Special Temporary Authority application - Certification
- Applicant certification
- Neither the applicant nor any other party to the application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits that includes FCC benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, 21 U.S.C. Section 862, because of a conviction for possession or distribution of a controlled substance. The applicant hereby waives any claim to the use of any particular frequency or electromagnetic spectrum as against the regulatory power of the United States because of the prvious use of the same, whether by license or otherwise, and requests authorization in accordance with this application. (See Section 304 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.) The applicant acknowledges that all statements made in this application and attached exhibits are considered material representations, and that all the exhibits part hereof and are incorporated herein as if set out in full in this application; undersigned certifies that all statements in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of his/her knowledge and belief and are made in good faith. Applicant certifies that construction of the station would NOT be an action which is likely to have a significant environmental effect. See the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR1.1301-1.1319.
- Date:
- 2015-11-10 00:00:00.0
- Signature of Applicant (Authorized person filing form):
- Maria Browne
- Title of Applicant (if any):
- Attorney
Special Temporary Authority application - Explanation
- Please explain in the area below why an STA is necessary:
- NIITEK seeks expeditious consideration and grant of this Special Temporary Authority (STA) in order for NIITEK to test and develop the latest generation of a developmental ultra-wideband (UWB) ground penetrating radar (GPR) device, which is based on a similar technology developed by NIITEK’s 3D-Radar division (acquired from Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc. (CWCI) in 2014) in Trondheim Norway. Specifically, NIITEK seeks this STA for the limited purpose of testing and developing the device, known as the model DXD, for use in detecting and locating clandestine, unknown subterranean threats (tunnels and other buried objects of interest to defense, national security, and law enforcement) at three specific locations in the United States. Actual operational use of the device will be performed both inside the United States by U.S. government personnel (for example, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to locate tunnels emplaced across the U.S. Southwest Border, or by U.S. government security personnel) and outside the United States by U.S. government personnel (for example, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the U.S. intelligence community) for detection of tunnels and other subterranean threats. The DXD uses step-frequency radar technology to recognize, detect and precisely locate subsurface objects and to create detailed images of subsurface objects. In addition to detecting objects, the reflected radar response can also detect variations in subsurface structures. The DXD’s unique sensor technology delivers major advances in the ease of use, speed, accuracy and resolution for 3D imaging of subterranean structures. 3D-Radar’s existing, commercial patented GPR technology has already been successfully evaluated and deployed in a broad range of applications in a number of end markets, including sub-surface imaging in road and railway maintenance and airport runway inspection. NIITEK is currently working to advance its technology to significantly increase detection performance as well as interoperability characteristics with other systems. Testing of the DXD model will enable NIITEK to make iterative changes to the detailed design required to achieve the final performance levels desired. NIITEK would operate the GPR during testing and development outdoors at its facilities located in Dulles, Virginia (the “Dulles facility”), Charlotte, North Carolina (the “Charlotte facility”) and at the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol facility in San Luis, Arizona (the “Customs and Border Patrol facility”). During testing, the DXD device would be directed toward the ground in accordance with normal GPR operating procedures. The requested STA is to allow operation outside of Part 15 during testing only, for a period of time of no more than three hours per day. NIITEK will use the DXD device to create three dimensional images of underground voids and cavities indicative of emplaced tunnels or structures. NIITEK is developing the DXD for use in assisting the United States government, including the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community in protecting its borders and buildings against terrorism and other illicit activities, and materials, including their means of conveyances. Accordingly, expeditious grant of NIITEK’s STA application is in the public interest. The FCC previously granted STAs CWCI for certain operations of 3D-Radar’s existing devices, including: an STA for a 2 MHz step version of its step-frequency radar in August 2011 (File No. 0407-EX-ST-2011, Call Sign WF9XAO); an STA for a 10 MHz and 20 MHz step version of its step-frequency radar in May 2012 (File No. 0329-EX-ST-2012, Call Sign WF9XQO); and an STA for a 10 MHz and 20 MHz step version of its step-frequencty radar in which steps were shifted 1 MHz or 2 MHz for subsequent scans in November 2012 (File No. 0840-EX-ST-2012, Call Sign WG9XBZ). An experimental license (File No. 0032-EX-PL-2012, Call Sign WG2XCI) was also granted to CWCI in January 2012. The FCC previously granted STAs to NIITEK for other GPR devices including: an STA for GPR testing at an outdoor facility in connection with commercial construction in January 2014 (File No. 0034-EX-ST-2014, Call Sign WG9XOL); an STA for GPR testing at an outdoor facility in connection with commercial farming in August 2014 (File No. 0943-EX-ST-2013, Call Sign WH9XUU); an STA for GPR testing in connection with commercial construction in August 2013 (File No. 0389-EX-ST-2013, Call Sign WG9XOL); and STAs for GPR testing in connection with military landmine detection in November 2012 (File No. 0805-EX-ST-2012, Call Sign WG9XCU), February 2012 (File No. 0075-EX-ST-2012, Call Sign WE9XOZ), May 2011 (File No. 0270-EX-ST-2011, Call Sign WE9XOZ), and November 2010 (File No. 0527-EX-ST-2010, Call Sign WE9XOZ).