47 CFR § 90.209 - Bandwidth limitations.
(a) Each authorization issued to a station licensed under this part will show an emission designator representing the class of emission authorized. The designator will be prefixed by a specified necessary bandwidth. This number does not necessarily indicate the bandwidth occupied by the emission at any instant. In those cases where § 2.202 of this chapter does not provide a formula for the computation of necessary bandwidth, the occupied bandwidth, as defined in part 2 of this chapter, may be used in lieu of the necessary bandwidth.
(b) The maximum authorized single channel bandwidth of emission corresponding to the type of emission specified in § 90.207 is as follows:
(1) For A1A or A1B emissions, the maximum authorized bandwidth is 0.25 kHz. The maximum authorized bandwidth for type A3E emission is 8 kHz.
(2) For operations below 25 MHz utilizing J3E emission, the bandwidth occupied by the emission shall not exceed 3000 Hz. The assigned frequency will be specified in the authorization. The authorized carrier frequency will be 1400 Hz lower in frequency than the assigned frequency. Only upper sideband emission may be used. In the case of regularly available double sideband radiotelephone channels, an assigned frequency for J3E emissions is available either 1600 Hz below or 1400 Hz above the double sideband radiotelephone assigned frequency.
(3) For all other types of emissions, the maximum authorized bandwidth shall not be more than that normally authorized for voice operations.
(4) Where a frequency is assigned exclusively to a single licensee, more than a single emission may be used within the authorized bandwidth. In such cases, the frequency stability requirements of § 90.213 must be met for each emission.
(5) Unless specified elsewhere, channel spacings and bandwidths that will be authorized in the following frequency bands are given in the following table.
Table 1 to § 90.209(b)(5)—Standard Channel Spacing/Bandwidth
| Frequency band (MHz) | Channel spacing (kHz) | Authorized bandwidth (kHz) |
|---|---|---|
| Below 25 2 | ||
| 25-50 | 20 | 20 |
| 72-76 | 20 | 20 |
| 150-174 | 17.5 | 1 3 20/11.25/6 |
| 216-220 5 | 6.25 | 20/11.25/6 |
| 220-222 | 5 | 4 |
| 406-512 2 | 1 6.25 | 1 3 6 20/11.25/6 |
| 806-809/851-854 | 12.5 | 20 |
| 809-817/854-862 | 12.5 | 6 20/11.25 |
| 817-824/862-869 | 25 | 6 20 |
| 896-901/935-940 | 12.5 | 13.6 |
| 902-928 4 | ||
| 929-930 | 25 | 20 |
| 1427-1432 5 | 12.5 | 12.5 |
| 3 2450-2483.5 2 | ||
| Above 2500 2 |
1 For stations authorized on or after August 18, 1995.
2 Bandwidths for radiolocation stations in the 420-450 MHz band and for stations operating in bands subject to this footnote will be reviewed and authorized on a case-by-case basis.
3 Operations using equipment designed to operate with a 25 kHz channel bandwidth will be authorized a 20 kHz bandwidth. Operations using equipment designed to operate with a 12.5 kHz channel bandwidth will be authorized a 11.25 kHz bandwidth. Operations using equipment designed to operate with a 6.25 kHz channel bandwidth will be authorized a 6 kHz bandwidth. All stations must operate on channels with a bandwidth of 12.5 kHz or less beginning January 1, 2013, unless the operations meet the efficiency standard of § 90.203(j)(3).
4 The maximum authorized bandwidth shall be 12 MHz for non-multilateration LMS operations in the band 909.75-921.75 MHz and 2 MHz in the band 902.00-904.00 MHz. The maximum authorized bandwidth for multilateration LMS operations shall be 5.75 MHz in the 904.00-909.75 MHz band; 2 MHz in the 919.75-921.75 MHz band; 5.75 MHz in the 921.75-927.25 MHz band and its associated 927.25-927.50 MHz narrowband forward link; and 8.00 MHz if the 919.75-921.75 MHz and 921.75-927.25 MHz bands and their associated 927.25-927.50 MHz and 927.50-927.75 MHz narrowband forward links are aggregated.
5 See § 90.259.
6 Operations using equipment designed to operate with a 25 kilohertz channel bandwidth may be authorized up to a 20 kilohertz bandwidth unless the equipment meets the Adjacent Channel Power limits of § 90.221 in which case operations may be authorized up to a 22 kilohertz bandwidth. Operations using equipment designed to operate with a 12.5 kilohertz channel bandwidth may be authorized up to an 11.25 kilohertz bandwidth.
(6)
(i) Beginning January 1, 2011, no new applications for the 150-174 MHz and/or 421-512 MHz bands will be acceptable for filing if the applicant utilizes channels with an authorized bandwidth exceeding 11.25 kHz, unless specified elsewhere or the operations meet the efficiency standards of § 90.203(j)(3).
(ii) Beginning January 1, 2011, no modification applications for stations in the 150-174 MHz and/or 421-512 MHz bands that increase the station's authorized interference contour, will be acceptable for filing if the applicant utilizes channels with an authorized bandwidth exceeding 11.25 kHz, unless specified elsewhere or the operations meet the efficiency standards of § 90.203(j)(3). See § 90.187(b)(2)(iii) and (iv) for interference contour designations and calculations. Applications submitted pursuant to this paragraph must comply with frequency coordination requirements of § 90.175.
(7) Economic Area (EA)-based licensees in frequencies 817-824/862-869 MHz (813.5-824/858.5-869 MHz in the counties listed in § 90.614(c)) may exceed the standard channel spacing and authorized bandwidth listed in paragraph (b)(5) of this section in any National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee Region when all 800 MHz public safety licensees in the Region have completed band reconfiguration consistent with this part. In any National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee Region where the 800 MHz band reconfiguration is incomplete, EA-based licensees in frequencies 817-821/862-866 MHz (813.5-821/858.5-866 MHz in the counties listed in § 90.614(c)) may exceed the standard channel spacing and authorized bandwidth listed in paragraph (b)(5) of this section. Upon all 800 MHz public safety licensees in a National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee Region completing band reconfiguration, EA-based 800 MHz SMR licensees in the 821-824/866-869 MHz band may exceed the channel spacing and authorized bandwidth in paragraph (b)(5) of this section. Licensees authorized to exceed the standard channel spacing and authorized bandwidth under this paragraph must provide at least 30 days written notice prior to initiating such service in the bands listed herein to every 800 MHz public safety licensee with a base station in an affected National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee Region, and every 800 MHz public safety licensee with a base station within 113 kilometers (70 miles) of an affected National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee Region. Such notice shall include the estimated date upon which the EA-based 800 MHz SMR licensee intends to begin operations that exceed the channel spacing and authorized bandwidth in paragraph (b)(5) of this section.
(8) Applicants may begin to license 12.5 kilohertz bandwidth channels in the 809-817/854-862 MHz band segment only after the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau jointly release a public notice announcing the availability of those channels for licensing in a National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee region.