FCC 96-267
                               June 18, 1996

                                                  31030/EQU/4-2-
7
                                                  1300C2




Mr. Ken Ruppel
Product Manager
Western Multiplex Corporation
300 Harbor Boulevard
Belmont, CA  94002

Dear Mr. Ruppel:

This is in reply to your letter of December 1, 1995, requesting an
extension for two years of the waiver of Section 15.247(b) previously
issued to Western Multiplex.

Under the regulations in effect prior to August 24, 1990, spread
spectrum transmitters operating under the provisions of Section 15.247
of our rules were limited to a peak output of one watt.  At the same
time, there was no limit on the amount of directional antenna gain that
could be employed with these transmitters.  Under the current rules,
spread spectrum systems are limited to a maximum directional antenna
gain of 6 dBi, unless the output power of the transmitter is reduced
below its maximum one watt peak limit by the amount the directional
antenna gain exceeds 6 dBi.  As indicated in Section 15.37, the
manufacture and importation of transmitters operating under the
former regulations was required to cease prior to June 23, 1994.

By letters dated October 3, 1994, and February 14, 1995, Western
Multiplex was granted a waiver of the limit on directional gain to be
employed on antennas used with fixed, 
point-to-point spread spectrum systems operating in the
2400-2483.5 MHz and 
5725-5850 MHz frequency bands.  This waiver was issued under the
delegated authority provided by the Commission in GEN Docket No.
87-389 permitting extension of the manufacturing and importation cut-
off dates specified in Section 15.37 of the rules for up to two years.  The
waiver will expire on June 23, 1996.  

In response to your Petition for Rule Making, the Commission, on
January 30, 1996, adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET
Docket No. 96-8 addressing, among other issues, the use of high gain
directional antennas.  While the Commission proposed to permit the
use of higher directional antenna gain for spread spectrum systems
operating in the 5725-5850 MHz band, it requested comments on
permitting such antennas in the 
2400-2483.5 MHz band.  Comments on this proposal are due by June
19, 1996; reply comments are due by July 19, 1996. 



Mr. Ken Ruppel
Page Two


Because the Commission has not yet made a final determination on
your petition for rule making with regard to permitting the use of
higher gain antennas in the 2400-2483.5 MHz and 5725-5850 MHz
bands, we agree that the waiver previously granted to Western
Multiplex should be extended.  Accordingly, under the authority
contained in Sections 0.31(i) and 0.241(a) of the regulations, the waiver
issued to Western Multiplex, as described in letters dated October 3,
1994, and February 14, 1995, is extended until June 23, 1998, or until
the effective date of a Report and Order in ET Docket No. 96-8
addressing this matter, whichever is earlier.  The conditions on
operations described in the earlier waiver continue to apply to
operations under this waiver extension.

If you have any further questions, please contact John Reed at
(202) 418-2455.  This letter was adopted by the Commission on June 10,
1996.

                                   BY DIRECTION OF THE
COMMISSION



                                   William F. Caton
                                   Acting Secretary