Code of Federal Regulations Title 47. Telecommunication § 47.73.758 System specifications for digitally modulated emissions in the HF broadcasting service

(1) Channel spacing. The initial spacing for digitally modulated emissions shall be 10 kHz. However, interleaved channels with a separation of 5 kHz may be used in accordance with the appropriate protection criteria appearing in Resolution 543 (WRC–03), provided that the interleaved emission is not to the same geographical area as either of the emissions between which it is interleaved.

(2) Channel utilization. Channels using digitally modulated emissions may share the same spectrum or be interleaved with analog emissions in the same high frequency broadcasting (HFBC) band, provided the protection afforded to the analog emissions is at least as great as that which is currently in force for analog-to-analog protection. Accomplishing this may require that the digital spectral power density (and total power) be lower by several dB than is currently used for either DSB or SSB emissions.

(1) Bandwidth and center frequency. A full digitally modulated emission will have a 10 kHz bandwidth with its center frequency at any of the 5 kHz center frequency locations in the channel raster currently in use within the HFBC bands. Among several possible “simulcast” modes are those having a combination of analog and digital emissions of the same program in the same channel, that may use a digital emission of 5 kHz or 10 kHz bandwidth, next to either a 5 kHz or 10 kHz analog emission. In all cases of this type, the 5 kHz interleaved raster used in HFBC shall be adhered to in placing the emission within these bands.

(2) Frequency tolerance. The frequency tolerance shall be 10 Hz. See Section 73.757(b)(2), notes 1 and 2.

(3) Audio-frequency band. The quality of service, using digital source coding within a 10 kHz bandwidth, taking into account the need to adapt the emission coding for various levels of error avoidance, detection and correction, can range from the equivalent of monophonic FM (approximately 15 kHz) to the low-level performance of a speech codec (of the order of 3 kHz). The choice of audio quality is connected to the needs of the broadcaster and listener, and includes the consideration of such characteristics as the propagation conditions expected. There is no single specification, only the upper and lower bounds noted in this paragraph.

(4) Modulation. Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) shall be used. 64–QAM is feasible under many propagation conditions;  others such as 32–, 16- and 8–QAM are specified for use when needed.

(5) RF protection ratio values. The protection ratio values for analogue and digital emissions for co-channel and adjacent channel conditions shall be in accordance with Resolution 543 (WRC–03) as provisional RF protection ratio values subject to revision or confirmation by a future competent conference.