In new filings on ultra-wideband (UWB), AOL Time Warner, Viacom, ...

and other pending issues. HBO, Turner Bcstg. and others raised concerns last week that emissions limits would create potential interference for C-band receive antennas (CD Feb 6 p9). Viacom urged FCC to revise emissions limits for UWB devices at 3.7-4.2 GHz to ensure they wouldn’t interfere with satellite services. Viacom owns premium and basic cable program services and 2 broadcast networks, CBS and UPN, delivered via C-band satellite capacity and received by cable operator head-ends and network affiliates using downlink antennas at 3.7-4.2 GHz. Program services include Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV. “Viacom and its cable and broadcast network affiliates literally have billions of dollars riding on the quality reception of C-band transmissions,” it said. NCTA raised similar concerns, citing recent SIA studies that said UWB devices could cause interference to reception of satellite signals in C-band frequencies. “We urge the Commission not to adopt final technical rules for UWB devices until this analysis can be done and appropriate remedies adopted,” NCTA said. Warner Bros. and WB TV network also weighed in on side of SIA. WB said SIA findings showed that peak emission limits adopted for UWB devices weren’t sufficient to protect C-band receive antennas. “Studies show that UWB devices operating at their allowed peak power densities could interfere with C-band reception at distances up to 4.4 kilometers between a UWB device and a satellite earth station,” WB said. “Given this interference potential, it is highly likely that widespread deployment of UWB devices under current technical rules would cause significant disruption to television network distribution.” AOL Time Warner also raised issue of peak emission limits and impact on C-band. “Because the C-band frequencies are used for video program distribution for nearly all other cable and broadcast television networks, it is imperative that further analysis be done, and appropriate technical revisions be made in the FCC’s UWB rules, to ensure that UWB technology can be deployed without disrupting cable service to millions of consumers,” AOL said. Separately, Siemens is seeking several minor changes in rules for its 24 GHz short-range vehicular radar system. That system provides crash detection and collision warnings. System involves pulsed frequency-hopping radar that uses “independent time and frequency multiplexing technique,” Siemens said in FCC filing. Among changes company is seeking is modification of UWB transmitter as intentional radiator that has UWB bandwidth equal to or greater than 500 MHz to allow Siemens system to occupy required 500 MHz bandwidth within 10 milliseconds.