Month: March 2019

European Commission Adopts EU-wide Rules Setting Technical Requirements for Drones

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“The European Commission today [March 12, 2019] adopted common EU-wide rules setting technical requirements for drones. They will set features and capabilities that drones must have in order to be flown safely and, at the same time, help foster investment and innovation in this promising sector.  The EU rules build on national rules that were in place and now provide a harmonized framework across the European Union. . .

“The rules are based on an assessment of the risk of operation, and strike a balance between the obligations of drone manufacturers and operators in terms of safety, respect for privacy, the environment, protection against noise, and security. For example, new drones will have to be individually identifiable, allowing the authorities to trace a particular drone if necessary.

“In addition to the technical requirements for drones adopted today, the Commission intends to adopt provisions covering the operation of drones. The rules will cover each operation type, from those not requiring prior permission, to those involving certified aircraft and operators, as well as minimum remote pilot training requirements. These technical and operational rules will also replace any national rules on drones that may currently exist in the different Member States. From 2020, drones will have to be registered with national authorities.”

Complete text at: https://ec.europa.eu/transport/modes/air/news/2019-03-12-drones_en

Pleading Cycle Set for ARRL Petition

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Comments are due April 12 in Rulemaking 11828 on a petition for rulemaking filed by the American Radio Relay League asking the FCC to amend its Part 97 rules concerning permitted emissions and operating privileges for technician class licenses.

Courtesy TRDaily

Public Knowledge Says FCC Should Acknowledge Privacy in 911 Item

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Public Knowledge Senior Vice President Harold Feld said the FCC should acknowledge privacy concerns in a fourth further notice of proposed rulemaking it plans to consider Friday proposing a z-axis, or vertical, location accuracy metric for indoor 911 calls. “In light of the FCC’s continued silence on allegations that carriers have misused information collected under the previous Enhanced 911 geolocation mandate, the complete failure of the FCC to even acknowledge privacy concerns in the [item] is deeply troubling,” Mr. Feld told TR Daily. “While Z-Axis information should still be considered CPNI under the 2015 [911] Order, it is clear that the precautions adopted in the ‘roadmap’ were insufficient to prevent carriers from releasing this information to location services used by bounty hunters. At a minimum, the FCC needs to reaffirm that carriers are required by law to protect this information, and consider whether new precautions should be required. Bluntly, the FCC’s ongoing silence on privacy is the sound of the dinner bell to unethical location services and data aggregators – and to the carriers that enable them.”

Courtesy TRDaily