SB QST @ ARL $ARLB063
ARLB063 FCC opts for status quo at 2300 to 2305 MHz

ZCZC AG63
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ARRL Bulletin 63  ARLB063
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  October 15, 2002
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB063
ARLB063 FCC opts for status quo at 2300 to 2305 MHz

The FCC has dismissed an ARRL petition that sought primary status
for amateurs at 2300-2305 MHz. At the same time, the Commission
turned down petitions from AeroAstro and MicroTrax--commercial
interests that had hoped to share the spectrum with Amateur Radio.
The action, taken October 9, maintains the status quo on the band.

"That the commercial petitions were dismissed is, of course, good
news," said ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ. "We had
argued for that outcome."

Sumner called the outcome of the League's petition, RM-10165,
"mildly disappointing" because, as he explained, a status upgrade
"would provide some measure of protection against future commercial
proposals." Sumner pointed out that the FCC did not altogether rule
out a future status upgrade, but he cautioned that the band "is
still vulnerable."

In turning down the ARRL's petition, the FCC said that since it was
also dismissing the MicroTrax and AeroAstro petitions for access to
2300-2305 MHz, "amateur operators' weak-signal communications in the
2300-2305 MHz band will be protected if the amateur allocation
remains secondary." The FCC said the band "will remain in the
Commission's reserve, and the status quo in the band will be
maintained until the Commission reevaluates the spectrum status for
the Amateur Service that may be appropriate."

The FCC turned down the MicroTrax and AeroAstro applications in part
because appropriate spectrum already was available elsewhere and
neither company had demonstrated a need for an additional
allocation. MicroTrax had proposed to establish a Personal Location
and Monitoring Service (PLMS) at 2300-2305 MHz under FCC Part 27
rules.

The AeroAstro petition went further, proposing to share the band on
a co-primary basis with the Amateur Service subject to technical and
service rules. AeroAstro wanted to establish its Satellite Enabled
Notification System (SENS) messaging service under the FCC's
Miscellaneous Wireless Communication Service rules. The FCC also
expressed concerns that NASA's Deep Space Network would not be
protected by the modified out-of-band limits AeroAstro had proposed.

Internationally, the 2300-2305 MHz band is allocated to Fixed and
Mobile services on a primary basis and to the Amateur Service on a
secondary basis in all three International Telecommunication Union
regions. The Radiolocation Service has a secondary allocation in the
band in Region 1, and a primary allocation in Regions 2 and 3.

A copy of the Order is available on the FCC Web site
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2002/db1010/DA-02-2587A1.
doc.
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