[Elecraft] Looks like 5Mhz in trouble

[Jeff McLeman]

 From ARRL Letter


==>NTIA HEAVES POTENTIAL MONKEY WRENCH INTO 5-MHZ BAND PROPOSAL
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has
recommended that the FCC not grant an ARRL petition for a domestic-only,
secondary Amateur Radio allocation at 5 MHz. The NTIA regulates radio
spectrum allocated to the federal government. The last-minute
recommendation followed hundreds of largely favorable comments and reply
comments from organizations--including the ARRL--and from individuals.
In an August 21 letter, the NTIA's Fredrick R. Wentland said federal
agencies are making extensive use of HF for emergency services, including
communications support for the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard and
Department of Justice law enforcement activities. "NTIA believes the
Commission's current proposal does not adequately provide for protection
from harmful interference to these critical government operations primary
in the band," said Wentland, who is NTIA's acting associate administrator
for spectrum management.
In its recent comments, the ARRL called the 5 MHz allocation "an urgent
priority of the Amateur Service" and asked that the proceeding to grant it
be expedited. Wentland's letter arrived at the FCC beyond the cut-off date
for reply comments in the proceeding, ET Docket 02-98.
Wentland said that without a more complete understanding of the
interference potential to federal operations, the NTIA believes the
secondary amateur allocation would be "premature." But he said that NTIA
would work with the federal agencies, the FCC and the amateur community to
determine whether "some future accommodation" for amateurs at 5 MHz would
be possible. That could include limitations on power or emission types, a
reduction in the size of the proposed band, the use of discrete
frequencies or geographical restrictions, he suggested.
ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, said that while he and the ARRL
Board of Directors have been long aware of the concerns registered by the
US Coast Guard and the US Department of Justice with the NTIA's
Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC), he was surprised by the
tone of the NTIA letter.



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Jeff McLeman                             w7ttr@arrl.net
Issaquah, Wa.

Elecraft K2 #2689
Elecraft K1 #918

http://www.seanet.com/~jeffmc