Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 2015
 
Radiocommunications Act 1992
The AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY makes this Determination under paragraph 107 (1) (f) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.
Dated         11 August 2015       
Chris Chapman
[signed]
Member
Brendan Byrne
[signed]
 Member / General Manager
 
Australian Communications and Media Authority
 
 
Part 1                 Preliminary
  
1              Name of Determination
                This Determination is the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 2015.
2              Commencement
                This Determination commences on the day after it is registered.
Note   All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.  See http://www.frli.gov.au.
3              Scope
         (1)   This Determination sets out the conditions to which a scientific licence is subject in the following manner:
                (a)    every scientific licence is subject to the conditions in Part 2;
               (b)    every scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) is also subject to the conditions in Part 3.
         (2)   However, if a condition in this Determination is inconsistent with a condition specified in the licence, the condition specified in the licence applies.
4              Interpretation
         (1)   In this Determination, unless the contrary intention appears:
AS/NZS 4295 means the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4295 Analogue speech (angle modulated) equipment operating in land mobile and fixed services bands in the frequency range 29.7 MHz to 1 GHz published by Standards Australia, as existing from time to time.
dummy load means a dissipative but essentially non‑radiating substitute device having impedance characteristics simulating those of the device for which it is a substitute.
licensee means the holder of a scientific licence and includes any person authorised by the licensee to operate a station under the licence.
scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) means a scientific licence that authorises the holder to operate a scientific non assigned station.
Note   For the definitions of other expressions used in this Determination, see the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Radiocommunications (Interpretation) Determination 2015 and the Radiocommunications Regulations 1993.
         (2)   For this Determination, a frequency band described using 2 frequencies starts immediately above the lower frequency and ends at the higher frequency.
5              Revocation of previous Determination
                The Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Scientific Licence) Determination 1997 (Federal Register of Legislative Instruments No. F2005B01139) is revoked.
Part 2                 Conditions for every scientific licence
6              Conditions
                Every scientific licence is subject to the conditions in this Part relating to the operation of any scientific station under the licence by the licensee.
7              Use of stations under other licences
         (1)   A scientific station may be operated by the licensee if the station is operated primarily to perform any of the following activities:
                (a)    research into radiocommunications;
               (b)    investigation of radiocommunications;
                (c)    instruction in radiocommunications;
               (d)    demonstration of equipment;
                (e)    testing of equipment;
                (f)    trials of new radiocommunications technology;
               (g)    radio propagation path testing.
Note   The issue of a scientific licence does not mean that an assigned frequency or any other frequency will be available to the licensee beyond the expiry date of the licence or under any other licence type for any purpose.
         (2)   However, a scientific station must not be operated by the licensee if the activity that is to be undertaken can be undertaken using a station under another type of licence.
8              Call signs
         (1)   The licensee must operate a scientific station using:
                (a)    the call sign allocated by the ACMA; or
               (b)    another form of identification that clearly identifies the station.
         (2)   However, subsection (1) does not apply to the licensee if the station is operated:
                (a)    for transmitting a message other than by voice; and
               (b)    using a form of transmission for which it is not technically practicable to use the call sign or form of identification.
Part 3                 Conditions for scientific licence (scientific non assigned station)
9              Conditions
                Every scientific licence (scientific non assigned station) is subject to the additional conditions in this Part relating to the operation of any scientific non assigned station under the licence by the licensee.
10            Technical performance of a scientific non assigned station
         (1)   If a scientific non assigned station includes analogue speech (angle modulated) equipment operated:
                (a)    on a transmitter frequency in the frequency band 29.7 MHz to 520 MHz; and
               (b)    on a frequency channel with a bandwidth of 12.5 kHz, 20 kHz or 25 kHz;
the equipment must comply with the requirements of AS/NZS 4295.
         (2)   However, subsection (1) does not apply to a scientific non assigned station if:
                (a)    all emissions of electromagnetic energy from the station that the licensee intends the station to emit are dissipated into a non‑radiating dummy load; or
               (b)    radiofrequency transmissions from the station are confined by means of a screened room that provides attenuation that reduces the level of transmissions to the mean level of noise in the surrounding area.
11            Permitted frequencies
         (1)   If the licensee operates under the licence a scientific non assigned station that is also a land station and a scientific non assigned station that is also a mobile station operated on a frequency mentioned in column 2 or 3 of an item in Schedule 1:
                (a)    the land station must be operated:
                          (i)    to transmit on a frequency mentioned in column 2 of an item in Schedule 1; and
                         (ii)    to receive on the frequency mentioned in column 3 of the item; and
                        (iii)    in accordance with the conditions mentioned in column 4 of the item; and
               (b)    the mobile station must be operated:
                          (i)    to transmit on the frequency mentioned in column 3 of an item in Schedule 1; and
                         (ii)    to receive on the frequency mentioned in column 2 of the item; and
                        (iii)    in accordance with the conditions mentioned in column 4 of the item.
         (2)   However, the licensee may operate a scientific non assigned station on any frequency without complying with subsection (1), if:
                (a)    all emissions of electromagnetic energy from the station that the licensee intends the station to emit are dissipated into a non‑radiating dummy load; or
               (b)    radiofrequency transmissions from the station are confined by means of a screened room that provides attenuation that reduces the level of transmissions to the mean level of noise in the surrounding area.
12            Permitted frequencies
                If the licensee operates under the licence a scientific non assigned station that is also an ultra wideband station, the ultra wideband station is authorised to be operated:
                (a)    within the range of frequencies mentioned in column 2 of an item in Table 1 of Schedule 2, if the emissions comply with the conditions mentioned in column 3 of the item; and
               (b)    in accordance with any other conditions specified in the licence.
13            Interference
                The licensee must not operate a scientific non assigned station if its operation causes harmful interference to a service provided by another station (other than another scientific non assigned station).
Note   It is the responsibility of a licensee of a scientific non assigned station to coordinate the operation of the station with the operation of nearby scientific non assigned stations to reduce any interference between the stations.
Schedule 1        Scientific non assigned station: permitted frequencies
(subsection 11 (1))
  
 
Column 1
Item no.
Column 2
Frequencies (Tx — land stations, Rx — mobile stations)
(MHz)
Column 3
Frequencies (Tx — mobile stations, Rx — land stations)
(MHz)
Column 4
Conditions

1
72.225
 
74.725
 
The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using;
   (a)  FM only; and
  (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and
   (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.

2
162.225
157.625
The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:
   (a)  FM only; and
  (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and
   (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.

3
411.5
411.5
The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:
   (a)  FM only; and
  (b)  a maximum transmitter power of 5W pY; and
   (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 10.1 kHz.

4
493.5
498.7
The licensee must operate the scientific non assigned station using:
   (a)  FM only; and
  (b)  a maximum radiated power of 83W pY EIRP; and
   (c)  a maximum necessary bandwidth of 16 kHz.

Schedule 2        Scientific non assigned station: permitted ultra wideband station frequencies
(paragraph 12 (a))
Table 1
 
Column 1
Item
Column 2
UWB Emission Centre Frequencies (GHz)
Column 3
Conditions

1