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LF: RE: LF/5 MHZ

To: [email protected]
Subject: LF: RE: LF/5 MHZ
From: [email protected]
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 18:03:26 -0400
Reply-to: [email protected]
Sender: <[email protected]>
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.





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