[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR2.944]

[Page 645]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
              CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
 
PART 2_FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND RADIO TREATY MATTERS; GENERAL RULES AND 
 
              Subpart J_Equipment Authorization Procedures
 
Sec.  2.944  Software defined radios.

    (a) Manufacturers must take steps to ensure that only software that 
has been approved with a software defined radio can be loaded into the 
radio. The software must not allow the user to operate the transmitter 
with operating frequencies, output power, modulation types or other 
radio frequency parameters outside those that were approved. 
Manufacturers may use means including, but not limited to the use of a 
private network that allows only authenticated users to download 
software, electronic signatures in software or coding in hardware that 
is decoded by software to verify that new software can be legally loaded 
into a device to meet these requirements and must describe the methods 
in their application for equipment authorization.
    (b) Any radio in which the software is designed or expected to be 
modified by a party other than the manufacturer and would affect the 
operating parameters of frequency range, modulation type or maximum 
output power (either radiated or conducted), or the circumstances under 
which the transmitter operates in accordance with Commission rules, must 
comply with the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section and must 
be certified as a software defined radio.
    (c) Applications for certification of software defined radios must 
include a high level operational description or flow diagram of the 
software that controls the radio frequency operating parameters.

[70 FR 23039, May 4, 2005]