Sec.  25.136   Licensing provisions for user transceivers in the 1.6/2.4 GHz,
1.5/1.6 GHz, and 2 GHz Mobile Satellite Services.

   

   In  addition to the technical requirements specified in Sec. 25.213, earth
   stations operating in the 1.6/2.4 GHz and 1.5/1.6 GHz Mobile Satellite
   Services are subject to the following operating conditions:

   (a)   User   transceiver   units   associated  with  the  1.6/2.4  GHz
   Mobile-Satellite  Service or 2 GHz Mobile-Satellite Service may not be
   operated  on  civil  aircraft  unless  the  earth station has a direct
   physical  connection  to  the  aircraft cabin or cockpit communication
   system.

   (b)  No  person without an FCC license for such operation may transmit
   to  a space station in this service from anywhere in the United States
   except  to  receive service from the holder of a pertinent FCC blanket
   license  or  from  another party with the permission of such a blanket
   licensee.

   (c) The holder of an FCC blanket license for operation of transceivers
   for  communication  via  a  1.6/2.4  GHz, 1.5/1.6 GHz, or 2 GHz Mobile
   Satellite  Service  system  shall  be responsible for operation of any
   such  transceiver  to  receive  service  provided  by that licensee or
   provided  by  another  party  with  the  blanket  licensee's  consent.
   Operators  of such satellite systems shall not transmit communications
   to  or  from  user  transceivers  in  the  United  States  unless such
   communications are authorized under a service contract with the holder
   of  a pertinent FCC blanket license for transceiver operation or under
   a  service  contract  with  another  party  with  authority  for  such
   transmission delegated by such a blanket licensee.

   (d)  Any  mobile  earth  station  (MES)  associated  with  the  Mobile
   Satellite Service operating in the 1530-1544 MHz and 1626.5-1645.5 MHz
   bands  shall  have the following minimum set of capabilities to ensure
   compliance  with  Footnote  S5.353A  and  the  priority  and real-time
   preemption requirements imposed by Footnote US315.

   (1)  All MES transmissions shall have a priority assigned to them that
   preserves  the  priority  and  preemptive  access  given  to  maritime
   distress and safety communications sharing the band.

   (2) Each MES with a requirement to handle maritime distress and safety
   data communications shall be capable of either:

   (i)   Recognizing   message  and  call  priority  identification  when
   transmitted from its associated Land Earth Station (LES) or

   (ii)  Accepting  message  and call priority identification embedded in
   the  message  or  call  when  transmitted  from its associated LES and
   passing  the  identification  to  shipboard  data  message  processing
   equipment.

   (3) Each MES shall be assigned a unique terminal identification number
   that will be transmitted upon any attempt to gain access to a system.

   (4)  After  an  MES has gained access to a system, the mobile terminal
   shall  be  under  control  of  a  LES  and  shall  obtain  all channel
   assignments from it.

   (5)  All  MESs  that do not continuously monitor a separate signalling
   channel  or signalling within the communications channel shall monitor
   the signalling channel at the end of each transmission.

   (6)  Each  MES  shall automatically inhibit its transmissions if it is
   not  correctly  receiving  separate  signalling  channel or signalling
   within the communications channel from its associated LES.

   (7)  Each  MES shall automatically inhibit its transmissions on any or
   all channels upon receiving a channel-shut-off command on a signalling
   or communications channel it is receiving from its associated LES.

   (8) Each MES with a requirement to handle maritime distress and safety
   communications  shall  have  the  capability  within  the  station  to
   automatically preempt lower precedence traffic.

   (e)  Any Land Earth Station (LES) associated with the Mobile Satellite
   Service  operating  in  the  1530-1544 MHz and 1626.5-1645.5 MHz bands
   shall  have  the  following minimum set of capabilities to ensure that
   the  MSS  system  complies  with Footnote S5.353A and the priority and
   real-time preemption requirements imposed by Footnote US315. It should
   be  noted that the LES operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service ("FSS")
   as  a  feeder-link  for  the  MSS  (Radio Regulations 71) and that the
   following  capabilities  are to facilitate the priority and preemption
   requirements.  The  FSS  feeder-link  stations  fulfilling  these  MSS
   requirements  shall  not  have any additional priority with respect to
   FSS stations operating with other FSS systems.

   (1) All LES transmissions to mobile earth stations (MESs) shall have a
   priority  assigned  to them that preserves the priority and preemptive
   access given to maritime distress and safety communications.

   (2)  The LES shall recognize the priority of calls to and from MES and
   make  channel assignments taking into account the priority access that
   is given to maritime distress and safety communications.

   (3)  The  LES  shall  be  capable  of receiving the MES identification
   number when transmitted and verifying that it is an authorized user of
   the system to prohibit unauthorized access.

   (4)  The  LES  shall  be  capable  of  transmitting channel assignment
   commands to the MESs.

   (5) The communications channels used between the LES and the MES shall
   have  provision  for  signalling within the voice/data channel, for an
   MES,  which  does  not continuously monitor the LES signalling channel
   during the time of a call.

   (6) The LES shall transmit periodic control signalling signals to MES,
   which do not continuously monitor the LES signalling channel.

   (7)  The  LES shall automatically inhibit all transmissions to MESs to
   which it is not transmitting a signalling channel or signalling within
   the communications channel.

   (8) The LES shall be capable of transmitting channel-shut-off commands
   to the MESs on signalling or communications channels.

   (9)  Each  LES  shall  be  capable  of interrupting, and if necessary,
   preempting  ongoing routine traffic from an MES in order to complete a
   maritime distress, urgency or safety call to that particular MES.

   (10)  Each  LES  shall  be capable of automatically turning off one or
   more  of  its  associated  channels  in  order  to complete a maritime
   distress, urgency or safety call.

   (f) Incorporation of ancillary terrestrial component base station into
   an  L-band mobile-satellite service system. Any licensee authorized to
   construct  and  launch an L-band mobile-satellite system may construct
   ancillary  terrestrial  component  (ATC)  base  stations as defined in
   Sec. 25.201  at  its  own  risk and subject to the conditions specified in
   this   subpart   any   time   after  commencing  construction  of  the
   mobile-satellite service system.

   (g)  Pre-operational  build-out  and  testing.  An  MSS  licensee may,
   without  further  authority  from  the  Commission and at its own risk
   engage  in  pre-operational build-out and, conduct equipment tests for
   the  purpose  of  making  such  adjustments and measurements as may be
   necessary  to  assure  compliance  with  the  terms  of  the technical
   provisions  of  its MSS license, ATC operation requirements, the rules
   and regulations in this Part and the applicable engineering standards.
   Prior  to  engaging  in such pre-operational build-out and testing, an
   MSS  licensee  must notify the Commission concerning the initiation of
   MSS  system  satellite  construction  and the MSS operator's intent to
   construct  and  test  ATC  facilities. This notification must take the
   form of a letter formally filed with the Commission in the appropriate
   MSS license docket. Such letter shall specify the frequencies on which
   the  MSS  licensee  proposes  to engage in pre-operational testing and
   shall  specify  the  name,  address,  telephone  number and other such
   information   as   may   be   necessary  to  contact  a  MSS  licensee
   representative  for  the  reporting and mitigation of any interference
   that  may  occur  as  a  result  of  such  pre-operational testing and
   build-out.  MSS  licensees  engaging  in pre-operational build-out and
   testing  must  also  comply  with Sec. Sec. 5.83, 5.85(c), 5.111, and 5.117 of
   this  chapter relating to experimental operations. An MSS licensee may
   not   offer   ATC  service  to  the  public  for  compensation  during
   pre-operational  testing.  In  order to operate any ATC base stations,
   such  a  licensee  must meet all the requirements set forth in Sec. 25.147
   and must have been granted ATC authority.

   (h)  Aircraft.  All portable or hand-held transceiver units (including
   transceiver  units  installed  in  other  devices  that are themselves
   portable   or   hand-held)   having   operating  capabilities  in  the
   1626.5-1660.5  MHz  and  1525-1559  MHz bands shall bear the following
   statement  in  a  conspicuous location on the device: "This device may
   not  be operated while on board aircraft. It must be turned off at all
   times while on board aircraft."

   [ 65 FR 59142 , Oct. 4, 2000, as amended at  67 FR 46604 , July 16, 2002;
    67 FR 51110 ,  Aug. 7, 2002;  68 FR 43645 , July 24, 2003;  68 FR 47858 ,
   Aug. 12, 2003;  69 FR 5710 , Feb. 6, 2004]