FCC Seeks to Enable State-of-the-Art Radar Sensors in 60 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission proposed and sought comment on updated rules for short-range radars in the 60 GHz spectrum band. Cutting edge radar sensing technology has been used to enable in-car radar-based technology to monitor for children left in dangerous, hot cars and touchless control of devices, including to promote accessibility for users with mobility or speech impairments. With their ability to capture motion in a three-dimensional space and capability to be incorporated into phones and other small devices, 60 GHz short-range radars are poised to enable many new health, personal safety, automation, and environment control applications. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks to open the door for additional technological uses in the 57 to 64 GHz portion of that band while asking questions about the applicability in the broader 57 to 71 GHz band, and proposes rules and seeks comment on how best to ensure coexistence among new and existing users. It also seeks comments on the use of sensing technology such as Listen-Before-Talk to allow transmission at the same power level as other unlicensed devices in this band.