Private Land Mobile Radio Services

The Commission has adopted a Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O) which addresses issues and concerns raised in twenty-four petitions, five oppositions, and three replies, requesting that we reconsider or clarify various decisions and technical rules adopted in the Report and Order (R&O) in PR Docket No. 92-235. This MO&O also addresses a petition for reconsideration filed in PR Docket No. 92-257 regarding the shared use of industrial/land transportation and maritime public correspondence frequencies. Consistent with our objective of increasing the efficiency of the PLMR frequency bands this MO&O clarifies our decisions in the R&O, and where necessary, makes appropriate modifications to the rules. This MO&O maintains the channel plan adopted in the R&O, but also permits frequency coordinators to recommend frequencies for any technology with lesser bandwidth, provided that interference is not caused to other systems. Additionally, the Commission extends the first transition date for the type acceptance of narrowband equipment from August 1, 1996, to February 14, 1997, and retains the second transition date of January 1, 2005. Further, the Commission clarifies the rules regarding type acceptance to provide greater flexibility for manufacturers to support existing equipment and, where appropriate, to provide alternatives to our efficiency standards. Finally, the Commission clarifies a variety of technical rules including, but not limited to, those pertaining to new power/antenna height limits, the emission mask, and frequency stability requirements.