ARRL to FCC: No Commercial Users at 2390-2400 MHz!
NEWINGTON, CT,
Oct 24, 2001--The ARRL this week urged the FCC "in the strongest possible
terms" to make no commercial allocations in the Amateur Service 2390 to 2400
MHz primary allocation. The League tentatively suggested, however, that hams
might be willing to share the band with compatible government services that are
displaced to make room for advanced wireless systems.
"ARRL urges
the Commission not to make any allocation of that band for advanced wireless
services," the ARRL told the FCC. "Such are fundamentally incompatible with
continued amateur access to the band."
The ARRL said
the federal government "has historically been a compatible sharing partner" and
that government uses would offer "the least disruptive opportunities for
sharing" in the band. Such sharing, the League made clear, should happen only
"if it is absolutely necessary to reaccommodate some displaced users" and would
be "subject to compatibility studies."
The ARRL
commented this week in four separate proceedings dealing with allocations for
advanced and third-generation wireless systems, the mobile satellite service
and the Unlicensed Personal Communications Service (U-PCS). The ARRL focused
its remarks on ET Docket 00-258, which included 2390-2400 MHz as a candidate
band for advanced wireless services.
The ARRL said
that while it might not be opposed to reallocating "additional compatible
users," it also asked the FCC to retain the non-government primary Amateur
Service allocation at 2390-2400 MHz.
The ARRL said
that commercial use of 2390-2400 MHz would preclude incumbent and future
amateur operation, which, the League noted, has been growing over the past five
years or so. The League also questioned the suitability of the 2390-2400 MHz
band in the US for so-called third-generation cellular systems and called it
"an unsuitable candidate for international roaming."
Commenting on
the WINForum Petition for Rule Making (RM-9498) that seeks to modify
technical rules for Part 15 U-PCS operation at 2390 to 2400 MHz, the ARRL
reiterated its position of two years ago. The ARRL said it still opposed a
power increase for asynchronous U-PCS devices in the band and said there can be
no change in maximum power spectral density. "These two provisions are critical
to the compatible sharing plan that resulted in ARRL support of the U-PCS
authorization at 2390-2400 MHz," the ARRL said. While it does not oppose
eliminating the "listen-before-transmit" protocol, the League said there is no
justification to double permitted antenna gain, as requested, without a
commensurate reduction of transmitting power. ARRL and Apple Computer
negotiated the current sharing arrangement.
The ARRL's
comments took note of the fact that amateur allocations in the vicinity of 2
GHz "have been steadily eroded" through encroachment by other services. "Of the
original 150 MHz [once available to amateurs], the only primary amateur
allocation that is actually available for a variety of amateur uses is the 10
MHz at 2390-2400 MHz," the ARRL said.
Page last modified: 01:22 PM, 24 Oct 2001 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2001, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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