Continued Access to 3GHz spectrum

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Continued Access to 3GHz spectrum

In its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WT Docket 19-348, the FCC proposed to relocate all non-federal operations, including amateur uses, to spectrum outside the 3.3 – 3.55 GHz band. The Commission anticipates auctioning this spectrum to expand commercial use of 5G cellular and wireless broadband services if agreement can be reached on the relocation of — or sharing with — the federal incumbents that operate in the same band. Publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register on 22nd January 2020 established deadlines of 21st February 2020 for comments and 23rd March 2020 for reply comments.

The FCC has requested comment on the uses radio amateurs make of the spectrum and appropriate relocation options. Complicating matters is the fact that radio amateurs must consider the possibility that the immediately adjacent 3.1 – 3.3 GHz band is included in the spectrum that Congress has identified for a similar study. FCC Commissioner Michael O’Reilly, in a December statement, referenced the fact that the lower band may also be considered for non-federal reallocation, potentially limiting relocation possibilities.

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60m Band a Step Closer in France

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French regulator ARCEP has issued a decision that will lead to radio amateurs getting secondary access to the 60m band 5351.50-5366.50 kHz agreed at WRC-15

5360 kHz - ARCEP Decision No. 19-1412 Published 14/11/2019

ARCEP Decision No. 2019-1412 of 24 September 2019 amending Decision No. 2012-1241, modifying the conditions governing the use of frequencies by radio stations in the amateur service or the amateur-satellite service.

The decision to assign the band 5.360 MHz to the amateur service is therefore validated by ARCEP.

This decision must now be sent to the competent minister for approval and publication in the Official Journal (OJ).

It is only then that the band will be open to traffic, under the conditions provided by the text of the ARCEP.

REF in English - https://tinyurl.com/FranceREF

ARCEP Decision (French) - https://arcep.fr/uploads/tx_gsavis/19-1412.pdf

French Government Official Journal in English - https://tinyurl.com/France-Official-Journal


Kuwait and Israel Joins 60m

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A secondary allocation of 5.351.5 – 5.366.5 MHz was released to radio amateurs in Kuwait, where they will adhere to the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) allocation, permitting a maximum power of 15 W EIRP. Indonesian and Greek hams recently gained access to the same allocation.

Meanwhile, Israel has extended authorization of 5 MHz amateur permits to the end of December and added a Channel 0 to the existing eight channels, where hams may run 100 W PEP on several modes, depending upon the channel.

Still under discussion is ham radio access to a 5 MHz secondary band in Australia, where the band is used by some emergency services and law enforcement. Nearly 80 countries offer some level of amateur access to the 5 MHz band.

In the US, ARRL petitioned the FCC shortly after WRC-15 to allocate a secondary 60-meter band and to permit 100 W PEP, as already authorized on the existing channels there.