FCC Says Pending 40-Meter Changes Will Enhance Spectrum Efficiency:

The FCC says pending changes in the 40-meter amateur band as a result of World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) will improve spectrum efficiency. The Commission's remark came in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in ET Docket 04-139, which seeks public comments on proposed rule changes to complete domestic implementation of various WRC-03 allocation decisions. The NPRM primarily affects Parts 2, 25 and 73 of the FCC's rules.

"We anticipate that administrations in Regions 1 and 3 will in the near future authorize phone emissions in the segment 7150-7200 kHz," the FCC predicted in the NPRM, "and we note the ARRL has requested that the [US] frequency segment for phone emissions be expanded to 7125-7300 kHz." The FCC said authorizing phone in the 7150-7200 kHz segment of the band would permit same-frequency US-to-DX contacts, resulting in increased spectrum efficiency. Amateurs in the Region 1 countries of Norway, Croatia and San Marino already have been granted access to 7100 to 7200 kHz on a secondary, non-interference basis.

Under the present regime, most amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 use 7075-7100 kHz for phone. Since the US phone band is 7150 to 7300 kHz, this means most US-to-DX operation requires "split" operation. The band 7000-7300 kHz is allocated to the Amateur Service on a primary, exclusive basis in Region 2, but that is not the case in much of the rest of the world.

Effective next January 1, WRC-03 allocated the band 7100-7200 kHz to the Amateur Service in Regions 1 and 3 on a co-primary basis with broadcasting. After March 29, 2009, 7100-7200 kHz will be allocated to the Amateur Service on an exclusive basis throughout the world, except in some Region 1 and Region 3 countries.

"As such, Amateur Service use of this 100 kilohertz will be on a de facto secondary basis in Regions 1 and 3 until the broadcasting service vacates the band 7100-7200 kHz at the conclusion of Schedule B in 2009," the FCC noted. "This means that amateur stations in Regions 1 and 3 will shortly be permitted to transmit in the band 7100-7200 kHz, if they can find a frequency that is not being used by an international broadcast station."

The FCC said it doesn't think it needs to update its Part 97 Amateur Service rules until administrations in Regions 1 and 3 implement changes to allow amateurs to transmit in the 7100-7200 kHz segment.

"As a practical matter, we do not believe that the Amateur Service can make use of the band 7100-7200 kHz in Regions 1 and 3 in advance of HF broadcasting stations vacating the band because of the great power disparity between amateur stations and international broadcast stations," the FCC concluded.

The NPRM also addresses the deployment of Earth Exploration Satellite Service-Active (EESS-Active) spacecraft in the 70-cm band. The FCC said it "tentatively" finds that any secondary EESS-Active allocation at 432-438 MHz should be limited to federal government use. The Commission said operation in that allocation "should not cause harmful interference to, nor claim protection from, any other services allocated in the band in the United States, including the Amateur-Satellite service."

Comments in the proceeding are due July 16, with reply by August 2. Interested parties may view the entire NPRM, file comments and view comments filed in ET Docket 04-139 via the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/.

Source:

The ARRL Letter Vol. 23, No. 25 June 18, 2004

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