On June 5, 2024, the FCC released the Report and Order (R&O) FCC 24028 providing new rules for Part 25 earth stations. Earth stations would include devices such as phone handsets and WWAN-equipped laptops that can directly connect to satellites for communications purposes. The new rules adopted in the Report and Order went into effect May 30, 2024. Here are the details stated in the new KDB 273109 D02 Part 25 SCS and CMRS-Bands v01.

There will be an adjustment period during the initial six months following the rules that will be in full effect on November 11, 2024. Devices that had received equipment certification prior to June 29, 2024 and support a specific licensed services frequency bands and rule parts are permitted to supplement Part 25 listings on their existing equipment authorization grants as a Class II permissive change, subject to a temporary waiver of the provisions of Sections 2.1043(c), 2.911(c), and (e). This waiver is designed to facilitate the addition of a Part 25 designation to handsets that may also be used as SCS earth stations. The river applies solely to devices that have obtained certification for SCS frequency bands for terrestrial operation under Rule Parts 22/24/27, or similar, with at least one band certified, and the equipment certification was granted prior to the 60th day subsequent to the the publication of the summary of the R&O in the Federal Register on June 29, 2024.

The sole exhibit necessary to process a C2PC under the temporary waiver are as follows. Cover letter with the following information and attestations. Intent to add Part 25 SCS capability through software update only without any hardware changes. Attesting that no RF emission have changed. Intent to use the temporary waiver process which waives Sections 2.1043(c), 2.911(c), and (e). Covered equipment attestations letters per Section 2.911(d) will also be required.

Given that this temporary waiver is implemented by the rule, it is unnecessary to mark “associated with the waiver” box on the Form 731 or adhere to the waiver requirements outlined in KDB Publication 502150. After six months form the effective date of the rules on November 30,2024, a Class II Permissive Change may still be performed. But the full exhibits requirements specified in Section 2.911, including a Part 25 test report, will be required. The permissive change will only be allowed if it meets the acceptability criteria for a permissive change in KDB Publication 178919 D01. Another option would be a new ID for the device. However, all exhibits stated in Section 2.911 will be required. The EAS Form-731 Grant Note 07 shall be used for identifying Part 25 SCS capability.

Filing Examples

A new earth station may be certified under Part 25 with SCS capability using a new FCC ID after 5/30/2024. Follow regular Form 731 filing process for a new ID including Part 25 test report, RF exposure compliance info, etc.

A device certified for terrestrial operations under rule Part(s) 22/24/27 on or before 6/29/2024 is eligible for adding CSC capability under Part 25 via a C2PC using the temporary waiver process the permissive change is performed before 11/30/2024.

A device certified for terrestrial operation under rule Part(s) 22/24/27 after 06/29/2024 may add SCS capability under Part 25 via a C2PC. The temporary waiver does not apply, and regular Form 731 filing process for a C2PC shall be applied. The C2PC is only acceptable if allowed under permissive change KDB Publications 178919.

Here are the CMRS frequency bands available for SCS.

600 MHz: 614-652 MHz and 663-698 MHz

700 MHz: 698-769 MHz, 775-799 MHz, and 805-806 MHz

800 MHz: 824-849 MHz and 869-894 MHz

Broadband PCS: 1850-1915 MHz and 1930-1995 MHz

AWS-H Block: 1915-1920 MHz and 1995-2000 MHz