space devices, and 

aeronautical mobile telemetry (AMT) 

operations in the 1435–1525 MHz band. 

The Commission declines to modify 

the rules to remove the inconsistency in 

the power specification for licensed 

wireless microphones in the TV bands 

(EIRP in the VHF–TV bands and 

conducted power in the UHF–TV band). 

Wireless microphone manufacturers 

argue that there is no need for changes, 

and Microsoft does not indicate any 

specific harms from maintaining the 

current rules. Because no party has 

shown a need to modify the rules, the 

Commission retains the current power 

specifications for part 74 wireless 

microphones in the TV bands without 

change. 

Emission Mask and Spurious Emission 

Limits 

The Commission requires WMAS 

operating under part 74 to comply with 

the emission mask and spurious 

emission limits in ETSI EN 300 422–1 

(2021). Specifically, emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with the emission mask in Figure 3 of 

section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11); and emissions outside 

of this mask shall comply with the 

spurious emission limits specified in 

section 4.2.4.1.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11). This mask and these 

emission limits will protect licensed 

operations in adjacent bands from 

WMAS operations, including broadcast 

TV and licensed wireless microphones, 

and will enable coexistence with 

unlicensed operations, including white 

space devices and unlicensed wireless 

microphones. Wireless microphone 

manufacturers support these 

requirements. While Microsoft 

expresses concern about adopting ETSI 

standards finalized after the 2017 

standard, the Commission observes that 

there is no significant differences in the 

WMAS emission mask and the spurious 

emission limits between the 2017 

standard and the 2021 standard. 

Specifically, both the 2017 and 2021 

masks are identical up to a frequency 

offset 2.5 times the WMAS bandwidth 

above and below the carrier, which for 

WMAS on a 6-megahertz TV channel 

covers the operating channel as well as 

the upper and lower first and second 

adjacent TV channels. The only 

difference between the masks is the 

point at which a WMAS must comply 

with the ETSI spurious emission limits 

(more than 2.5 times the WMAS 

bandwidth removed from the carrier in 

the 2021 standard, as opposed to 5 times 

the WMAS bandwidth from the carrier 

in the 2017 standard). Microsoft raises 

no objection to the use of the mask in 

the ETSI 2021 standard in response to 

wireless microphone manufacturers’ 

filings in support of this standard. 

The spurious emission limits are 

specified differently in the 2021 ETSI 

standard than in the 2017 standard (in 

dBm rather than microwatts or 

nanowatts), but the limits themselves 

are equivalent. Because the ETSI 

spurious emission limit in the TV bands 

is generally more stringent than the 

limit at the edge of the WMAS emission 

mask, and because the 2021 mask covers 

a narrower frequency range, the 

emission mask in the 2021 ETSI 

standard will provide slightly greater 

protection to operations in adjacent 

bands than the 2017 ETSI mask since 

the lower spurious emission limits 

apply at a lesser frequency separation 

from the carrier. In addition, the ETSI 

spurious emission limit generally 

provides greater protection than the part 

15 out-of-band emission limits. Thus, 

incorporating the 2021 ETSI WMAS 

emission mask and spurious emission 

limits instead of those in the 2017 

standard will not result in any increased 

likelihood of harmful interference to 

operations in adjacent bands, including 

other wireless microphones and 

unlicensed white space devices. 

The Commission declines to require 

wireless microphones, either 

narrowband or WMAS, to comply with 

the ETSI intermodulation distortion 

limits, as suggested by Shure and 

Sennheiser. The Commission’s rules do 

not currently specify any comparable 

type of limits for wireless microphones, 

so requiring wireless microphones to 

comply with these limits would be a 

new requirement. The record does not 

indicate specific benefits associated 

with adopting this requirement, and 

there is no information on potential 

costs or other burdens, such as 

increased complexity for certification 

testing or the need for manufacturers to 

redesign equipment to comply with a 

new requirement. 

The Commission notes Wave’s 

assertion that the 2021 ETSI standard 

contains errors in the measurement 


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procedure for determining compliance 

with the emission mask. To the extent 

that Waves believes that there are errors, 

it should work with ETSI to address its 

concerns. However, in response to 

Wave’s request that the Commission 

permit alternative measurement 

procedures for determining compliance, 

the Commission notes its rules already 

provide flexibility in the measurement 

procedures that parties may use in 

preparing data for an application for 

certification. Specifically, test data must 

be measured in accordance with (1) 

bulletins or reports prepared by the 

Commission’s Office of Engineering and 

Technology (OET); (2) those procedures 

acceptable to the Commission and 

published by national engineering 

societies; or (3) any other measurement 

procedure acceptable to the 

Commission. Thus, the rules have 

provisions that could allow Waves to 

use a procedure that is a variation of, or 

an alternative to, the 2021 ETSI 

measurement procedure for determining 

compliance with the emission mask. If 

Waves wishes to do so, it should contact 

OET prior to applying for certification to 

determine whether its proposed 

alternative measurement procedures are 

acceptable to the Commission. 

Updating Technical Rules for Existing 

Part 74 LPAS Wireless Microphones to 

Revised ETSI Standards 

The Commission will require analog 

and digital narrowband (i.e., nonWMAS) wireless microphones operating 

under part 74 for which an application 

for certification is filed on or after the 

effective date of the rules to comply 

with the emission masks and spurious 

emission limits in ETSI EN 300 422–1 

(2021). Specifically, emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with either the emission mask in Figure 

1 (analog) or Figure 2 (digital) of section 

4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11); and emissions outside of this 

mask shall comply with the spurious 

emission limits specified in section 

4.2.4.1.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11). These masks and emission 

limits will protect licensed operations 

in adjacent bands, including broadcast 

TV and licensed wireless microphones, 

and will enable coexistence with 

unlicensed operations, including white 

space devices and unlicensed wireless 

microphones. In addition, incorporating 

the latest ETSI emission masks and 

spurious emission limits into the rules 

will harmonize certain Commission 

wireless microphone requirements with 

those used in other parts of the world, 

which will reduce the number of 

different regulatory requirements with 

which manufacturers must comply, 

reducing development and 

manufacturing costs as well as costs to 

consumers. While Microsoft expresses 

concern about adopting ETSI standards 

finalized after the 2017 standard, the 

Commission observes that the 

differences between the narrowband 

emission masks in the 2017 standard 

and in the 2021 standard are not 

significant and would not increase the 

potential for harmful interference to 

operations in adjacent bands, such as 

unlicensed white space devices. The 

Commission therefore adopts the 2021 

ETSI standard for narrowband emission 

masks. As discussed above, the 2021 

ETSI standard for spurious emission 

limits is equivalent to the 2017 

standard, so the Commission requires 

narrowband wireless microphones to 

comply with the spurious emission 

limits in the 2021 ETSI standard. 

Because there are no significant 

differences between the 2021 ETSI 

standard and the 2011 ETSI standard 

currently referenced in the rules, and 

because no party indicated that there is 

a need for a significant transition period 

to comply with the 2021 ETSI standard, 

the Commission will make the rule 

changes referencing the 2021 standard 

effective 30 days after publication in the 

Federal Register. Applications for 

certification for part 74 narrowband 

wireless microphones filed on or after 

that date must demonstrate compliance 

with the 2021 ETSI standard, although 

manufacturers may begin to use it 

sooner if they choose. 

Revisions to the Technical Rules for 

Part 15 Unlicensed Wireless 

Microphone Operations in the TV 

bands, the 600 MHz Guard Band, and 

the 600 MHz Duplex Gap 

Unlicensed WMAS Operation Under 

Part 15 

Frequency Bands 

The Commission will permit WMAS 

to operate on an unlicensed basis under 

part 15 in the VHF–TV and UHF–TV 

bands and in the upper 6-megahertz 

segment of the 600 MHz duplex gap 

(657–663 MHz), under the same 

definition of WMAS that it adopts for 

licensed WMAS. As Shure notes, there 

are many professional applications for 

wireless microphones where the 

operator is not eligible for a part 74 

license because it does not use 50 or 

more wireless microphones. Thus, the 

benefits of WMAS cannot be fully 

realized unless the Commission allows 

WMAS to operate on an unlicensed 

basis in addition to a licensed basis. The 

Commission agrees with Sennheiser that 

WMAS allows for more efficient use, 

i.e., fewer TV channels are required for 

large events that use a large number of 

wireless microphones, thus making 

more spectrum available for other 

applications, such as narrowband (nonWMAS) wireless microphones and 

white space devices. The Commission is 

not permitting unlicensed WMAS to 

operate in the 600 MHz guard band 

(614–616 MHz) since no party indicated 

that there is a need to do so. 

The Commission disagrees with 

Lectrosonics and ViacomCBS on 

limiting WMAS to licensed part 74 

operations only. Similar to licensed 

WMAS operations, unlicensed WMAS 

operations are unlikely to cause harmful 

interference to licensed wireless 

microphones since the wider bandwidth 

will result in a low PSD, limiting the 

range at which interference could occur. 

WMAS operating under part 15 must 

not cause harmful interference to 

licensed operations, including licensed 

wireless microphones, so in the event a 

part 15 WMAS system causes harmful 

interference to a licensed wireless 

microphone, the part 15 system would 

have to move to a different frequency or 

cease operation. It should not be 

difficult for a licensed wireless 

microphone user to locate an unlicensed 

WMAS system that causes interference 

since the range at which a system could 

cause interference to licensed wireless 

microphones will be short, and a 

WMAS system a short distance away 

should be easily identifiable by a large 

number of wireless microphones 

communicating with a sophisticated 

centralized base station. With regard to 

ViacomCBS’ concern about efficient 

spectrum use, unlicensed WMAS will 

be subject to the same spectral 

efficiency requirements as licensed 

WMAS, and there is no evidence in the 

record that unlicensed WMAS 

operations will be less efficient than 

licensed. Furthermore, in response to 

NCTA’s request that the Commission 

limits eligibility to operate WMAS in 

the 6 GHz band to part 74 licensees, the 

Commission notes that unlicensed 

WMAS are not authorized in the 6875– 

6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz bands 

since only entities with a part 74 license 

are eligible to operate wireless 

microphones in those bands. 

The Commission disagrees with 

Microsoft that it should prohibit 

unlicensed WMAS in the TV bands due 

to the potential impact on white space 

devices, particularly personal/portable 

devices. As an initial matter, there are 

currently no certified personal/portable 

white space devices. However, the 

Commission’s decision to allow 

unlicensed WMAS in the TV bands does 


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not change the relationship between any 

future personal/portable white space 

devices and unlicensed wireless 

microphones. That is, both types of 

devices must share spectrum in the TV 

bands on an equal basis; neither type of 

device has priority over the other. As 

discussed below, unlicensed WMAS 

will operate with no greater power than 

the rules currently permit for two 

narrowband unlicensed wireless 

microphones, so the impact of 

unlicensed WMAS on white space 

devices will be no greater than two 

narrowband wireless microphones, and 

will be significantly less than if many 

narrowband wireless microphones 

operate simultaneously within a single 

TV channel as the rules currently 

permit. Because personal/portable white 

space devices may operate with up to 

100 milliwatts EIRP in the TV bands, 

the same maximum power at which 

unlicensed WMAS could operate, 

personal/portable white space devices 

would have at least as much impact on 

unlicensed WMAS as unlicensed 

WMAS would have on personal/ 

portable white space devices. There is 

no expectation under the rules that 

unlicensed WMAS would have priority 

over other unlicensed uses, such as 

white space devices. In the event of a 

conflict between two unlicensed 

devices, the device operators would 

have to resolve the conflict among 

themselves by taking actions such as 

changing the operating channel, 

reorienting antennas, or changing 

location. 

The Commission also disagrees with 

Microsoft that it needs to consider the 

FCC proceeding simultaneously with 

the 2017 wireless microphones notice of 

proposed rulemaking that sought 

comment on whether the Commission 

should expand the eligibility for a part 

74 license to additional entities, e.g., 

those that routinely use fewer than 50 

wireless microphones. In the event the 

Commission decides to expand 

eligibility for part 74 licensing, that 

action would increase the number of 

parties eligible to register wireless 

microphones for protection in the white 

space database and thus could increase 

the number of TV channels reserved for 

licensed wireless microphones in the 

database. However, the Commission’s 

decision to allow unlicensed WMAS in 

the TV bands does not increase the 

number of parties eligible to register 

wireless microphones and, therefore 

will not increase the total number of TV 

channels reserved in the database. If the 

Commission expands licensing 

eligibility, the procedure for registering 

a WMAS on a TV channel by newly 

eligible entities would be no different 

than the procedure for registering 

narrowband wireless microphones. In 

either case, the registration process 

reserves an entire TV channel regardless 

of whether a party registers a single 

narrowband wireless microphone or a 

WMAS that fills an entire 6-megahertz 

channel. Because of the increased 

spectral efficiency provided by WMAS, 

i.e., more wireless microphones in a 

single TV channel, WMAS could 

actually reduce the number of TV 

channels that must be reserved in the 

white space database, thus leaving more 

vacant channels available for white 

space devices. 

Technical Requirements 

Bandwidth. Consistent with the 

Commission’s actions with respect to 

licensed WMAS, it will permit 

unlicensed WMAS to operate in the 

VHF–TV and UHF–TV bands with a 

maximum bandwidth of 6 megahertz, 

which corresponds to the size of a TV 

channel. Also consistent with the 

Commission’s actions with respect to 

licensed WMAS, the Commission will 

require unlicensed WMAS devices to 

operate entirely within a single 6 

megahertz channel and not span parts of 

two adjacent channels to promote more 

efficient spectrum sharing between 

narrowband wireless microphones, 

WMAS, and white space devices. The 

Commission will also permit unlicensed 

WMAS to operate within the 6- 

megahertz portion of the 600 MHz 

duplex gap (657–663 MHz) that is 

available to unlicensed wireless 

microphones. As with licensed WMAS, 

the Commission does not specify a 

minimum bandwidth for unlicensed 

WMAS because some parties may 

choose to operate systems with smaller 

bandwidths (e.g., one or two megahertz, 

as suggested by Shure), and the 

Commission does not wish to preclude 

WMAS technical advancements that 

could allow it to operate more 

efficiently with smaller bandwidths. 

Thus, Shure will be able to operate its 

WMAS system under the rules the 

Commission adopts, subject to the 

power limits discussed below. Because 

many wireless microphones used in 

unlicensed applications are identical to 

those used in licensed applications 

(except for the maximum allowable 

power in the UHF TV band), 

establishing the same technical 

requirements for wireless microphones 

under both parts 74 and 15 of the rules 

will enable manufacturers to produce 

wireless microphones at lower cost 

since they will not have develop 

multiple variations to comply with 

differing regulatory requirements. 

The Commission disagrees with 

Shure/NAB/Paramount that all 

unlicensed WMAS systems should be 

limited to a channel size of only one or 

two megahertz to enable coexistence 

with narrowband wireless microphones. 

Such a restriction could severely limit 

the maximum number of audio channels 

that an unlicensed WMAS could use, 

and the Commission notes that other 

wireless microphone manufacturers, 

such as Sennheiser, are developing 

systems that operate across the full 6 

megahertz TV channel bandwidth. 

Limiting the maximum permissible 

bandwidth of unlicensed WMAS to one 

or two megahertz would not ensure that 

portions of a vacant TV channel remain 

available for licensed narrowband 

wireless microphones since an 

unlicensed WMAS operator could 

simply use multiple one or two 

megahertz systems and occupy an entire 

6-megahertz TV channel. For users that 

require many microphones, and 

depending on the usage requirements 

and operating protocols, employing 

WMAS over a wider bandwidth channel 

may permit more microphones to share 

that single channel than could operate 

on multiple smaller adjacent WMAS 

channels within that single TV channel. 

Thus, permitting WMAS to operate on 

channels up to 6 megahertz bandwidth 

can promote spectrum efficiency by 

allowing wireless microphones to 

operate using fewer TV channels than 

they do now since a WMAS system on 

a single 6 megahertz channel could have 

the same or greater capacity than 

multiple narrowband wireless 

microphones using multiple TV 

channels. This can leave more spectrum 

available for other wireless microphone 

users, as well as other spectrum users, 

e.g., white space devices. 

The Commission does not believe that 

an unlicensed WMAS bandwidth 

restriction is necessary to enable 

spectrum sharing between unlicensed 

WMAS and narrowband wireless 

microphones used in electronic news 

gathering, as NAB suggests. Based on 

the record, the Commission expects that 

WMAS will generally be relatively 

expensive and complex systems 

designed for events, such as concerts 

and live theater, where large numbers of 

wireless microphones are used, and it 

seems unlikely that these systems 

would be deployed for purposes such as 

covering breaking news events, where 

simpler narrowband wireless 

microphones could be deployed more 

quickly and easily. Therefore, the 

Commission expects that conflicts 

between unlicensed WMAS and nearby 

narrowband wireless microphones used 


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for electronic news gathering are 

unlikely to occur. And in instances 

where such conflicts may occur, the 

Commission believes that the disparate 

users should be able to easily coordinate 

usage as both WMAS and narrowband 

microphones are generally designed 

with capability to operate over multiple 

channels. 

The Commission disagrees that the 

brief operational tests performed by 

Shure and NAB/Paramount demonstrate 

that unlicensed WMAS must be limited 

to a 1 or 2 megahertz bandwidth. The 

Commission does not believe that this 

brief test, in which it appears that 

Sennheiser’s prototype 6-megahertz 

wide WMAS was placed within a few 

meters of a narrowband wireless 

microphone receiver and resulted in 

purported harmful interference at 

extremely short separation distances, 

demonstrates a need to limit unlicensed 

WMAS bandwidth. It also appears that 

NAB’s claim that interference could 

occur to licensed narrowband wireless 

microphones at 55 meters from 

unlicensed WMAS is an unlikely 

occurrence. As Sennheiser notes, NAB’s 

assumed 20 meter or more distance from 

a narrowband ENG wireless microphone 

to its associated receiver seems atypical 

for newsgathering applications. 

Assuming a much shorter separation 

distance, such as 3 to 5 meters, which 

Sennheiser suggests is more realistic, 

drastically reduces the distance at 

which interference could occur to 

narrowband microphone systems from 

WMAS. Also, parties operating 

narrowband wireless microphones in 

the UHF–TV band on a licensed basis 

are permitted to operate with up to 250 

milliwatts rather than 50 milliwatts as 

NAB assumed. Further, since WMAS 

would typically be used at locations 

such as theaters and concert halls, the 

emissions are generally expected to be 

attenuated from building walls between 

an unlicensed WMAS and narrowband 

wireless microphones used in ENG, 

further reducing the likelihood of 

harmful interference. 

Spectral efficiency. The Commission 

adopts the same spectral efficiency 

requirement for unlicensed WMAS that 

it adopts for licensed WMAS to help 

ensure consistent requirements between 

licensed and unlicensed WMAS. That 

is, an unlicensed WMAS must have an 

operational mode capable of providing 

at least three audio channels per 

megahertz, but the Commission does not 

require unlicensed WMAS to operate 

with a specific minimum number of 

audio channels at all times. As 

discussed above with respect to licensed 

WMAS, because of WMAS’ dynamic 

capabilities, a single spectral usage 

metric would not be appropriate since 

the number and quality of audio 

channels can vary during an event and 

may not equal or exceed a specific 

threshold, e.g., three audio channels in 

every megahertz of spectrum at every 

instance in time. However, as 

Sennheiser indicates, WMAS spectral 

efficiency would typically be 

significantly greater than the three audio 

channel per megahertz benchmark that 

the Commission adopts. For these 

reasons, the Commission declines to 

adopt a specific spectral efficiency 

metric that must be met at all times, e.g., 

4 audio channels per megahertz as 

suggested by Shure/NAB Paramount. 

The Commission instead requires 

unlicensed WMAS to incorporate an 

operational mode with the capability of 

operating with three audio channels per 

megahertz. 

Power. The Commission adopts power 

levels for unlicensed WMAS to permit 

them to operate using different 

technologies developed by different 

manufacturers, e.g., Shure and 

Sennheiser. In addition to providing 

flexibility for multiple technologies, 

these rules address interference 

concerns described in the record by 

minimizing the potential for harmful 

interference to incumbent licensed 

wireless microphone operators. The 

Commission permits unlicensed WMAS 

in the TV bands with a bandwidth of up 

to 1 megahertz to operate at 50 

milliwatts EIRP, which is the same 

power level currently permitted for 

narrowband unlicensed wireless 

microphones operating with a 

bandwidth of 200 kHz. For unlicensed 

WMAS in the TV bands with a 

bandwidth of 1 to 2 megahertz, the 

Commission permits operation at up to 

100 milliwatts EIRP, which is the same 

as the power level permitted by the 

current rules for two narrowband 

unlicensed wireless microphones, but is 

less than the 250 milliwatt power lever 

permitted for licensed wireless 

microphones in the UHF TV band. This 

higher power level is supported by 

Shure and NAB/Paramount (subject to 

the bandwidth restrictions discussed 

above), and Sennheiser does not object 

to it. For unlicensed WMAS in the TV 

bands with a bandwidth greater than 2 

megahertz and up to 6 megahertz, the 

Commission also permits operation at 

up to 100 milliwatts EIRP. Although 

NAB/Fox/Paramount claim that ‘‘the 

record does not contain any request 

seeking greater power than the 50 

milliwatt power level for unlicensed 

WMAS occupying an entire TV channel, 

the Commission notes that Sennheiser 

expressly proposes a power level of up 

to 100 milliwatts for unlicensed WMAS 

with a bandwidth greater than or equal 

to 1 megahertz and up to 6 megahertz. 

The Commission adopts this power 

level because, as Sennheiser observes, it 

constitutes a ‘‘technology-neutral 

approach’’ that will ‘‘allow for different 

types of WMAS implementations.’’ In 

other words, this power level will allow 

manufacturers with different system 

designs (e.g., Sennheiser’s with a single 

power level over 6 megahertz and 

Shure’s where the power scales with 

bandwidth) to market unlicensed 

WMAS systems and thus benefit the 

public by enabling greater availability 

and use of this more efficient new 

technology. Additionally, the 

Commission believes that power level 

would provide flexibility for the 

potential development and use of more 

innovative types of WMAS technology 

in the future. 

NAB/Fox/Paramount express concern 

that this 100 milliwatt power level for 

unlicensed WMAS operating in the TV 

bands with a bandwidth greater than 2 

megahertz and up to 6 megahertz could 

pose a risk of harmful interference to 

broadcasters’ existing wireless 

microphones. However, the Commission 

does not believe this would be the case. 

Operation at this higher power level 

will be limited to WMAS, which has 

significantly greater spectral efficiency 

than narrowband wireless microphones. 

Because WMAS systems are more 

complex and provide support for more 

microphones per megahertz than 

traditional narrowband microphones, 

the Commission expects that they will 

be operated at fewer locations than 

narrowband wireless microphones. 

Moreover, because WMAS can support 

many more wireless microphones in a 6- 

megahertz channel as compared to the 

number of narrowband wireless 

microphones that can operate at a 

location in the same bandwidth, WMAS 

implementations will encumber fewer 

TV channels as compared to those 

narrowband wireless microphone 

systems. Thus, in areas where 

unlicensed WMAS may operate, the 

Commission expects more channels to 

be available for licensed wireless 

microphones than may be available 

today. For these reasons, the 

Commission is not convinced that, in 

practical use, there would be a ‘‘high 

risk of interference to broadcasters’ 

existing licensed wireless 

microphones,’’ as was asserted in a 

recent ex parte submission. Even at the 

100 milliwatt power level the 

Commission adopts for unlicensed 

WMAS operating with greater than 1- 

megahertz bandwidth, those systems 


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will operate at a lower power spectral 

density than instances where more than 

two narrowband wireless microphones 

operate within a single TV channel and 

at a significantly lower power spectral 

density as compared to situations where 

more expansive narrowband 

microphone usage is necessary and 

could occupy an entire 6-megahertz TV 

channel. In addition, WMAS’s higher 

spectral efficiency will permit a greater 

number of audio channels in a 6- 

megahertz TV channel than if multiple 

narrowband wireless microphones are 

used further reducing the total amount 

of spectrum needed for unlicensed 

operations. This reduced power spectral 

density and ability to support more 

microphones on less spectrum 

compared to narrowband wireless 

microphones will keep the potential for 

causing harmful interference low and 

promote coexistence with other 

spectrum users. Further, even if the 

Commission were to limit unlicensed 

WMAS power to 50 milliwatts for 

systems with bandwidths of greater 2 

megahertz, as NAB/Fox/Paramount 

suggest, users could still operate 

multiple 2-megahertz unlicensed 

WMAS systems at the same location, 

thus resulting in a power level in a 6 

megahertz channel that exceeds the 100 

milliwatt limit the Commission adopts, 

e.g., 200 or 300 milliwatts. In any case, 

wireless microphone manufacturers 

have an incentive to design equipment 

using the lowest power necessary for an 

application to conserve battery life, 

which will further reduce the risk of 

harmful interference from unlicensed 

WMAS to licensed narrowband wireless 

microphones. The Commission does not 

adopt Sennheiser’s proposal to require a 

WMAS base operating at a power level 

greater than 50 milliwatts to remain 

stationary since WMAS will generally 

be relatively complex systems designed 

for events such as concerts and live 

theater, so it seems unlikely that a 

WMAS base would be deployed in a 

non-stationary application, e.g., for 

covering breaking news events. 

For unlicensed WMAS operating in 

the upper 6-megahertz segment of the 

duplex gap (657–663 MHz), the 

Commission is retaining the maximum 

20 milliwatt EIRP limit consistent with 

the power level currently permitted for 

narrowband wireless microphones in 

this frequency band. No party requested 

a different power level for that band. 

Emission mask and spurious emission 

limits. Consistent with the 

Commission’s action with respect to 

part 74 licensed WMAS, it will require 

unlicensed WMAS to comply with the 

emission mask and spurious emission 

limits in the 2021 ETSI standard. These 

limits will ensure that WMAS protects 

operations in adjacent bands, including 

the broadcast TV bands. This action will 

ensure consistent requirements for both 

licensed and unlicensed WMAS, which 

will benefit manufacturers and WMAS 

users by eliminating the need for 

manufacturers to design multiple 

equipment models to comply with 

differing standards, thus reducing 

equipment costs. 

Updated ETSI Standards for Part 15 

The Commission adopts the same 

emission masks for unlicensed analog 

and digital narrowband (i.e., nonWMAS) wireless microphones as it does 

for part 74 licensed wireless 

microphones, specifically, those in the 

2021 ETSI standard. As with the 

Commission’s action harmonizing the 

emission masks for licensed and 

unlicensed WMAS, this action will 

ensure consistency in the requirements 

for both licensed and unlicensed 

narrowband wireless microphones, 

which will benefit manufacturers and 

narrowband wireless microphone users 

by eliminating the need for 

manufacturers to design multiple 

equipment models to comply with 

varying standards, thus reducing 

equipment costs. 

Updating Wireless Microphone Rules 

Following the End of the Post-Incentive 

Auction Transition 

Part 74. The Commission makes 

changes to §§ 74.802(a), 74.861(e)(1), 

and 74.870(c) to reflect the frequencies 

currently available for low power 

auxiliary stations. The Commission also 

modifies § 74.802(b)(1) by removing the 

entries for analog TV stations from the 

table of TV service contours that 

licensed wireless microphones must 

protect and correcting the upper 

channel number of the UHF–TV band. 

Because all analog TV broadcasting 

ceased in 2021, it is no longer necessary 

to specify these contours, and the upper 

channel in the UHF–TV band is now 

channel 36. However, the Commission 

will not at this time make additional 

revisions to the part 74 rules to remove 

all paragraphs with transition dates that 

have passed. It is possible that there are 

parties still in possession of wireless 

microphones that can no longer be used 

because they operate on frequencies 

where operation is now prohibited, e.g., 

the 600 MHz service bands, and 

retaining the rules with the transition 

requirements can enable parties to more 

easily determine which equipment may 

or may not be used now. 

Part 15. The Commission adopts its 

proposals to modify § 15.236 to reflect 

the currently available frequencies for 

unlicensed wireless microphones, 

except it is making additional 

modifications to § 15.236(e) by 

removing the entries for analog TV 

stations from the table of TV service 

contours that unlicensed wireless 

microphones must protect and 

correcting the upper channel number of 

the UHF–TV band. All analog TV 

broadcasting ceased in 2021, so it is no 

longer necessary to specify these 

contours, and the highest channel in the 

UHF–TV band is now channel 36. 

Consistent with the Commission’s 

actions with respect to licensed wireless 

microphones, the Commission retains 

the transition requirements in § 15.37 so 

parties can more easily determine which 

wireless microphones comply with the 

current rules, e.g., permissible 

frequencies of operation. 

With regard to removing 

§ 15.236(c)(6), the Spectrum Act states 

that operation of unlicensed devices in 

the 600 MHz guard bands ‘‘shall rely on 

a database or subsequent methodology 

as determined by the Commission.’’ The 

Commission is removing the database 

access requirement for unlicensed 

wireless microphones operating in the 

guard bands (including the duplex gap) 

as no longer necessary since these bands 

are now unavailable to licensed services 

nationwide. The Commission believes 

that this constitutes a ‘‘subsequent 

methodology’’ that will ensure that 

unlicensed wireless microphones does 

not cause harmful interference to 

licensed services, thus complying with 

the Spectrum Act requirements. 

Consistent with removing the database 

access requirement for unlicensed 

wireless microphones, the Commission 

also removes references to this 

requirement in §§ 15.703, 15.713 and 

15.715 of the white space rules. 

Ordering Clauses 

Accordingly, it is ordered that, 

pursuant to the authority contained in 

sections 4(i), 301, 302, and 303 of the 

Communications Act of 1934, as 

amended, and sections 6403 and 6407 of 

the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job 

Creation Act of 2012, Public Law 112– 

96, 126 Stat. 156, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 301, 

302a, 303, 1452, 1454, the Report and 

Order is hereby adopted. 

It is further ordered that parts 15 and 

74 of the Commission’s rules are 

amended as specified in Appendix A of 

the Report and Order, and such rule 

amendments will become effective 30 

days after the date of publication in the 

Federal Register. 

It is further ordered that the 

Commission’s Office of the Secretary, 

shall send a copy of the Report and 

Order, including the Final Regulatory 


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83798 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

Flexibility Analysis, to the Chief 

Counsel for Advocacy of the Small 

Business Administration. 

It is further ordered that the Office of 

the Managing Director, Performance 

Program Management, shall send a copy 

of this Report and Order in a report to 

be sent to Congress and the Government 

Accountability Office pursuant to the 

Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 

801(a)(1)(A). 

List of Subjects 

47 CFR Part 15 

Communications equipment, 

Incorporation by reference, Radio. 

47 CFR Part 74 

Communications equipment, 

Incorporation by reference, Television. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene Dortch, 

Secretary. 

Final Rules 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Federal Communications 

Commission amends 47 CFR parts 15 

and 74 as follows: 

PART 15—RADIO FREQUENCY 

DEVICES 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 15 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302a, 303, 304, 

307, 336, 544a, and 549. 

■ 2. Section 15.38 is amended by: 

■ a. Revising the introductory text; 

■ b. Redesignating paragraphs (a) 

through (f) as paragraphs (b) through (g) 

and adding new paragraph (a); 

■ c. Revising newly redesignated 

paragraph (e); and 

■ d. Removing notes 1 and 2 to § 15.38. 

The revisions and addition read as 

follows: 

§ 15.38 Incorporation by reference. 

Certain material is incorporated by 

reference into this part with the 

approval of the Director of the Federal 

Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 

CFR part 51. To enforce any edition 

other than that specified in this section, 

the Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) must publish a 

document in the Federal Register and 

the material must be available to the 

public. All approved incorporation by 

reference (IBR) material is available for 

inspection at the FCC and at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). Contact FCC at 

the address indicated in 47 CFR 

0.401(a); phone: (202) 418–0270. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at NARA, visit 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ 

ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@

nara.gov. The material may be obtained 

from the following sources: 

(a) The IBR material may be obtained 

from the sources in the following 

paragraphs of this section or from one 

or more private resellers listed in this 

paragraph (a). 

(1) Accuris Standards Store, 321 

Inverness Drive, South Englewood, CO 

80112; phone: (800) 332–6077; website: 

https://accuristech.com. 

(2) American National Standards 

Institute (ANSI), see paragraph (b) of 

this section. 

(3) GlobalSpec, 257 Fuller Road, Suite 

NFE 1100, Albany, NY 12203–3621; 

phone: (800) 261–2052; website: https:// 

standards.globalspec.com. 

(4) Nimonik Document Center, 401 

Roland Way, Suite 224, Oakland, CA 

94624; phone (650) 591–7600; email: 

info@document-center.com; website: 

www.document-center.com. 

* * * * * 

(e) European Telecommunications 

Standards Institute (ETSI), 650 Route 

des Lucioles, F–06921 Sophia Antipolis 

Cedex, France; phone: +33 4 92 94 42 

00; email: webstore@etsi.org; website: 

www.etsi.org/. 

(1) ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 (2021– 

11), Wireless Microphones; Audio 

PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 1: Audio PMSE 

Equipment up to 3 GHz; Harmonised 

Standard for access to radio spectrum, 

published November 2021; IBR 

approved for § 15.236(g). (Available at: 

www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_en/300400_

300499/30042201/02.02.01_60/en_

30042201v020201p.pdf.) 

(2) [Reserved] 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Section 15.236 is revised and 

republished to read as follows: 

§ 15.236 Operation of wireless 

microphones in the bands 54–72 MHz, 76– 

88 MHz, 174–216 MHz, 470–608 MHz, 614– 

616 MHz and 657–663 MHz. 

(a) Definitions. The following 

definitions apply in this section. 

600 MHz duplex gap. An 11 

megahertz guard band at 652–663 MHz 

that separates part 27 600 MHz service 

uplink and downlink frequencies. 

600 MHz guard band. Designated 

frequency band at 614–617 MHz that 

prevents interference between licensed 

services in the 600 MHz service band 

and channel 37. 

Wireless Microphone. An intentional 

radiator that converts sound into 

electrical audio signals that are 

transmitted using radio signals to a 

receiver which converts the radio 

signals back into audio signals that are 

sent through a sound recording or 

amplifying system. Wireless 

microphones may be used for cue and 

control communications and 

synchronization of TV camera signals as 

defined in § 74.801 of this chapter. 

Wireless microphones do not include 

auditory assistance devices as defined 

in § 15.3(a) of this part. 

Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems. Wireless audio transmission 

systems using broadband digital 

transmission techniques for microphone 

and in-ear monitor system applications 

and other multichannel audio use. 

(b) Permissible operations. Operation 

under this section is limited to wireless 

microphones and wireless multichannel 

audio systems as defined in this section. 

(c) Frequency bands. Operation of 

wireless microphones is permitted in all 

of the following frequency bands. 

Wireless multichannel audio systems 

may operate only in the bands listed in 

paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section. 

(1) Channels allocated and assigned 

for the broadcast television service. 

(2) The 657–663 MHz segment of the 

600 MHz duplex gap. 

(3) The 614–616 MHz segment of the 

600 MHz guard band. 

(d) Power limits. The maximum 

radiated power shall not exceed the 

following values: 

(1) In the bands allocated and 

assigned for broadcast television: 

(i) Wireless microphones: 50 mW 

EIRP. 

(ii) Wireless multichannel audio 

systems with a bandwidth up to 1 MHz: 

50 mW EIRP. 

(iii) Wireless multichannel audio 

systems with a bandwidth greater than 

1 MHz: 100 mW EIRP. 

(2) In the 600 MHz guard band and 

the 600 MHz duplex gap: 20 mW EIRP. 

(e) Operating locations. Operation is 

limited to locations at least four 

kilometers outside the following 

protected service contours of co-channel 

TV stations: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 83799 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (e) 

Type of station 

Protected contour 

Channel Contour 

(dBu) 

Propagation 

curve 

Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster ......... Low VHF (2–6) ................................ 28 F(50,90) 

High VHF (7–13) ............................. 36 F(50,90) 

UHF (14–36) .................................... 41 F(50,90) 

(f) Operating frequency and 

bandwidth—(1) Wireless microphones. 

The operating frequency within a 

permissible band of operation defined 

in paragraph (c) of this section must 

comply with the following 

requirements. 

(i) The frequency selection shall be 

offset from the upper or lower band 

limits by 25 kHz or an integral multiple 

thereof. 

(ii) One or more adjacent 25 kHz 

segments within the assignable 

frequencies may be combined to form a 

channel whose maximum bandwidth 

shall not exceed 200 kHz. The operating 

bandwidth shall not exceed 200 kHz. 

(iii) The frequency tolerance of the 

carrier signal shall be maintained within 

±0.005% of the operating frequency over 

a temperature variation of ¥20 degrees 

to +50 degrees C at normal supply 

voltage, and for a variation in the 

primary supply voltage from 85% to 

115% of the rated supply voltage at a 

temperature of 20 degrees C. Battery 

operated equipment shall be tested 

using a new battery. 

(2) Wireless multichannel audio 

systems. A wireless multichannel audio 

system may have an operating 

bandwidth not exceeding 6 megahertz 

and must have a mode of operation in 

which it is capable of operating with at 

least three audio channels per 

megahertz. For wireless multichannel 

audio systems operating in the TV 

bands (channels 2–36), the 6 megahertz 

(or less) channel must fall entirely 

within a single TV channel. 

(g) Emission masks—(1) Analog 

systems. Emissions within the band 

from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B above the 

carrier frequency, where B is the 

channel bandwidth, shall comply with 

the emission mask in Figure 1 of section 

4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11) (incorporated by reference, 

see § 15.38). 

(2) Digital systems. Emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with the emission mask in Figure 2 of 

section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11) (incorporated by 

reference, see § 15.38). 

(3) Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems. Emissions within the band 

from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B above the 

carrier frequency, where B is the 

channel bandwidth, shall comply with 

the emission mask in Figure 3 of section 

4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11), (incorporated by reference, 

see § 15.38). 

(4) Spurious emission limits. 

Emissions outside of the emission 

masks listed in paragraphs (g)(1) 

through (g)(3) shall comply with the 

limits specified in section 4.2.4.1.2 of 

ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 (2021–11), 

(incorporated by reference, see § 15.38). 

■ 4. Section 15.703 is amended by 

revising the definition of ‘‘White space 

database’’ to read as follows: 

§ 15.703 Definitions. 

* * * * * 

White space database. A database 

system approved by the Commission 

that maintains records on authorized 

services and provides lists of available 

channels to white space devices. 

■ 5. Section 15.713 is amended by: 

■ a. Removing and reserving paragraph 

(a)(2); 

■ b. Revising paragraph (a)(3); and 

■ c. Removing and reserving paragraphs 

(f) and (i). 

The revision reads as follows: 

§ 15.713 White space database. 

(a) * * * 

(3) To register the identification 

information and location of fixed white 

space devices. 

* * * * * 

§ 15.715 [Amended] 

■ 6. Section 15.715 is amended by 

removing paragraph (q). 

PART 74—EXPERIMENTAL RADIO, 

AUXILIARY, SPECIAL BROADCAST 

AND OTHER PROGRAM 

DISTRIBUTION SERVICES 

■ 7. The authority citation for part 74 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 302a, 303, 307, 

309, 310, 325, 336 and 554. 

■ 8. Section 74.35 is added to read as 

follows: 

§ 74.35 Incorporation by reference. 

Certain material is incorporated by 

reference into this part with the 

approval of the Director of the Federal 

Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 

CFR part 51. To enforce any edition 

other than that specified in this section, 

the Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) must publish a 

document in the Federal Register and 

the material must be available to the 

public. All approved incorporation by 

reference (IBR) material is available for 

inspection at the FCC and at the 

National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). Contact the 

FCC at the address indicated in 47 CFR 

0.401(a); phone: (202) 418–0270. For 

information on the availability of this 

material at NARA, visit 

www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ 

ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@

nara.gov. The material may be obtained 

from the European Telecommunications 

Standards Institute (ETSI), 650 Route 

des Lucioles, F–06921 Sophia Antipolis 

Cedex, France; phone: +33 4 92 94 42 

00; email: webstore@etsi.org; website: 

www.etsi.org/. 

(a) ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 (2021– 

11), Wireless Microphones; Audio 

PMSE up to 3 GHz; Part 1: Audio PMSE 

Equipment up to 3 GHz; Harmonised 

Standard for access to radio spectrum, 

published November 2021; IBR 

approved for § 74.861(d)(4) and (e)(7). 

(Available at: www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_

en/300400_300499/30042201/02.02.01_

60/en_30042201v020201p.pdf.) 

(b) [Reserved] 

■ 9. Section 74.801 is amended by 

adding a definition for ‘‘Wireless 

Multichannel Audio System’’ in 

alphabetical order to read as follows: 

§ 74.801 Definitions. 

* * * * * 

Wireless multichannel audio systems. 

Wireless audio transmission systems 

using broadband digital transmission 

techniques for microphone and in-ear 

monitor system applications and other 

multichannel audio use. 

■ 10. Section 74.802 is amended by 

revising paragraphs (a) and (b)(1) to read 

as follows: 


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83800 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2024 / Rules and Regulations 

§ 74.802 Frequency assignment. 

(a) Frequencies within the following 

bands may be assigned for use by low 

power auxiliary stations: 

26.100–26.480 MHz 

54.000–72.000 MHz 

76.000–88.000 MHz 

161.625–161.775 MHz (except in Puerto 

Rico or the Virgin Islands) 

174.000–216.000 MHz 

450.000–451.000 MHz 

455.000–456.000 MHz 

470.000–488.000 MHz 

488.000–494.000 MHz (except Hawaii) 

494.000–608.000 MHz 

653.000–657.000 MHz 

941.500–944.000 MHz 

944.000–952.000 MHz 

952.850–956.250 MHz 

956.45–959.85 MHz 

1435–1525 MHz 

6875.000–6900.000 MHz 

7100.000–7125.000 MHz 

(b)(1) Operations in the bands 

allocated for TV broadcasting are 

limited to locations at least 4 kilometers 

outside the protected contours of cochannel TV stations shown in the 

following table. These contours are 

calculated using the methodology in 

§ 73.684 of this chapter and the R–6602 

curves contained in § 73.699 of this 

chapter. 

TABLE 1 TO PARAGRAPH (b)(1) 

Type of station 

Protected contour 

Channel Contour 

(dBu) 

Propagation 

curve 

Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster ......... Low VHF (2–6) ................................ 28 F(50,90) 

High VHF (7–13) ............................. 36 F(50,90) 

UHF (14–36) .................................... 41 F(50,90) 

* * * * * 

■ 11. Section 74.861 is amended by 

revising paragraphs (d)(4) and (e)(1), (5), 

and (7) and removing paragraph (i). 

The revisions read as follows: 

§ 74.861 Technical requirements. 

* * * * * 

(d) * * * 

(4) The following emission limits 

apply in the 941.5–944 MHz, 944–952 

MHz, 952.850–956.250 MHz, 956.45– 

959.85 MHz, 1435–1525 MHz, 6875– 

6900 MHz and 7100–7125 MHz bands. 

(i) Analog systems. Emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with the emission mask in Figure 1 of 

section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11) (incorporated by 

reference, see § 74.35). 

(ii) Digital systems. Emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with the emission mask in Figure 2 of 

section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11) (incorporated by 

reference, see § 74.35). 

(iii) Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems. Emissions within the band 

from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B above the 

carrier frequency, where B is the 

channel bandwidth, shall comply with 

the emission mask in Figure 3 of section 

4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11) (incorporated by reference, 

see § 74.35). A wireless multichannel 

audio system must have an operating 

bandwidth B not exceeding 20 

megahertz and must have a mode of 

operation in which it is capable of 

transmitting at least three audio 

channels per megahertz. 

(iv) Spurious emission limits. 

Emissions outside of the emission 

masks specified in paragraphs (d)(4)(i) 

through (iii) of this section shall comply 

with the limits specified in section 

4.2.4.1.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11) (incorporated by reference, 

see § 74.35). 

(e) * * * 

(1) The power may not exceed the 

following values. 

(i) 54–72, 76–88, and 174–216 MHz 

bands: 50 mW EIRP 

(ii) 470–608 MHz band: 250 mW 

conducted power 

(iii) 653–657 MHz band: 20 mW EIRP 

* * * * * 

(5) The operating bandwidth shall not 

exceed 200 kilohertz, except that a 

wireless multichannel audio system 

must have an operating bandwidth not 

exceeding 6 megahertz in the TV bands 

or 4 megahertz in the 653–657 MHz 

band and must have a mode of 

operation in which it is capable of 

transmitting at least three audio 

channels per megahertz. For wireless 

multichannel audio systems operating 

in the TV bands, the 6 megahertz (or 

less) channel must fall entirely within a 

single TV channel (2–36) that is 

available for Part 74 LPAS use under 

§ 74.802(b). The provisions of 

§ 74.802(c) regarding frequency of 

operation within TV channels do not 

apply to wireless multichannel audio 

systems. 

* * * * * 

(7)(i) Analog systems. Emissions 

within the band from 2.5 × B below to 

2.5 × B above the carrier frequency, 

where B is the channel bandwidth, shall 

comply with the emission mask in 

Figure 1 of section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 

300 422–1 V2.2.1 (2021–11) 

(incorporated by reference, see § 74.35). 

(ii) Digital systems. Emissions within 

the band from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B 

above the carrier frequency, where B is 

the channel bandwidth, shall comply 

with the emission mask in Figure 2 of 

section 4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 

V2.2.1 (2021–11) (incorporated by 

reference, see § 74.35). 

(iii) Wireless Multichannel Audio 

Systems. Emissions within the band 

from 2.5 × B below to 2.5 × B above the 

carrier frequency, where B is the 

channel bandwidth, shall comply with 

the emission mask in Figure 3 of section 

4.2.4.2.2 of ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 

(2021–11), (incorporated by reference, 

see § 74.35). 

(iv) Spurious emission limits. 

Emissions outside of the emission 

masks listed in paragraphs (e)(7)(i) 

through (e)(7)(iii) shall comply with the 

limits specified in section 4.2.4.1.2 of 

ETSI EN 300 422–1 V2.2.1 (2021–11) 

(incorporated by reference, see § 74.35). 

* * * * * 

■ 12. Section 74.870 is amended by 

revising paragraph (c) introductory text 

to read as follows: 

§ 74.870 Wireless video assist devices. 

* * * * * 

(c) Wireless video assist devices may 

operate with a bandwidth not to exceed 

6 MHz on frequencies in the bands 180– 

210 MHz (TV channels 8–12) and 470– 

608 MHz (TV channels 14–36) subject to 

the following restrictions: 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2024–23959 Filed 10–17–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 


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