15.712—Interference protection requirements.

(a) Digital television stations, and digital and analog Class A TV, low power TV, TV translator and TV booster stations:

(1) Protected contour. TVBDs must protect digital and analog TV services within the contours shown in the following table. The contours are based on the R-6602 curves contained in § 73.699 of this chapter.

Type of station	Protected contour
Type of station	Channel	Contour(dBu)	Propagationcurve
Analog: Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster	Low VHF (2-6)	47	F(50,50)
	High VHF (7-13)	56	F(50,50)
	UHF (14-69)	64	F(50,50)
Digital: Full service TV, Class A TV, LPTV, translator and booster	Low VHF (2-6)	28	F(50,90)
	High VHF (7-13)	36	F(50,90)
	UHF (14-51)	41	F(50,90)

(2) Required separation distance. Fixed TVBDs and personal/portable TVBDs operating in Mode II must be located outside the contours indicated in paragraph (a)(1) of this section of co-channel and adjacent channel stations by at least the minimum distances specified in the following table. Personal/portable TVBDs operating in Mode II must comply with the separation distances specified for an unlicensed device with an antenna height of less than 3 meters. Alternatively, Mode II personal/portable TVBDs may operate at closer separation distances, including inside the contour of adjacent channel stations, provided the power level is reduced as specified in § 15.709(a)(2).

Antenna height of unlicensed device	Required separation (km) from digital or analog TV (full service or low power) protected contour
Antenna height of unlicensed device	Co-channel(km)	Adjacentchannel(km)
Less than 3 meters	6.0	0.1
3-Less than 10 meters	8.0	0.1
10-30 meters	14.4	0.74

(b) Translator receive sites and cable headends. For translator receive sites and cable headends registered in the TV bands database, TVBDs may not operate within an arc of ±30 degrees from a line between the registered translator or cable headend receive site and the TV station being received within a distance of 80 km from the protected contour for co-channel operation and 20 km from the protected contour for adjacent channel operation. Outside of this ±30 degree arc, TVBDs may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel operation.

(c) Fixed Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) Links. For permanent BAS receive sites appearing in the Commission's Universal Licensing System or temporary BAS receive sites registered in the TV bands database, TVBDs may not operate within an arc of ±30 degrees from a line between the BAS receive site and its associated permanent transmitter within a distance of 80 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 20 km for adjacent channel operation. Outside this ±30 degree arc, TVBDs may not operate within 8 km from the receive site for co-channel operation and 2 km from the receive site for adjacent channel operation.

(d) PLMRS/CMRS operations. TVBDs may not operate at distances less than 134 km for co-channel operations and 131 km for adjacent channel operations from the coordinates of the metropolitan areas and on the channels listed in § 90.303(a) of this chapter. For PLMRS/CMRS operations outside of the metropolitan areas listed in § 90.303(a) of this chapter, co-channel and adjacent channel TVBDs may not operate closer than 54 km and 51 km, respectively from a base station.

(e) Offshore Radiotelephone Service. TVBDs may not operate on channels used by the Offshore Radio Service within the geographic areas specified in § 74.709(e) of this chapter.

(f) Low power auxiliary services, including wireless microphones. (1) TVBDs will not be permitted to operate within 1 km of the coordinates of registered wireless microphone sites during designated times on the channels used by wireless microphones.

(2) In the 13 metropolitan areas listed in § 90.303(a) of this chapter and nearby areas where private land mobile services and commercial land mobile services are authorized by waiver, operation of TVBDs will not be permitted to operate on the first channel on each side of TV channel 37 (608-614 MHz) that is available, i.e., not occupied by a licensed service, at all locations within the protection range of the coordinates of each such area as set forth in § 15.712(d).

(g) Border areas near Canada and Mexico. (1) Fixed and personal/portable TVBDs shall not operate within 32 kilometers of the Canadian Border.

(2) Fixed and personal/portable TVBDs shall not operate within 40 kilometers of the Mexican border on UHF channels, or within 60 kilometers of that border on VHF channels.

(h) Radio astronomy services. Operation of fixed and personal/portable TVBDs is prohibited on all channels within 2.4 kilometers at the following locations.

(1) The Naval Radio Research Observatory in Sugar Grove, West Virginia.

(2) The Table Mountain Radio Receiving Zone (TMRZ) at 40°07′50″ N and 105°15′40″ W.

(3) The following facilities.

Observatory	Longitude(deg/min/sec)	Latitude(deg/min/sec)
Allen Telescope Array	121°28′24″ W	40°49′04″ N.
Arecibo Observatory	066°45′11″ W	18°20′46″ N.
Green Bank Telescope (GBT)	079°50′24″ W	38°25′59″ N.
Very Large Array (VLA)	107°37′04″ W	34°04′44″ N.
Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) Stations:
Pie Town, AZ	108°07′07″ W	34°18′04″ N.
Kitt Peak, AZ	111°36′42″ W	31°57′22″ N.
Los Alamos, NM	106°14′42″ W	35°46′30″ N.
Ft. Davis, TX	103°56′39″ W	30°38′06″ N.
N. Liberty, IA	091°34′26″ W	41°46′17″ N.
Brewster, WA	119°40′55″ W	48°07′53″ N.
Owens Valley, CA	118°16′34″ W	37°13′54″ N.
St. Croix, VI	064°35′03″ W	17°45′31″ N.
Hancock, NH	071°59′12″ W	42°56′01″ N.
Mauna Kea, HI	155°27′29″ W	19°48′16″ N.
Code of Federal Regulations 868

CFR

15.712—Interference protection requirements.