The Federal Communications Commission proposed updating its rules for ultra-wideband devices to give new applications greater flexibility under a proposed rule published Nov. 2, the agency said.
The existing rules date to 2002, and technological changes have brought more requests for permission to operate modern devices outside those requirements. The proposal would revise that framework while protecting existing spectrum users.
Ultra-wideband is a low-power wireless technology used for tracking, automation and precise location services. Its applications also include health monitoring, athletic performance and public safety.
The proposal seeks comments on how to accommodate further uses while protecting federal and non-federal users of radio frequencies. Comments close Jan. 4, 2027. The entry lists Dec. 2 as its effective date, but the document is a proposal, not a final rule.
A separate FCC rule published Nov. 2 corrects an earlier notification concerning network changes and the discontinuation of services. The correction takes effect the same day.
The commission's Wireline Competition Bureau withdrew all instructions for amending regulations that it inadvertently included in the Oct. 1 notification. That notification concerned effective dates for changes to network disclosure and service discontinuation rules.
The bureau also announced an effective date for amendments published April 20.
The Federal Aviation Administration, part of the Transportation Department, adopted a rule requiring inspections of certain Boeing 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft after required production checks were missed, the agency said.
The rule requires detailed inspections and adhesion tests of sealant in specified wing areas, with further action depending on the findings. It followed a report that some sealant installations inside the center wing fuel tank missed required visual and adhesion inspections.
Another rule replaces an earlier directive covering certain Boeing 747-400 and 747-8 aircraft. It requires repeated checks for damage to fuel transfer pump valve and adapter components in the horizontal stabilizer fuel tank, corrective action where needed, and restrictions on installing affected parts.
A third rule covers all Diamond DA 40, DA 40 F and DA 40 NG aircraft after reports of passenger doors separating during flight. It requires changes to flight manuals, inspections of door latches and safety mechanisms, measurement of door-handle operating force, and placards on aircraft.
Those three aircraft rules were published Nov. 2 and take effect Dec. 7. A separate rule published the same day takes effect Nov. 23 and covers six BRP-Rotax engine models in the 915 and 916 families.
That rule requires replacement of the turbocharger valve housing and an update to the turbocharger's identification. It followed a report of oil leaking through cracks caused by insufficient housing wall thickness.
