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In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), the Commission seeks comment on the feasibility of allowing up to 24 megahertz of spectrum in the 413-457 MHz band to be used on a secondary basis under the umbrella of the existing Medical Device Radiocommunication Service. This action reflects the Commission's ongoing effort to foster the development and deployment of advanced medical devices using wireless technologies that benefit the health and well-being of the American public. In the Report and Order (R&O), the Commission expands the Medical Device Radiocommunication (MedRadio) Service under part 95 of the Commission's rules to permit the use of new wideband medical implant devices that employ neuromuscular microstimulation techniques to restore sensation, mobility, and other functions to paralyzed limbs and organs. These medical devices hold enormous promise to advance the state of medical care, lower health costs, and improve the quality of life for countless Americans.

The rules adopted by the Commission will allow these new types of MedRadio devices to access 24 megahertz of spectrum in the 413-419 MHz, 426-432 MHz, 438-444 MHz, and 451-457 MHz bands on a secondary basis. The Commission's action is part of a larger effort to recognize and facilitate the significant advances in wireless medical technologies that are revolutionizing treatment for a wide variety of medical conditions and creating new health care models to benefit all Americans. Such advances have the potential to improve the quality of life and sophistication of therapy significantly for countless Americans living with a variety of medical conditions and, in turn, could result in lower medical costs and extend the time between hospital visits and surgical procedures. The devices that we expect to be deployed under the rules we adopt hold the promise of safer, less invasive, and more effective treatment options than those available under current medical practice.