SB QST @ ARL $ARLB014
ARLB014 ARRL Comments on Proposed Expansion of 5 GHz Unlicensed
Broadband

ZCZC AG14
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 14  ARLB014
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  May 31, 2013
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB014
ARLB014 ARRL Comments on Proposed Expansion of 5 GHz Unlicensed
Broadband

Observing that "a decision in the near term with respect to the
addition of [unlicensed National Information Infrastructure] U-NII
devices to the 5.85-5.925 GHz band would be premature," the ARRL has
commented in response to an FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ET
Docket No. 13-49) that proposes to authorize U-NII use of an
additional 195 MHz of spectrum in the 5.35-5.47 GHz and 5.85-5.925
GHz bands. The Commission was obligated, pursuant to Section 6406(a)
of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Public
Law No. 112-96), to begin a proceeding to allow U-NII devices in the
5.35-5.47 GHz band. As the ARRL comments note, "There is no
legislative obligation, however, to make available the 5.85-5.925
GHz band for U-NII use."

The Amateur Radio Service has a longstanding secondary allocation of
5.65-5.925 GHz, with an amateur-satellite uplink band at 5.65-5.67
GHz and a downlink at 5.83-5.85 GHz. In its 14-page filing, the ARRL
traces the history of "a continuing series of overlays" to which the
band has been subjected over the past 16 years, progressively
reducing the utility of the amateur allocation. In 1999, the
Commission allocated 5.85-5.925 GHz for direct vehicle-to-vehicle
and vehicle-to-roadside, or "Dedicated Short Range Communications"
(DSRC). Amateurs may continue to operate in this segment, but only
to the extent that they do not interfere with DSRC operations. In
support of its argument that the introduction of U-NII into this
segment would be premature, the ARRL observes that "...a U-NII
overlay at the present time requires a good deal of compatibility
analysis, none of which has been completed to date."

The full text of the ARRL's comments is available on the web in PDF
format at,
http://www.arrl.org/files/media/News/ARRL_5_GHz_Docket_13-49_Comments.pdf.

The comments were filed on the deadline date of May 28, 2013. Reply
comments are due by June 24.
NNNN
/EX