Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 2015 (Cth)

Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 2015

Radiocommunications Act 1992

The AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY makes this Determination under paragraph 107 (1) (f) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated         11 August 2015       

Chris Chapman
[signed]
Member

Brendan Byrne
[signed]
 Member / General Manager

Australian Communications and Media Authority

Part 1  Preliminary

1              Name of Determination

This Determination is the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 2015.

1. Commencement

   This Determination commences on the day after it is registered.

   Note   All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.  See >

   Scope

   (1)   This Determination sets out the conditions to which a scientific licence is subject in the following manner:

   (a)    every scientific licence is subject to the conditions in Part 2;

   (b)    every scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) is also subject to the conditions in Part 3.

   (2)   However, if a condition in this Determination is inconsistent with a condition specified in the licence, the condition specified in the licence applies.

2. Interpretation

   (1)   In this Determination, unless the contrary intention appears:

   AS/NZS 4295 means the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4295 Analogue speech (angle modulated) equipment operating in land mobile and fixed services bands in the frequency range 29.7 MHz to 1 GHz published by Standards Australia, as existing from time to time.

   dummy load means a dissipative but essentially non‑radiating substitute device having impedance characteristics simulating those of the device for which it is a substitute.

   licensee means the holder of a scientific licence and includes any person authorised by the licensee to operate a station under the licence.

   scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) means a scientific licence that authorises the holder to operate a scientific non assigned station.

   Note   For the definitions of other expressions used in this Determination, see the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Radiocommunications (Interpretation) Determination 2015 and the Radiocommunications Regulations1993.

   (2)   For this Determination, a frequency band described using 2 frequencies starts immediately above the lower frequency and ends at the higher frequency.

5              Revocation of previous Determination

The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 1997 (Federal Register of Legislative Instruments No. F2005B01139) is revoked.

Part 2                 Conditions for every scientific licence

1. Conditions

   Every scientific licence is subject to the conditions in this Part relating to the operation of any scientific station under the licence by the licensee.

2. Use of stations under other licences

   (1)   A scientific station may be operated by the licensee if the station is operated primarily to perform any of the following activities:

   (a)    research into radiocommunications;

   (b)    investigation of radiocommunications;

   (c)    instruction in radiocommunications;

   (d)    demonstration of equipment;

   (e)    testing of equipment;

   (f)    trials of new radiocommunications technology;

   (g)    radio propagation path testing.

   Note   The issue of a scientific licence does not mean that an assigned frequency or any other frequency will be available to the licensee beyond the expiry date of the licence or under any other licence type for any purpose.

   (2)   However, a scientific station must not be operated by the licensee if the activity that is to be undertaken can be undertaken using a station under another type of licence.

3. Call signs

   (1)   The licensee must operate a scientific station using:

   (a)    the call sign allocated by the ACMA; or

   (b)    another form of identification that clearly identifies the station.

   (2)   However, subsection (1) does not apply to the licensee if the station is operated:

   (a)    for transmitting a message other than by voice; and

   (b)    using a form of transmission for which it is not technically practicable to use the call sign or form of identification.

Part 3  Conditions for scientific licence (scientific non assigned station)

1. Conditions

   Every scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) is subject to the additional conditions in this Part relating to the operation of any scientific non assigned station under the licence by the licensee.

2. Technical performance of a scientific non assigned station

   (1)   If a scientific non assigned station includes analogue speech (angle modulated) equipment operated:

   (a)    on a transmitter frequency in the frequency band 29.7 MHz to 520 MHz; and

   (b)    on a frequency channel with a bandwidth of 12.5 kHz, 20 kHz or 25 kHz;

   the equipment must comply with the requirements of AS/NZS 4295.

   (2)   However, subsection (1) does not apply to a scientific non assigned station if:

   (a)    all emissions of electromagnetic energy from the station that the licensee intends the station to emit are dissipated into a non‑radiating dummy load; or

   (b)    radiofrequency transmissions from the station are confined by means of a screened room that provides attenuation that reduces the level of transmissions to the mean level of noise in the surrounding area.

3. Permitted frequencies

   (1)   If the licensee operates under the licence a scientific non assigned station that is also a land station and a scientific non assigned station that is also a mobile station operated on a frequency mentioned in column 2 or 3 of an item in Schedule 1:

   (a)    the land station must be operated:

   (i)    to transmit on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Schedule 1; and

   (ii)    to receive on the frequency mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

   (iii)    in accordance with the conditions mentioned in column 4 of the item; and

   (b)    the mobile station must be operated:

   (i)    to transmit on the frequency mentioned in column 3 of an item in Schedule 1; and

   (ii)    to receive on the frequency mentioned in column 2 of the item; and

   (iii)    in accordance with the conditions mentioned in column 4 of the item.

   (2)   However, the licensee may operate a scientific non assigned station on any frequency without complying with subsection (1), if:

(a)    all emissions of electromagnetic energy from the station that the licensee intends the station to emit are dissipated into a non‑radiating dummy load; or

(b)    radiofrequency transmissions from the station are confined by means of a screened room that provides attenuation that reduces the level of transmissions to the mean level of noise in the surrounding area.

1. Permitted frequencies

   If the licensee operates under the licence a scientific non assigned station that is also an ultra wideband station, the ultra wideband station is authorised to be operated:

   (a)    within the range of frequencies mentioned in column 2 of an item in Table 1 of Schedule 2, if the emissions comply with the conditions mentioned in column 3 of the item; and

   (b)    in accordance with any other conditions specified in the licence.

2. Interference

   The licensee must not operate a scientific non assigned station if its operation causes harmful interference to a service provided by another station (other than another scientific non assigned station).

   Note   It is the responsibility of a licensee of a scientific non assigned station to coordinate the operation of the station with the operation of nearby scientific non assigned stations to reduce any interference between the stations.

Schedule 1          Scientific non assigned station: permitted frequencies

(subsection 11 (1))

Column 1 Item no.	Column 2 Frequencies (Tx — land stations, Rx — mobile stations) (MHz)	Column 3 Frequencies (Tx — mobile stations, Rx — land stations) (MHz)	Column 4 Conditions
1	72.225	74.725	The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using;    (a)  FM only; and   (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and    (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.
2	162.225	157.625	The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:    (a)  FM only; and   (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and    (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.
3	411.5	411.5	The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:    (a)  FM only; and   (b)  a maximum transmitter power of 5W pY; and    (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.
4	493.5	498.7	The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:    (a)  FM only; and   (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and    (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 16 kHz.

Schedule 2          Scientific non assigned station: permitted ultra wideband station frequencies

(paragraph 12 (a))

Table 1

Column 1 Item	Column 2 UWB Emission Centre Frequencies (GHz)	Column 3 Conditions
1	<3.1	(a)  Emissions in a frequency band mentioned in column 2 of an item in Table 2 of Schedule 2 must not exceed the field strength limit mentioned in column 3 of the item when measured at a distance mentioned in column 4 of the item.   (b)  Emissions in the band 960–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑65.3dBm/MHz.    (c)  Emissions in the band 1610–1990 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑53.3dBm/MHz.   (d)  Emissions in the band 1990–3100 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑51.3dBm/MHz.    (e)  Emissions in the sub‑bands 1164–1240 MHz and 1559–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑75.3dBm/kHz.    (f)  Emissions above 3100 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑51.3dBm/MHz.
2	3.1–10.6	(a)  Emissions in a frequency band mentioned in column 2 of an item in Table 2 of Schedule 2 must not exceed the field strength limit mentioned in column 3 of the item when measured at a distance mentioned in column 4 of the item.   (b)  Emissions in the band 960–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑75.3dBm/MHz.    (c)  Emissions in the band 1610–1990 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑53.3dBm/MHz.   (d)  Emissions in the band 1990–3100 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑51.3dBm/MHz.    (e)  Emissions in the band 3100–10600 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑41.3dBm/MHz.    (f)  Emissions above 10600 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑51.3dBm/MHz.    (g)  Emissions in the sub‑bands 1164–1240 MHz and 1559–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑85.3dBm/kHz.
3	22–26.5	(a)  Emissions in a frequency band mentioned in column 2 of an item in Table 2 of Schedule 2 must not exceed the field strength limit mentioned in column 3 of the item when measured at a distance mentioned in column 4 of the item.   (b)  Emission in the band 960–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑75.3dBm/MHz.    (c)  Emission in the band 1610–22000 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑61.3dBm/MHz.   (d)  Emissions in the band 22000–26500 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑41.3dBm/MHz.    (e)  Emissions in the band 26500–31000 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑51.3dBm/MHz.
(f)  Emissions above 31000 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑61.3dBm/MHz.    (g)  Emissions in the sub‑bands 1164–1240 MHz and 1559–1610 MHz must not exceed an EIRP of ‑85.3dBm/kHz.

Table 2            Emission limits applicable to UWB stations from 9 kHz to 960 MHz

Column 1 Item	Column 2 Frequency (MHz)	Column 3 Field Strength (µV/m)	Column 4 Distance (m)
1	0.009–0.490	2400/f (kHz)	300
2	0.490–1.705	2400/f (kHz)	30
3	1.705–30.000	30	30
4	30.000–88.000	100	3
5	88.000–216.000	150	3
6	216.000–960.000	200	3

Note   In Table 2, field strengths are based on the use of a CISPR quasi‑peak detector.