STA Request

0319-EX-ST-2000 Text Documents

XM Radio, Inc.

2000-08-03ELS_40436

              paet®                                                                                    0317—EX—ST—2000
                                                          m               SATELLiTE
                                                                                                                         ORIGINAL
                                                                          RADi 0




                                                         July 25, 2000
COURIER
James R. Burtle, Chief
Federal Communications Commission
Office of Engineering and Technology
The Portals
445 Twelfth Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

               Re:       Request of XM Radio Inc. for Special Temporary Authority in the
                         Experimental Radio Service to Conduct Test Operations of S—band
                         Digital Audio Radio Service Terrestrial Repeaters in the
                         Atlanta, Georgia Area

Dear Mr. Burtle:

       XM Radio Inc. ("XM Radio"), one of the two Digital Audio Radio Service ("DARS")
licensees in the U.S., hereby requests six—month Special Temporary Authority ("STA") under
Section 5.61 of the Commission‘s rules to conduct tests of terrestrial repeater transmitters at nine
fixed locations around the Atlanta, GA area in its licensed frequency band (2332.5—2345 MHz).
XM Radio requests authority to initiate this testing by August 25, 2000.

          Consistent with the Commission‘s March 1997 Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
XM Radio expects to deploy "gap—filler" terrestrial repeaters as part of its DARS network in
most major cities. See Report and Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order, and Further Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking, Establishment of Rules and Policies for the Digital Audio Radio
Satellite Service in the 2310—2360 MHz Frequency Band, 12 FCC Red 5754 (1997). XM Radio
is currently conducting tests of terrestrial repeater transmitter facilities in metropolitan areas
throughout the United States pursuant to the national experimental authorization granted by the
Experimental Licensing Branch on August 17, 1999. See FCC File No. 0199—EX—PL—1999 (Call
Sign WB2XCA). These ongoing tests are a critical part of the technical planning required for a
successful launch of XM Radio‘s DARS service.

       XM Radio now proposes to conduct new tests of terrestrial facilities in the Atlanta,
Georgia metropolitan area. XM Radio will operate repeaters at nine fixed locations in order to
simulate the operation of its planned repeaters in its final DARS network. These experimental
operations will help to facilitate the efficient design and deployment of XM Radio‘s prospective
DARS repeater network. The technical parameters of the transmitters proposed herein deviate


                                                ASHINGTON DC 20037 PH 202 969 7100
                                      ie 57 W
                                  w sUite                                          FAX 202 9 69 705
                         reet N                                                                       0 WWwuw y
                                                                                                             «XM
               1250 23                                                                                             Rav,O, coy


Mr. James R. Burtle
July 25, 2000
Page 2

sufficiently from the repeater operations authorized under XM Radio‘s current national
experimental license to require a new experimental STA for these Atlanta operations. This STA
will in no way prejudice the Commission‘s pending rulemaking addressing terrestrial repeaters.

       The attached exhibits, listed below, provide the operational and technical details of XM
Radio‘s proposed experimental operations at the nine fixed locations around Atlanta:

Exhibit A:      Experiment Objectives and Operations

Exhibit B:      Transmitter Locations and Transmitter Technical Parameters

Exhibit C:      Radio—frequency Exposure Compliance

Exhibit D:      Emission Isolation to Existing Systems

        In particular, Exhibit B provides detailed information concerning the technical parameters
of the proposed transmitters. This information includes frequency, EIRP, and modulation of the
proposed signals.

        XM Radio is authorized to operate its DARS system in the U.S. in the 2332.3—2345 MHz
frequency band on an exclusive basis, and it believes that it can conduct the proposed testing
without causing interference to any existing radio operators. XM Radio has detected no
interference problems during the tests conducted pursuant to its national experimental
authorization. Moreover, XM Radio will work with any existing radio operators to assure
protection of those systems.

      As indicated above, XM Radio hopes to initiate testing by August 25, 2000. If testing
beyond the six—month term of the proposed STA is necessary, XM Radio will file an STA
extension request and an application for a two—year experimental license by the applicable
deadlines. See 47 C.F.R. 5.61(b).

         The required filing fee of $45.00 and FCC Form 159 are enclosed with this request. XM
Radio hereby certifies that no party to this application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits
pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti—Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. § 853(a).


Mr. James R. Burtle
July 25, 2000
Page 3

       Please direct any questions regarding this matter to the undersigned.

                                                Very truly yours,

                                                                          <
                                           rms2             ——           e~
                                            ~                    ——c_—
                                                Lon C. Levin
                                                  Senior Vice President, Regulatory



Document Created: 2001-07-26 16:34:49
Document Modified: 2001-07-26 16:34:49

© 2024 FCC.report
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FCC