Despite vigorous and continuing opposition from ARRL and others, the FCC has ordered the “sunsetting” of the 3.3 – 3.5-GHz amateur radio secondary spectrum allocation. The decision allows current amateur activity on the band to continue, “grandfathering” the amateur operations subject to a later decision. The FCC proposed two deadlines for amateur operations to cease on the band. The first would apply to the 3.4 – 3.5 GHz segment, the second to 3.3 – 3.4 GHz. The FCC will establish the dates once it reviews additional comments.
“We adopt our proposal from the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to remove the amateur allocation from the 3.3 – 3.5 GHz band,” the FCC said in its R&O. “[W]e adopt changes to our rules today that provide for the sunset of the secondary amateur allocation in the band, but allow continued use of the band for amateur operations, pending resolution of the issues raised in the Further Notice.”
The Report and Order (R&O) and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WT Docket No. 19-348 adopted on September 30 followed a 2019 FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in which the FCC proposed re-allocating 3.45 – 3.55 GHz for “flexible-use service” and auctioning the desirable “mid-band” spectrum (generally defined as between 1 GHz and 6 GHz) to 5G providers. These and other recent spectrum-repurposing actions stem from the MOBILE NOW Act, enacted in 2018, in which Congress directed the Commission to make additional spectrum available to auction for mobile and fixed wireless broadband. The FCC action is consistent with worldwide allocations adopted by the ITU for these frequencies.
In the run-up to the Commission’s decision, ARRL met with the FCC’s professional staff to explain its concerns and to answer questions. Subsequently, ARRL met with the wireless advisors to the FCC Chairman and two Commissioners. In those meetings, ARRL reiterated that continued secondary status for amateurs will not impair or devalue use of this spectrum by the primary licensees intending to provide 5G or other service. ARRL noted amateur radio’s long history of successful coexistence with primary users of the 9 cm band, sharing this spectrum with the federal government users and secondary, non-federal occupants.
ARRL pointed out that vital links in amateur television and amateur radio high-speed mesh networks using the band have been especially valuable during such emergency situations as the wildfires currently raging on the west coast. Deleting the amateur secondary allocation will result in lost opportunities for experimentation and public service with no public interest benefit to make up for that.
ARRL argued that deleting the secondary allocation would waste the scarce spectrum resource, particularly in areas where commercial services often do not construct full facilities due to small populations. The FCC action means that amateur radio will lose access to the 3.5-GHz secondary allocation even where commercial operations do not exist. ARRL told the Commission that it should not intentionally allow this spectrum to be vacant and unused, wasting the public resource, when amateurs can use some portion of it in many geographic areas with no detriment to any other licensee, just as it has in the past. ARRL argues that amateur operations should be permitted until and unless an actual potential for interference exists.
Deletion of the 3.3 – 3.5 GHz secondary amateur allocation will become effective on the effective date of the FCC’s order, but amateur radio operation as of that date may continue while the FCC finalizes rules to license spectrum in the 3.45 – 3.55 GHz band and establishes deadlines for amateur operations to cease. The FCC proposed allowing amateur operation in the 3.3 – 3.4 GHz portion of the band to continue “pending further decisions about the future of this portion of the spectrum,” the timing for which is unknown. The Commission proposed to mandate that operations cease in the 3.4 – 3.5 GHz portion when commercial licensing commences for the new 3.45 – 3.55 GHz “5G” band, which is predicted to begin in the first half of 2022.
“[W]e seek comment on whether it is in the public interest to sunset amateur use in the 3.3 – 3.55 GHz band in two separate phases, e.g., first above 3.4 GHz, which is the focus of [the R&O] and later in that portion of the band below 3.4 GHz,” the FCC said.
ARRL expressed gratitude to the many members and organizations that joined ARRL in challenging the FCC throughout this nearly year-long proceeding. They included multiple radio clubs, weak signal enthusiasts, moonbounce participants, and the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN), the Amateur Television Network (ATN), AMSAT, and Open Research Institute (ORI).
ARRL will continue its efforts to preserve secondary amateur radio access to 3.3 – 3.5 GHz. Members are invited to share comments by visiting www.arrl.org/3-GHz-Band.
“We recognize that any loss of our privileges will most directly impact radio amateurs who use the frequencies to operate and innovate,” said ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR. “Such instances only embolden ARRL’s role to protect and advocate for the Amateur Radio Service and Amateur Satellite Service. There will be continued threats to our spectrum. So I urge all amateurs, now more than ever, to strengthen our hold by being ceaseless in our public service, experimenting, and discovery throughout the radio spectrum.”
source:ARRL
Review
NANOVNA V2 VIDEO TUTORIALS
NanoVNA V2: RTL-SDR.com FM Bandstop Filter Measurements via NanoVNA QT Read more
Got Amplifier. Do I Need Bigger Coax?
Got Amplifier. Do I Need Bigger Coax? Read more
Emergency Grid Down Communications Winter Edition
“Hello Operators Extreme weather and grid down disasters seem to be happening more often, and with greater intensity. More often than not, when... Read more
Equipment
openSPOT3 introduction [ VIDEO ]
Home » openSPOT3 ••••••••• The openSPOT3 is a battery powered, portable, standalone digital radio internet gateway (hotspot) designed mainly for amate... Read more
New release of 144/430 MHz dual bander TH-D74 Kenwood
TH-D74 Kenwood Industry’s first*1 portable amateur radio, supporting on both APRS and D-STAR® JVCKENWOOD will release a new high-end 144/430 MHz... Read more
Vectronics HFT-1500 OLLER TUNER, HF, 1500W, BAR GRAPH, SWR/WATTMETER
Arc-Free Operation Two heavy duty 4.5 kV transmitting variable capacitors and a massive high current roller inductor gives you arc-free operation up t... Read more
MFJ-939I PLUG,PLAY,200W AUTOTUNER, HF – Plug & Play Auto Tuner
Plug & Play Auto Tuner Plug & Play! You won’t even know it’s there . . . MFJ-939I/K/Y automatically tunes your antenna as you tune your radio.... Read more
RigExpert TI-3000 transceiver interface
RigExpert TI-3000 is a new and powerful USB transceiver interface based on high-quality stereo codec IC, for operating phone, CW and digital modes usi... Read more
Antenna
4 element 70Mhz 4m Yagi LFA-R
Description A 4 element 70MHz High Gain Yagi – The unique LFA-R from InnovAntennas! The LFA-R from InnovAntennas does away with the traditional... Read more
$40 ANTENNA ANALYZER WITH ARDUINO AND AD9850
If you are a hacker, you might consider ham radio operators as innovative. Most people, however, just see them as cheap. So it is no surprise t... Read more
90’ MAGNETIC LOOP T3FD TERMINATED FOLDED DIPOLE ANTENNA
T3FD TERMINATED FOLDED DIPOLE AMATEUR RADIO ANTENNA KIT DESIGNED TO WORK AT ONLY 35 FEET ELEVATION FLAT OR AS A SLOPER. BRAND NEW. THIS ANTENNA IS ASS... Read more
Deep Dive Into The RigExpert AA-2000 ZOOM Antenna Analyzer, SWR/TDR/Cable Loss And MORE
Here is the Rigexpert AA-2000 Zoom, their flagship antenna analyzer. This is SO MUCH MORE than checking SWR. This is a complete analysis in your hand.... Read more
Small Cheap Linear Loaded 80m Dipole
The legs of this dipole are only 12.4m long (about 40 feet). Read more
App - Mobile
QRZ.com App for Android now in Beta Testing
The updates to QRZ’s Android App, formerly known as QRZDroid have been released and are available to those who are interested in trying it out.... Read more
A New App Visualizes the Radio Waves All Around Us
Radio Waves The modern world is awash in a sea of radio waves — currents of electromagnetic radiation upon which our digital lives depend. What if you... Read more
DX Alert App ( Mobile )
DX Alert App Instead of being connected to a DX cluster directly you can use DX Alert to monitor the cluster for you and get notifications on your pho... Read more
Every Ham Needs This App | HamAlert
Never miss a station you are trying to work again with the HamAlert App. This app is a companion to the HamAlert web site (hamalert.org) and lets you... Read more
Remote Vacuum Relay Switch, RK-314
Features The RK-3xx series of switches uses vacuum relays. It is designed to switch coaxial lines in RF systems operating up to 5 kW continuous... Read more