Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 18:03:26 -0400
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Subject: LF: RE: LF/5 MHZ
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Per Mike WE0H's note to Mal G3KEV, it's looking gloomy here -- if we get 5 mhz at all, it might be greatly reduced in bandwidth and/or power. (QRSS QRPP?)

Mike W2AG

QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 53  ARLB053
>From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  September 10, 2002
To all radio amateurs 
SB QST ARL ARLB053
ARLB053 NTIA gives thumbs down to 5 MHz petition

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration--the 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.

ARRL General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, and ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, plan to meet with representatives of the affected agencies to address the concerns raised in the NTIA's letter.

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.

Imlay 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. ''This is a lot worse than we were told to expect,'' he said, noting that the FCC had cancelled a meeting to discuss issues expressed by the NTIA several months ago and went forward with its proposal despite the NTIA's concerns.