National Bodies Protect 70cm Band

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National Bodies Protect 70cm Band

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oppose part of an application that would impact the 70-centimeter amateur band for telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) of satellites. The application, from AST & Science, LLC (AST), requests “unprecedented authorization to 430-440 MHz for a constellation totaling 248 satellites to communicate with five ground stations using up to five channels with up to 256 kHz bandwidth.”

The formal opposition, filed by ARRL’s Washington Counsel, asserts that the permission AST seeks to use the 430 – 440 MHz band “should be denied because AST does not demonstrate need for TT&C spectrum beyond that available within existing allocations.”

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Ofcom Mulls Over 6 Ghz Band Sharing For Wi-Fi And Mobile

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The concept of spectrum-sharing is nothing new for radio amateurs, but now in the UK, the regulator is proposing that, for the first time, spectrum-sharing should be done between two different technologies. With traffic increasing in the UK for the usage of both Wi-Fi and mobile services, Ofcom is exploring ways for both technologies to share the upper part of the 6 GHz band - frequencies between 6.425 and 7.125 GHz. The regulator is hoping that its implementation will benefit mobile networks, especially in crowded areas, and at the same time provide support for advanced Wi-Fi services. The proposed sharing would require both services to explore ways of integrating shared usage, perhaps by developing a sensing capability in which one could detect the other’s presence on a frequency.

In a statement, Ofcom said the change would provide a basis for the future, eventually supporting virtual and augmented reality as well as AI. Meanwhile, Ofcom said that it hopes to see the lower part of the 6 GHz band, frequencies between 5.925 and 6.425, used for higher-power Wi-Fi outdoors whose frequencies are at present only allocated for low-power indoor use.