SB QST @ ARL $ARLB036
ARLB036 Study sees more ham bands
 
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ARRL Bulletin 36  ARLB036
>From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 11, 1995
To all radio amateurs 
 
SB QST ARL ARLB036
ARLB036 Study sees more ham bands
 
Study sees more ham bands
 
A US government study concludes that amateurs could use 2180
additional kilohertz of spectrum in the future.  The National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) reports
this need in a just-released 10-year projection of spectrum
requirements for all licensed radio services.
 
In June 1992 the ARRL responded to an NTIA notice of inquiry with
extensive comments (see January 1993 QST, page 82).  Here are the
2,180 kilohertz cited in the NTIA report:
 
30 to 50 MHz, 5 slots of 50 kHz each (250 kHz total); 
160 to 190 kHz (30 kHz); 
Near 5 MHz (50 kHz); 
Expansion of 10 MHz band (200 kHz);
Expansion of 14 MHz band (50 kHz); 
Expansion of 18 MHz band (150 kHz); 
Expansion of 24 MHz band (150 kHz); 
219 to 220 MHz (1000 kHz, already in process); 
Satellite downlink, 29.7 to 30.0 MHz (300 kHz).
 
Here are excerpts from the NTIA study:
 
''The amateur community commenters have suggested significant changes
to the allocation table to accommodate expanded amateur operations.
Many of the suggested allocation revisions are reasonable....
 
''The amateur-satellite service will soon have a new generation of
amateur satellites in orbit that will use all frequency bands
allocated to the amateur-satellite service from 29 MHz through 24
GHz.  For this reason, the retention of current allocations,
additional amateur-satellite allocations, and the upgrading of
certain current allocations is desirable.
 
''Amateur requests for international reallocations would be
appropriate issues for ... future World Radiocommunication
Conferences (WRCs).  Additional allocations at 160-190 kHz, and near
5 MHz will require technical studies to determine the availability
of these bands to support amateur use.
 
''The expansion and upgrading of amateur allocations in the 10, 14,
18, and 24 MHz bands are acceptable, but will depend on future
decrease of requirements for the aeronautical mobile or the fixed
services internationally.  The alignment of the amateur 3.5 and 7
MHz bands worldwide will require the inclusion of these issues in
U.S. preparations for future WRCs.
 
''As noted, FCC rulemaking is in progress for amateur access to the
219-220 MHz band.  The request for additional narrow spectrum
allocations between 30 and 50 MHz for propagation experimentation
(e.g., five, 50 kHz slots) will need to be studied for technical
compatibility.''
 
Finally, the study said that ''any sharing of military radiolocation
spectrum (e.g., 430-440 MHz) with the amateur services on a
co-primary basis in current Federal radiolocation bands is not
feasible because of the potential loss of operational flexibility
for military radar systems.  Further, the expansion of use in the
902-928 MHz band by federal and non-federal users, including the
operation of wind profiling radars, may make this band untenable for
amateur operations in the future.''
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