FCC Approves Rule Changes Targeting Automotive, Airport Safety
The FCC quietly modified rules covering the 76-77 GHz band, both at the request of industry, intended to spur use of the band. Acting on a request from Toyota, the FCC agreed to change the limits for radiated emissions in the band to allow more use of “stop and go” adaptive cruise control and rear pre-collision systems in the cars it manufactures for sale in the U.S. The commission also agreed to allow fixed radar in the 76-77 GHz band at airports for foreign object debris detection and general safety. The FCC approved an order Tuesday, and released it Thursday.
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"Studies show that use of collision avoidance technology can prevent or lessen the severity of a significant number of traffic accidents,” the FCC said in the order(http://xrl.us/bnfbvm). “By modifying our rules for 76-77 GHz radars to align generally with international automotive industry standards, we expect these life-saving devices to be placed on more passenger vehicles by enabling economies of scale.”
Toyota requested the change in a petition filed three years ago. A year ago, Toyota and other automotive industry commenters said the rules in place were too conservative and had limited how the auto industry could use the spectrum (CD July 22 p9). But the National Radio Astronomy Observatory warned any changes in the rules must make sure automotive use of the band doesn’t interfere with the 12 radio astronomy stations NRAO operates in rural and remote parts of the U.S.
The FCC eliminated a requirement that vehicular radars decrease power when the vehicle on which the radar is mounted is not in motion and adopted a single set of emission limits for forward, side, and rear-looking radars. It also modified the overall emission limits. “We find that the new set of emission limits will not measurably increase potential for interference from vehicular radar systems to [radio astronomy] operations in the 76-77 GHz band,” the FCC said. “First, the reduced peak limit we adopt for vehicular radars will increase the level of interference protection afforded to RAS system because it is lower than the current peak limit. Second, the average power limit is being increased by only 1.7 dB from the current maximum for vehicular radars in the 76-77 GHz band, i.e., from 48.3 dBm to 50 dBm. Under worst-case free space conditions a 1.7 dB increase is only a 1.2-fold increase in signal range."
The FCC also decided to allow use of the band at airports with the same emission limits as those for vehicular radars, to detect foreign object debris on runways and monitor “aircraft and service vehicles on taxiways and other airport vehicle service areas that have no public vehicle access (e.g., gate areas).” The FCC had sought comment in December (http://xrl.us/bmmko9). Safety was a key consideration, the FCC said. “Airports are challenged with managing increasing congestion on the ground,” the order said. “This rule modification will add to the tools that enhance an airport’s ability to determine the location of airplanes and airport ground vehicles that are operating in taxiways and runways.”