[SFDXA] FCC Proposes New LF Amateur Band at 135.7-137.8 kHz
Bill
bmarx at bellsouth.net
Wed Nov 21 13:52:03 EST 2012
From Chuck W4ROA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subj: Proposes New LF Amateur Band at 135.7-137.8 kHz
FCC Seeks to Assign Entire Amateur Portion of 160 Meter Band to
Primary Status to Amateur Radio Service, Proposes New LF Amateur
Band at 135.7-137.8 kHz
*TAGS:* 160 Meter Band
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:160%20Meter%20Band>,
amateur <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur>, amateur
operations
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20operations>,
amateur radio service
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20radio%20service>, amateur
radio stations
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20radio%20stations>,
amateur service
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:amateur%20service>, fixed
service <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:fixed%20service>,
frequency band
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:frequency%20band>, harmful
interference
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:harmful%20interference>,
khz band <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:khz%20band>,
maritime mobile service
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:maritime%20mobile%20service>,
nprm <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:nprm>, Radio Service
allocation
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:Radio%20Service%20allocation>,
radiolocation service
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:radiolocation%20service>,
secondary basis
<http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:secondary%20basis>,
spectrum <http://www.arrl.org/news/search/Tag.name:spectrum>
11/21/2012
On Tuesday, November 20, the FCC released a /Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking /(*ET Docket No. 12-338*
<http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2012/db1119/FCC-12-140A1.pdf>)
that proposes to amend Parts 1, 2, 74, 78, 87, 90 and 97 of the
Commission’s rules. *Part 97*
<http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=17c1a01ede2cfc79b760c9b3b40070d7&rgn=div5&view=text&node=47:5.0.1.1.6&idno=47>
governs the Amateur Radio Service. These changes will implement
allocation decisions from the 2007 World Radiocommunication
Conference (WRC-07) that concern those portions of the radio
frequency spectrum between 108 MHz and 20.2 GHz and make certain
updates to the rules in this frequency range.
Most of the /NPRM/ does not concern the Amateur Radio Service, but
the FCC is requesting comments on the three parts that do: changing
the allocation to the amateur portion of the 160 meter band,
allocating a new Amateur Service band at 135.7-137.8 kHz and
cleaning up the rules for the 10.0-10.5 GHz band. Comments on these
proposed rules changes will be accepted until 60 days after the
/NPRM/ is published in the */Federal Register
<https://www.federalregister.gov/>/* (this can take up to six weeks
after release of the /NPRM/). Reply comments will be accepted until
90 days after publication in the /Federal Register/.
*Allocation Changes to 160 Meter Band*
The FCC is proposing to change the Amateur Radio Service allocation
to the 160 meter band (1800-2000 kHz), reallocating the 1900-2000
kHz segment to the Amateur Radio Service on a primary basis. In the
/NPRM/, the FCC noted that “the ARRL has identified the 160 meter
band and the amateur HF bands as ‘[b]y far, the heaviest-used
[Amateur Service] allocations.’”
Historically, the 1715-2000 kHz band was allocated exclusively to
the Amateur Service. In 1953, the FCC removed the 1715-1800 kHz
segment from the Amateur Radio Service and allocated the 1800-2000
kHz band to the Amateur Service on a shared basis with the
Radionavigation Service. Then in 1983, the FCC allocated the
1800-1900 kHz band to the Amateur Service on an exclusive basis and
the 1900-2000 kHz band to the Radiolocation Service on a primary
basis for federal and non-federal use and to the Amateur Service on
a secondary basis. The FCC stated that “[t]he purpose of allocating
this band [1900-2000 kHz] to the Radiolocation Service was to
provide reaccommodation spectrum for radiolocation users that will
have to move out of the 1605-1705 kHz band when AM broadcasting is
implemented in that band.” The AM broadcasting proceeding was
resolved in 2000, and a review of the FCC’s Universal Licensing
System (ULS) database finds that no one is licensed to use this
non-federal Radiolocation Service allocation.
Currently, federal use of the 1900-2000 kHz segment is light, with
only 10 assignments authorized to operate in this segment. “A single
federal assignment authorizes land and mobile stations in the
Radiolocation Service to transmit on 1922 kHz using a necessary
bandwidth of 600 Hz within a protected radius of 193 kilometers
centered on San Diego, California,” the FCC noted in the /NPRM/.
“All other federal assignments in the 1900-2000 kHz band are for
unallocated uses, and thus, these assignments operate on an
unprotected and non-interference basis.”
The FCC is proposing to amend the US Table of Allocations and remove
the federal and non-federal Radiolocation Service allocations from
the 1900-2000 kHz band and the raise the secondary Amateur Radio
Service allocation to primary status because “there appear to be few
(if any) Radiolocation Service stations operating in this band,” it
said. “In addition, we note [from WARC-79] that ‘this [Radiolocation
Service] allocation was made for reaccommodation purposes and not to
provide additional spectrum for radiolocations needs,’ that the
Commission has concluded its AM Expanded Band proceeding that would
have prompted non-federal RLS licensees to relocate to the 1900-2000
kHz band and that this band was historically allocated to the
Amateur Service on an exclusive basis.”
*New Amateur Service Band at 135.7-137.8 kHz *
In the US, the 130-160 kHz portion of spectrum is allocated to the
Fixed Service and the Maritime Mobile Service on a primary basis for
both federal and non-federal use. Delegates at WRC-07 allocated
135.7-137.8 kHz to the Amateur Radio Service in all ITU Regions on a
secondary basis. Delegates also chose to restrict the use of this
low frequency allocation to those Amateur Radio stations
transmitting with a maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power
(EIRP) of 1 W, as set forth in RR 5.67A.
Even though there are no non-federal stations in the Fixed Service
or the Maritime Mobile Service that are licensed to operate at
135.7-137.8 kHz and federal use of this portion of spectrum is
light, the FCC noted that electric utilities operate Power Line
Carrier (PLC) systems in the 9-490 kHz band for “communications
important to the reliability and security of electric service to the
public.” In ET Docket No. 02-98, the FCC considered allocating the
135.7-137.8 kHz band to the Amateur Radio Service on a secondary
basis and examined the potential for amateur transmissions to cause
harmful interference to the PLC systems. At that time, however, the
FCC declined to do so “after finding the potential for interference
between amateur operations proposed at that time and the incumbent
PLCs, and noting the importance of the PLC operations in helping
maintain critical electric infrastructure.” The FCC noted the
potential for some limited amateur operations in this band under
individual experimental licenses and observed that such operations
would “allow empirical data to be developed on the sharing
possibilities in this band for future consideration.”
Now that 135.7-137.8 kHz is now allocated internationally to the
Amateur Radio Service on a secondary basis in all ITU Regions, the
FCC has concluded that “it is an appropriate time to re-examine the
potential for shared Amateur Service-PLC use of this band.” It
stated in the /NPRM/ that it is seeking comments on whether
135.7-137.8 kHz band should be allocated to the Amateur Service on a
secondary basis in accordance with RR 5.67A.
“Because PLC systems operating under Section 15.113 of the rules
serve important functions, such as tripping protection circuits if a
downed power line or other fault is detected in the power grid, we
would only consider adding an amateur allocation if we were
comfortable that Amateur Radio and utility PLC systems could
successfully co-exist in this band,” it stated in the /NPRM/. “We
seek comment on the advantages and disadvantages, and other costs
and benefits associated with changing our rules. For example, what
benefits might accrue to the Amateur Radio community? To what extent
do utilities deploy PLC systems on distribution lines in the 9-490
kHz band under our Part 15 rules, and how would those operations be
affected were we to add a new secondary amateur radio service
allocation in this band? What specific actions would PLC systems
operators need to take if there were a secondary amateur radio
service allocation in the band, and what are the associated costs?”
In addition, the FCC stated that is looking for comments on the
whether the concept of requiring individual amateur stations to be
“quasi-coordinated” for fixed use at a specific location still holds
merit. The FCC did not pursue this option in 2003. “Are there other
steps, such as limiting operating privileges in this frequency band
(e.g., to Amateur Extra Class licensees) that would better
facilitate amateur use of the band?” the FCC asked. “We also seek
comment on the relevance of studies that discuss the potential for
in-band Amateur Service radio transmitters to operate compatibly
with PLC systems in light of any developments since our 2003
decision.In particular, we seek comment on the appropriate maximum
field strength level and minimum separation distance from PLC
systems for secondary Amateur Service operations in this band.”
*Cleaning Up the 10.0-10.5 GHz Band Rules *
With the concurrence of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (*NTIA* <http://www.ntia.doc.gov/>), the
FCC proposes to amend the Federal Table by revising the “10-10.45”
GHz band and the reference to “G2” to read “10-10.5” and “G32,”
respectively.In the WRC-07 Table Clean-up Order, the FCC combined
the 10-10.45 GHz and 10.45-10.5 GHz bands in the Federal Table. In
doing so, the frequency band was inadvertently not changed to
10-10.5 GHz. In addition, the reference to G32 was mistakenly
changed to G2.
The FCC will also revise the text of three footnotes (US58, NG42,
NG134) that pertain to the 10-10.5 GHz band. First, it will revise
US58 by adding the existing Amateur-Satellite Service allocation to
the list of permitted non-federal services in the 10-10.5 GHz band
so that this footnote correctly lists all permitted non-federal
services, and it will renumber this footnote in frequency order as
US128. Second, it will combine the text of NG42 and NG134 (which
require that non-federal stations in the Radiolocation Service not
cause harmful interference to the Amateur Service in the 10-10.5 GHz
band and that these stations not cause harmful interference to the
Amateur-Satellite Service in the 10.45-10.5 GHz sub-band,
respectively) and renumber the new footnote in frequency order as NG50.
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