Sec. 15.242  Operation in the bands 174-216 MHz and 470-668 MHz.

    (a) The marketing and operation of intentional radiators under the 
provisions of this section is restricted to biomedical telemetry devices 
employed solely on the premises of health care facilities.
    (1) A health care facility includes hospitals and other 
establishments that offer services, facilities, and beds for use beyond 
24 hours in rendering medical treatment and institutions and 
organizations regularly engaged in providing medical services through 
clinics, public health facilities, and similar establishments, including 
governmental entities and agencies for their own medical activities.
    (2) This authority to operate does not extend to mobile vehicles, 
such as ambulances, even if those vehicles are associated with a health 
care facility.
    (b) The fundamental emissions from a biomedical telemetry device 
operating under the provisions of this section shall be contained within 
a single television broadcast channel, as defined in part 73 of this 
chapter, under all conditions of operation and shall lie wholly within 
the frequency ranges of 174-216 MHz and 470-668 MHz.
    (c) The field strength of the fundamental emissions shall not exceed 
200 mV/m, as measured at a distance of 3 meters using a quasi-peak 
detector. Manufacturers should note that a quasi-peak detector function 
indicates field strength per 120 kHz of bandwidth 20 kHz. Accordingly, the total signal level over the 
band of operation may be higher than 200 mV/m. The field strength of 
emissions radiated on any frequency outside of the television broadcast 
channel within which the fundamental is contained shall not exceed the 
general limits in Sec. 15.209.
    (d) The user and the installer of a biomedical telemetry device 
operating within the frequency range 174-216 MHz, 470-608 MHz or 614-668 
MHz shall ensure that the following minimum separation distances are 
maintained between the biomedical telemetry device and the authorized 
radio services operating on the same frequencies:
    (1) At least 10.3 km outside of the Grade B field strength contour 
(56 dBuV/m) of a TV broadcast station or an associated TV booster 
station operating within the band 174-216 MHz.
    (2) At least 5.5 km outside of the Grade B field strength contour 
(64 dBuV/m) of a TV broadcast station or an associated TV booster 
station operating within the bands 470-608 MHz or 614-668 MHz.
    (3) At least 5.1 km outside of the 68 dBuV/m field strength contour 
of a low power TV or a TV translator station operating within the band 
174-216 MHz.
    (4) At least 3.1 km outside of the 74 dBuV/m field strength contour 
of a low power TV or a TV translator station operating within the bands 
470-608 MHz or 614-668 MHz.

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    (5) Whatever distance is necessary to protect other authorized users 
within these bands.
    (e) The user and the installer of a biomedical telemetry device 
operating within the frequency range 608-614 MHz and that will be 
located within 32 km of the very long baseline array (VLBA) stations or 
within 80 km of any of the other radio astronomy observatories noted in 
footnote US 311 of Section 2.106 of this chapter must coordinate with, 
and obtain the written concurrence of, the director of the affected 
radio astronomy observatory before the equipment can be installed or 
operated. The National Science Foundation point of contact for 
coordination is: Spectrum Manager, Division of Astronomical Sciences, 
NSF Rm 1045, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230; tel: (703) 306-
1823.
    (f) Biomedical telemetry devices must not cause harmful interference 
to licensed TV broadcast stations or to other authorized radio services, 
such as operations on the broadcast frequencies under subparts G and H 
of part 74 of this chapter, land mobile stations operating under part 90 
of this chapter in the 470-512 MHz band, and radio astronomy operation 
in the 608-614 MHz band. (See Sec. 15.5.) If harmful interference 
occurs, the interference must either be corrected or the device must 
immediately cease operation on the occupied frequency. Further, the 
operator of the biomedical telemetry device must accept whatever level 
of interference is received from other radio operations. The operator, 
i.e., the health care facility, is responsible for resolving any 
interference that occurs subsequent to the installation of these 
devices.
    (g) The manufacturers, installers, and users of biomedical telemetry 
devices are reminded that they must ensure that biomedical telemetry 
transmitters operating under the provisions of this section avoid 
operating in close proximity to authorized services using this spectrum. 
Sufficient separation distance, necessary to avoid causing or receiving 
harmful interference, must be maintained from co-channel operations. 
These parties are reminded that the frequencies of the authorized 
services are subject to change, especially during the implementation of 
the digital television services. The operating frequencies of the part 
15 devices may need to be changed, as necessary and in accordance with 
the permissive change requirements of this chapter, to accommodate 
changes in the operating frequencies of the authorized services.
    (h) The manufacturers, installers and users of biomedical telemetry 
devices are cautioned that the operation of this equipment could result 
in harmful interference to other nearby medical devices.

[ 62 FR 58658 , Oct. 30, 1997]