Continues Amateur Use of Four Additional 60-Meter Channels and Updates 420 MHz Coordination Information

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 9, 2025, released a long-awaited Report and Order adopting a new amateur radio spectrum allocation in the 60-meter band that was approved for world-wide use on a secondary basis in the WRC-15 (World Radiocommunication Conference 2015) Final Acts. The Commission also agreed with a petition from ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® to continue to allow amateur operations on four existing 60-meter channels outside the international allocation with a full 100 watts. The new rules will go into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, when amateurs may then begin using the allocation.

Specifically, the Commission allocated 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz (60 meters) to the amateur service on a secondary basis with a permitted power of 9.15 watts ERP. The Commission also authorized amateurs to continue using four existing channels outside of the 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz band centered on 5332, 5348, 5373, and 5405 kHz on a secondary basis with a permitted power of 100 watts ERP. There are no antenna restrictions but antenna gain must be used to calculate ERP.

The 60-meter allocation is available to amateurs holding a General Class or above license. The maximum permissible signal bandwidth is 2.8 kHz.

Amateurs are cautioned that this allocation is strictly on a secondary basis, and amateurs must avoid interfering with non-amateur stations using this spectrum. This obligation includes the responsibility to monitor for such stations using appropriate receiver bandwidths. The FCC emphasized that “allowing amateur operations in this band while fully protecting incumbent primary Federal operations is our priority, and even intermittent interference in this band could jeopardize important Federal operations.”

The Commission left open ARRL’s 2017 Petition for Rulemaking to implement this WRC allocation (RM-11785), stating that “we expect the Commission may address any necessary power adjustments for the new 15 kilohertz international allocation in that proceeding.” ARRL will be observing operations in the new band to evaluate the effect of the 9.15-watt limit and already has been monitoring the regulations and experiences of amateurs in other countries.

Finally, in the same Report and Order, the FCC updated 420 – 450 MHz coordination and contact information for geographic areas where the peak envelope power (PEP) of amateur stations operating is generally limited to 50 watts. There was no substantive change to the areas covered by the power limitation.

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that the FCC has extended the filing deadline to March 5, 2026, for amateur radio licenses that otherwise were due to expire from October 1, 2025, to March 5, 2026. The announcement is included in an FCC Public Notice (DA-25-943) released on Monday, November 17, 2025. ¹

Although filings that were due during the 2025 Federal Government shutdown—which ended November 17, 2025—were deemed as due by November 18, 2025, the Amateur Radio service is one of a small group of exceptions:

For personal radio licensees (i.e., Amateur, Ship, Aircraft, GMRS, and Commercial Operator Licenses), renewal filings originally due on October 1, 2025, through and including March 5, 2026, are now due on March 5, 2026. Further, we confirm that licensees whose licenses have expired and whose renewal filing deadlines have been extended above may rely on their timely renewal filing (by the extended deadline) to support continued operation pursuant to section 1.62 of the Commission’s rules. ²

Amateur Radio operators whose license became due for renewal between October 1, 2025 and November 17, 2025, are strongly encouraged to file their renewal as soon a possible. A license renewal walkthrough video is available for RRRA members on the club’s groupware server.

There is a discussion in a recent ARRL News article about the sporadic system outages affecting renewal during the resumption of license processing by the FCC.

As part of a much larger overhaul focused on deleting almost 400 obsolete wireless regulations, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced plans to delete or modify four minor provisions of Part 97.

ARRL’s Washington Counsel has reviewed the proposal and agrees that the deletions are to obsolete rules and will have no impact on today’s modern Amateur Radio Service. One of the deletions was suggested by ARRL as part of an earlier FCC request for public input on rules ripe for deletion.

The proposed regulatory changes are to:

1. Delete § 97.27. This provision relates to the FCC’s right to modify station licenses. The Commission rationale for deletion is that it duplicates Section 316 of the Communications Act. Its deletion will result in no substantive change to the right of the FCC to modify a station license.

2. Delete § 97.29. This provision specified the procedure to replace paper licenses. The FCC stopped producing paper licenses at the end of 2020, having implemented a system that allows any licensee to download license originals using the password-protected area of the FCC’s ULS computer database system that is web-accessible. The ARRL proposed deleting this section in comments filed earlier this year.

3. Delete § 97.315 (b)(2). This provision grandfathered HF amplifiers purchased before April 28, 1978 by an amateur radio operator for use at that operator’s station and also grandfathered those manufactured before April 28, 1978 for which a marketing waiver was issued. The applicability of this rule has long passed.

4. Delete § 97.521 and Appendix 2. This rule and appendix relate to VEC regions, which were based on the traditional amateur call sign areas. The FCC no longer limits VECs to regions and there is no reason for doing so given the nature of remote exams.

“Direct Final Rule” proceedings such as this are limited to rules that are no longer applicable because they have sunset by operation of law; govern an expired event; regulate an obsolete technology; regulate virtually a null set of FCC licensees; regulate an outdated market structure; or otherwise are no longer used in practice or otherwise in the public interest. The deletions will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register unless the Commission finds that adverse comments filed within 20 days of publication raise significant issues that merit additional consideration.

ARRL will continue to engage with the FCC in the regulatory and rulemaking process as part of our mission to promote and protect the art, science, and enjoyment of amateur radio, and to develop the next generation of radio amateurs.

for Commercial Satellite Communications in FCC Filing.

This may well be the most significant challenge to date to one of Amateur Radio’s most popular bands. It’s particularly significant for Amateur Radio space communications, as that usage directly competes with this company’s use case — satellite communications.

In DA 25-532, released 2025-06-20, the FCC Space Bureau has accepted a filing from AST SpaceMobile to conduct Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C) in both space-to-Earth and Earth-to-space communications modes in 430–440 MHz. In the document, AST SpaceMobile is referenced as AST & Science, LLC (AST).

In the US, this 10 MHz band segment comprises the middle third of US Amateur Radio’s (secondary¹) allocation of the very popular and heavily used 420–450 MHz (70 cm) band.

Also of interest, and potentially impacting US Amateur Radio operations in the 902–928 MHz band, AST also requests to use 902–928 MHz for space-to-Earth and 902–915 MHz for Earth-to-space communications.

In the US 902–928 MHz band, Amateur Radio has overlapping allocations with unlicensed operations in this very popular and also very heavily used band.

AST’s request mentions a number of bands other than those in use by Amateur Radio.

AST intends to operate a number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with very large antennas that will allow typical mobile telephones to operate normally in areas where there is no terrestrial network coverage, operating on some of the same frequencies as terrestrial carriers.

AST intends to provide its satellite service worldwide:

We are partnering with some of the largest mobile network operators across the globe to reach the biggest audience and improve connectivity worldwide. AST SpaceMobile’s goal is to eliminate the connectivity gaps faced by today’s 5 billion mobile subscribers and bring broadband to approximately half of the world’s population who remain unconnected.

AST SpaceMobile has entered into agreements and understandings with over 50 mobile network operators which collectively service over 3 billion cellular customers.

In the US, AST’s carrier partners are AT&T and Verizon. T-Mobile has announced a partnership with Starlink with similar technology (use of ordinary mobile phones via satellite) called T-Satellite, which will begin commercial operation on 2025-07-23.

FCC Accepting Comments Through 2025-07-21, Reply Comments Through 2025-08-05

FCC DA 25-532 appears to be notification that the FCC Space Bureau has merely accepted AST’s request to use these bands.

The FCC is now accepting comments:

Filing Requirements: Interested parties may file comments on or before July 21, 2025 and reply comments on or before August 5, 2025. Comments and petitions regarding this application should be filed in both the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) and in International Communications Filing System (ICFS) under the appropriate file number. 47 CFR §25.154. All filings must refer to SB Docket No. 25-201 and ICFS File No. SAT-MOD-20250612-00145.

Per this mention by AMSAT-DL from 2022, AST has been operating in 430–440 MHz for some time:

AST SPACEMOBILE CONSTELLATION IN 430–440 MHZ BAND

This seems concerning, per this update in 2024 by DB2OS:

Although FCC confessed that the commercial 435 MHz TT&C operations do not fall within the ITU assigned classification for the amateur satellite service, they granted permission…

Additional Coverage of This Story

• ANS-159 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins - 2025-06-08: Satellite Shorts from All Over

The FCC has denied AST Space Mobile’s request to use 430 MHz–440 MHz for telemetry operations, noting “There is no space tracking or space telemetering allocation in the 430–440 MHz frequency range.” (Thanks to AMSAT-DL and the FCC for the information)

Unfortunately, AMSAT did not provide a link to their source for the “denied” claim, and I haven’t seen any additional confirmation. Note that FCC DA 25-532 was dated later (2025-06-20) than AMSAT’s mention.

• [Peter Guelzow] DB2OS 2025-06-22 - Bad News for the 70cm Amateur Radio Band

• Amateur Radio Daily 2025-06-25 - Satellite Communications Company AST SpaceMoble Seeks Use of 70 cm Amateur Band

• AMSAT-UK 2025-06-26 - Use of 430–440 MHz by AST SpaceMobile Constellation

• Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2487 for Friday, June 27th, 2025 - Mobile Broadband Provider Seeks Amateur Frequencies For Satellites

President Trump’s attack on public broadcasting has attracted plenty of deserved attention, but there’s a far more technical, far more insidious policy change in the offing—one that will take away Americans’ right to unencumbered access to our publicly owned airwaves.

The FCC is quietly contemplating a fundamental restructuring of all broadcasting in the United States, via a new DRM-based standard for digital television equipment, enforced by a private “security authority” with control over licensing, encryption, and compliance. This move is confusingly called the “ATSC Transition” (ATSC is the digital TV standard the US switched to in 2009 – the “transition” here is to ATSC 3.0, a new version with built-in DRM).

The “ATSC Transition” is championed by the National Association of Broadcasters, who want to effectively privatize the public airwaves, allowing broadcasters to encrypt over-the-air programming, meaning that you will only be able to receive those encrypted shows if you buy a new TV with built-in DRM keys. It’s a tax on American TV viewers, forcing you to buy a new TV so you can continue to access a public resource you already own.

This may not strike you as a big deal. Lots of us have given up on broadcast and get all our TV over the internet. But millions of American still rely heavily or exclusively on broadcast television for everything from news to education to simple entertainment. Many of these viewers live in rural or tribal areas, and/or are low-income households who can least afford to “upgrade.” Historically, these viewers have been able to rely on access to broadcast because, by law, broadcasters get extremely valuable spectrum licenses in exchange for making their programming available for free to anyone within range of their broadcast antennas.

Adding DRM to over-the-air broadcasts upends this system. The “ATSC Transition” is a really a transition from the century-old system of universally accessible programming to a privately controlled web of proprietary technological restrictions. It’s a transition from a system where anyone can come up with innovative new TV hardware to one where a centralized, unaccountable private authority gets a veto right over new devices.

DRM licensing schemes like this are innovation killers. Prime example: DVDs and DVD players, which have been subject to a similar central authority, and haven’t gotten a single new feature since the DVD player was introduced in 1995.

DRM is also incompatible with fundamental limits on copyright, like fair use. Those limits let you do things like record a daytime baseball game and then watch it after dinner, skipping the ads. Broadcasters would like to prevent that and DRM helps them do it. Keep in mind that bypassing or breaking a DRM system’s digital keys—even for lawful purposes like time-shifting, ad-skipping, security research, and so on—risks penalties under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. That is, unless you have the time and resources to beg the Copyright Office for an exemption (and, if the exemption is granted, to renew your plea every three years).

Broadcasters say they need this change to offer viewers new interactive features that will serve the public interest. But if broadcasters have cool new features the public will enjoy, they don’t need to force us to adopt them. The most reliable indicator that a new feature is cool and desirable is that people voluntarily install it. If the only way to get someone to use a new feature is to lock up the keys so they can’t turn it off, that’s a clear sign that the feature is not in the public interest.

That’s why EFF joined Public Knowledge, Consumer Reports and others in urging the FCC to reject this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea and keep our airwaves free for all of us. We hope the agency listens, and puts the interests of millions of Americans above the private interests of a few powerful media cartels.

🔗 pk_et_al_nab_atsc3_petition_comments (PDF)

Jeff and Joe Geerling provide a quick but insightful overview of the FCC’s DELETE, DELETE, DELETE docket, offering their thoughts on its implications—especially from Joe’s perspective as a broadcast engineer. Their discussion is a great starting point for understanding how these regulatory changes could impact radio and wireless communications.

I should note that a couple weeks ago I submitted a public comment on the FCC site regarding the importance of the amateur radio service—while this isn’t specifically about deregulating the amateur radio service, I believe it’s always worth reinforcing the value of maintaining our spectrum allocations.

Learn more about the docket the FCC website.

In this video Bill shares with us about what the proposed FCC Deregulation really means for the radio amateur, and what we need to be watchful of.

As always remember “It’s a Great Day To QSO”.

There are lots of stories going around about this FCC Deregulation document. Here are my thoughts on this subject—I will be following this story to see where it goes.

The FCC is gathering feedback on potential regulatory changes impacting telecommunications, public airwaves, and amateur radio. We explore what these proposed reviews mean for amateur radio enthusiasts and the greater marketplace landscape.

Don’t miss our insights!

What it’s going to mean to you, in 10 seconds.

Is the FCC’s new Delete, Delete, Delete agenda sounding the death knell for amateur radio? In this video Jim N4BFR breaks down the FCC’s latest public notice and what it really means for hams.

From the very real threat of spectrum auctions to possible changes in antenna regulations (PRB-1) and license fees, we’re connecting the dots on how this might affect your privileges on the air.

While amateur radio isn’t disappearing overnight, there’s plenty you should know about—plus ways to make your voice heard. Share your feedback with the FCC (preceding number 25-133) and reach out to your congressional representatives.

Stay informed, stay active, and stay on the air!

Discover how the intense demand for wireless spectrum is reshaping industries. With billions at stake and upcoming auctions on the horizon, we delve into the potential risks for amateur radio and the lucrative market for wireless carriers.

Stay informed on this critical issue!

David and Ham Radio Cat discuss their view of the FCC’s Delete, Delete, Delete

President Trump has revealed a humongous new FCC deregulation initiative. In this video, I break down what this ham radio development means for broadcasting, communications, and more. As a result, the FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a public notice recently titled Re: Delete, Delete, Delete, seeking for the public to comment in an effort to identify FCC rules to alleviate regulatory burdens that are unnecessary. This deregulation initiative has the potential impacts to change infrastructure deployment, digital equity, and media company regulations.

This week we talk about deregulating the FCC and what could happen if we Delete, Delete, Delete.

Let’s talk about what DOGE can and cannot do with the FCC, and what, realistically can happen if it gets deregulated.

The comment period for FCC Docket 25-133 re: Delete Delete Delete closes April 11, 2025; reply comments are due May 28, 2025.

👉 Comments may be submitted through the FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS); use 25-133 in the Proceedings field. Previously submitted comments are available for viewing.

ℹ️ ARRL has provided a Guide to Filing Comments with FCC which demonstrates how to use the ECFS.

Table Of Contents

• Related Articles
• What the FCC Wants to Hear About
• Example Comments

Related Articles

Information and opinion pieces about FCC Docket 25-133:

• ⭐ Geerling Engineering’s Take on the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” Docket
• ⭐ Breaking News - From FCC - IN RE: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE
• ⭐ FCC Officially Opens Door to Mass Broadcast Deregulation
• ⭐ FCC Opens ‘In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete’ Docket
• FCC, Deregulation, & Amateur Radio
• My Thoughts on: FCC Deregulation - Delete, Delete, Delete
• FCC Reviews: What Changes Could Impact Amateur Radio?
• Re: Delete, Delete, Delete … For Hams
• FCC’s “Delete Delete Delete” - Is Ham Radio at Risk?
• Spectrum Wars: The Battle for Wireless Frequencies
• My Take on the FCC Delete, Delete, Delete
• Can This Be the End of Ham Radio Licenses?
• Deregulating the FCC - What Could Happen
• Is DOGE Going to Shut Down the FCC and Ham Radio?
• FCC Initiates Broad Inquiry on Rules to Delete or Amend
• FCC Deregulation Re: Delete Delete Delete

What the FCC Wants to Hear About

From FCC Docket 25-133

We encourage commenters to consider certain policy factors, as described below and consistent with standards and objectives set forth in recent Presidential orders as well as statutory and regulatory retrospective review standards. We also invite more general comment on rules that should be considered for elimination on other grounds ¹

• Cost-benefit considerations
• Experience gained from the implementation of the rule.
• Marketplace and technological changes.
• Regulation as barrier to entry
• Changes in the broader regulatory context
• Changes in, or other implications of, the governing legal framework
• Other considerations relevant to the retrospective review of Commission rules

Explanations of these bullet points start on page 2 of FCC Docket 25-133.

From Zero Retries 0168

The following was written for FCC Docket 24-240 but is germane to FCC Docket 25-133.

A trusted advisor provided me with this short, pithy, realistic, and a bit brutal “reality check” list of the real priorities of the FCC in considering issues such as Docket 24-240:

• Innovation
• Creating new tax paying businesses
• Unserved and underserved populations
  • Native Americans
  • People with disabilities
  • Schoolchildren
• Emergency communications
• Broadband communications
• Revenue to the US government (spectrum auctions)
• Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) ²
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) ³

This adviser consistently offers “distilled wisdom” on matters relating to the FCC, and I am very grateful for his input such as this.

To this adviser’s points, I would add:

• Addressing the shortage of the Spectrum Workforce as outlined in the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Spectrum Strategy (https://www.ntia.gov/issues/national-spectrum-strategy) to expand the workforce of of those knowledgeable about radio technology to create new radio technology systems and build and maintain radio technology systems.
• STEM education (we need more techies, not just programmers)
• US national and regional security, including (radio systems) cybersecurity
• US national economic activity / impact (not necessarily just paying taxes)

Note that “hobbyist” activity such as “playing around with Meshtastic” or “chatting on an Amateur Radio repeater” does not appear on the above list. Such activities are simply not on the FCC’s “cares about” list. But using Meshtastic to encourage STEM and Maker activities by students and youth, or Amateur Radio repeaters to provide emergency and “no dependence on cellular, Internet, or satellite” communications is something that the FCC “cares about”. ⁴

Example Comments

While any comment is better than none, these comments are good examples how to get your submission taken seriously by the FCC:

• Comments of Steven K. Stroh Regarding FCC Docket 24-240
• Bruce Perens K6BP’s comments to the FCC in 2017

John Nass KI6NAZ presents his thoughts about the FCC’s re: DELETE DELETE DELETE docket in this 13 minute video on the Ham Radio Crash Course Youtube Channel.

The FCC says “We’ll do it live” in taking your feedback in regards to where they should deregulate!

Want to add your thoughts? Go to https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express and use the proceeding # 25-133 in the reference field. ¹

As previewed by Commissioner Nathan Simington at the NAB State Leadership Conference, the FCC is opening the floodgates to mass deregulation of the broadcasting industry under the mantra of Delete, Delete, Delete.

The FCC has opened a public comment period as part of a broad effort aimed at identifying and eliminating what it describes as unnecessary or outdated regulations within the communications industry. The initiative aligns with a series of executive orders issued by President Trump, directing administrative agencies to reassess their regulatory frameworks and promote economic growth by reducing burdens on businesses.

The FCC’s notice invites public feedback on specific rules that may no longer serve their intended purpose or may be hindering technological advancements, competition, or investment in communications infrastructure. The Commission is particularly interested in hearing from industry stakeholders about rules that disproportionately impact small businesses, create barriers to market entry, or have become obsolete due to changes in technology and the media marketplace.

“The Commission possesses a duty to evaluate its policies over time to ascertain whether they work—that is, whether they actually produce the benefits the Commission originally predicted they would,” the FCC stated in the notice.

The agency has outlined several key areas for review, including:

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The FCC is examining whether certain regulations impose more costs than benefits on businesses and whether eliminating or modifying these rules could lead to better economic outcomes.

Market and Technological Changes

With rapid advancements in digital communications, broadband, and broadcasting, the FCC seeks to identify rules that have become outdated or unnecessary.

Barriers to Entry

The Commission is analyzing whether regulations place a disproportionate burden on smaller firms, limiting competition and innovation.

Legal and Constitutional Concerns

The FCC is considering whether some regulations conflict with recent judicial rulings, including the Supreme Court’s Loper Bright decision, which overturned the Chevron deference framework that had previously granted agencies significant leeway in interpreting statutes.

Regulatory Redundancy

The agency is also reviewing whether existing FCC rules overlap with broader federal, state, or industry self-regulatory measures, potentially creating unnecessary compliance burdens.

For broadcasters, this review could signal significant changes to long-standing regulations that impact ownership rules, content policies, and licensing requirements. The NAB has welcomed the news, as the organization recently started a mass public awareness campaign tied to loosening ownership caps on radio and television broadcasters.

NAB SVP of Communications Alex Siciliano told Radio Ink, “We applaud Chairman [Brendan] Carr for taking a deep dive into the many rules and regulations that no longer serve any meaningful public interest purpose and only hamper broadcasters’ ability to compete. Chief among them are the outdated ownership rules—both the national TV ownership cap and the local radio and TV ownership rules—that must be reformed as soon as possible. Without those changes, local journalism will struggle to compete in this era of Big Tech and streaming dominance.”

Interested parties have 30 days from the notice’s release to submit comments to the FCC, with a subsequent 15-day period for reply comments.

The FCC has emphasized that any proposed rule changes will be evaluated based on their potential impact on the industry, consumers, and overall market competition. The review process is expected to take several months, with the Commission likely issuing further notices and proposed rule changes based on the feedback received.

On March 22, 2024, ARRL News reported on a change to FCC policy which will nudge Amateur Radio licensing a bit further into the 21st century: beginning March 29, 2024, multifactor (AKA two factor) authentication will be required to login to the Commission Registration System (CORES).

CORES is the FCC system used to pay any application or regulatory fees, manage or reset a password on an existing FRN, or request a new FRN.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced an upcoming change to the Commission Registration System (CORES) that licensees use to pay any application or regulatory fees, manage or reset a password on an existing FRN, or request a new FRN. Beginning March 29, 2024, multifactor authentication will be implemented. Users will be prompted to request a six-digit secondary verification code, which will be sent to the email address(es) associated with each username. The user will then need to enter the code into CORES before they can continue.

In a public notice, the FCC said this change will make the system more secure. “This additional layer of security will further safeguard against unauthorized access, thereby enhancing the overall integrity of information contained within the CORES system and improving the security of user data,” it read.

The FCC recommends that users confirm they have access to their username account email and to add a secondary email address, if need be.

Resources are available for those who need assistance with the system. For inquiries or assistance regarding the implementation of multifactor authentication on CORES, submit a help request at https://www.fcc.gov/wtbhelp, or call the FCC at 877-480-3201 (Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM ET). ¹

WASHINGTON, November 13, 2023 – The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions.

The Report and Order adopted today eliminates the baud rate limitation—the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, frequency, and/or phase is varied to transmit information—in certain amateur radio bands. Instead, the Commission establishes a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limitation in the applicable amateur radio bands. The changes will enable the amateur radio community to operate more efficiently, including in support of emergency situations when appropriate, and foster experimentation, which is a core principle of the amateur radio service.

The FCC also adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which proposes and seeks comment on the removal of the baud rate—sometimes called the symbol rate—limitation in the VHF and UHF bands and in the 2200 meter and 630 meter bands, which the Commission allocated for amateur radio use after it released the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2016. It also seeks comment on the appropriate bandwidth limitation for the 2200 meter band, the 630 meter band, and the VHF/UHF bands. ¹

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reacted positively to this decision:

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, hailed the FCC’s action to remove the symbol rate restrictions. Roderick stated that “this action will measurably facilitate the public service communications that amateurs step up to provide, especially at times of natural disasters and other emergencies such as during the hurricane season. Digital technology continues to evolve, and removing the outmoded data restrictions restores the incentive for radio amateurs to continue to experiment and develop more spectrum-efficient protocols and methods while the 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit will help protect the shared nature of our bands. We thank Congresswoman [Debbie] Lesko (AZ-08) for her efforts on behalf of all Amateurs to get these restrictions removed.” ²

Related Links

• ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions (ARRL)
• Let the innovation begin! FCC eliminates baud rate limitation (KB6NU)
• FCC Replaces Many Amateur Radio Symbol Rate Limits (Radioworld)
• FCC Adopts New Rules for Amateur Radio, Drops Symbol Rate for HF (Hamweekly)

On October 27, 2023, ARRL News reported the FCC has scheduled a vote on removing symbol rate restrictions.

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® welcomes news of a scheduled vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider removing symbol rate restrictions that restrict digital modes, foster inefficient spectrum use, and dampen incentives for innovation.

In the draft Commission decision, the FCC would replace the current HF restrictions with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. The Commission also announced that it will consider a Further Notice in which it will propose eliminating similar restrictions where they apply in other bands and consider relying on signal bandwidth limits. If both actions are adopted by the Commission, there will be a period for public comment on the Further Notice issues.

In announcing the proposed Commission actions, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that “We’re bolstering amateur radio. We will vote on a proposal to incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions.” ¹

🔗 Read The ARRL News Article…

May 3, 2023, was the end of the transition period for the new FCC rules governing RF exposure which eliminated previous station evaluation exemptions.

Licensees have enjoyed a 2 year grace period during which they could have performed these evaluations and made any needed adjustments to their stations.

RF exposure evaluation of ALL Amateur Radio stations—and compliance reassessment subsequent to station modifications which could affect exposure—is now mandatory.

As detailed in a May 2023 QST article by Greg Lapin, N9GL, the rules now require amateur radio operators to perform station evaluations. The Amateur Radio Service is no longer categorically excluded from certain aspects of the RF exposure rules, and licensees can no longer avoid performing an exposure assessment simply because they are transmitting below a given power level.

The ARRL website features an RF Exposure landing page with resources, such as an RF exposure calculator, the entire RF Safety section from the 100th Edition of the ARRL The Handbook, a video explaining the topic, FAQs about the subject, and more. These tools and resources are available to the public without an ARRL membership or website account. ¹

Anyone who has taken an exam or renewed their license in the last few years has had to agree to the following statement (either on an NCVEC form 605 or was asked a question on the FCC website):

I have read and WILL COMPLY with Section 97.13(c) of the Commission’s Rules regarding RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) RADIATION SAFETY and the amateur service section of OST/OET Bulletin Number 65 (OET65 addresses evaluating RF compliance).

Other RF Exposure related resources and discussions available on-line include:

• KA0LDG’s RF Exposure Evaluation presentaion
• N7OH RF Exposure Calculator - this calculator allows radio operators to conduct multi-band exposure calculations; simplifies calculations for stations with multiple radios, feedlines and antennas; and stores station data as browser cookies to assist with periodic reassessments. A browser which supports HTML5 is required to use this calculator; JavaScript must be enabled.
• ARRL Helps Radio Amateurs Comply with New RF Exposure Evaluation Rules (on the Amateur Radio subreddit).
• FCC Exposure Rules Soon to Affect Every US Radio Amateur (on the Amateur Radio subreddit).

There are two restrictions on Amateur Radio operations in the 70cm band (420–450 MHz) which affect portions of North Dakota and Minnesota.

Redditor kc2syk—a moderator of the Amateur Radio subreddit—has created an interactive map which illustrates that the US FCC’s restrictions on 70cm operation (listed in 47 CFR §2.106 - Footnote US270) may be closer to Fargo than some hams realize.

Operation prohibited above Line A

“In the sub-band 420–430 MHz, the amateur service is not allocated north of Line A” ¹

According to the Industry Canada Spectrum Chart and Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations) the 420–430 Mhz sub-band is allocated in Canada to non-amateur use; the primary user is mobile services—excepting aeronautical mobile—and the secondary is fixed services.

What is Line A?

Line A is defined in US Code Title 47 Chapter I Subchapter D Part 90 Subpart A § 90.7 as:

An imaginary line within the U.S., approximately paralleling the U.S.-Canadian border, north of which Commission coordination with the Canadian authorities in the assignment of frequencies is generally required. It begins at Aberdeen, Washington, running by great circle arc to the intersection of 48° N., 120° W., then along parallel 48° N., to the intersection of 95° W., thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Duluth, Minnesota, thence by great circle arc to 45° N., 85° W., thence southward along meridian 85° W. to its intersection with parallel 41° N., to its intersection with meridian 82° W., thence by great circle arc through the southernmost point of Bangor, Maine, thence by great circle arc through the southernmost of Searsport, Maine, at which point it terminates.²

50w PEP Restriction

Within 160 km (99.4 miles) of Concrete, ND, (48° 43’ N, 97° 54’ W):

The peak envelope power of an amateur station shall not exceed 50 watts in the following areas, unless expressly authorized by the FCC after mutual agreement, on a case-by-case basis, between the District Director of the applicable field office and the military area frequency coordinator at the applicable military base. ³

This restriction protects the AN/FPQ-16 PARCS solid state phased array radar system at Cavalier Space Force Station located approximately two miles southeast of Concrete, ND.

The southern edge of this restricted area is an arc which begins in the west at the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Esmond in ND, passes within 40 miles of Fargo through Hillsboro, and ends just east of the Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls in Minnesota.

The effective northern edge of this restricted area is Line A.

On July 7, 2022, ARRL News reported on the impending retirement of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) legacy COmmission REgistration System (CORES) on July 15, 2022.

This system change is important to radio amateurs because CORES is where we pay the recently instated application fees.

The updated version of CORES has been available since 2016, and now its use will be mandatory for all amateur licensees when submitting amateur-related applications.

…

Licensees that do not already have an FCC CORES Username Account must create one with a unique username (a valid email address) and password. After creating the account, when logged in, users should associate their existing FRN or FRNs with this account. Instructions for doing so are on the FCC Registration Help page. One’s FRN is printed on all current amateur applications and licenses, and will not change. FRNs can also be found by looking up one’s call sign in the Commission’s ULS (https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp) or by using the FCC’s advanced search page.

The FCC has posted Tutorial Videos to assist with the transition. ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, recommends viewing the videos “Getting Started With the New CORES,” which explains how to register for a CORES Username Account, and “Associating an FRN to a Username,” which instructs Legacy CORES users on how to link one or more existing FRNs to a username. FCC CORES Registration Instructions can also be found on the ARRL website.

Additional information is available on the FCC website or by calling the FCC Licensing Support Center at (877) 480-3201, Option 4, and on the FCC’s e-support page. ¹

📰 Read the complete news article at arrl.org

On April 4, 2022, ARRL News reported:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) staff has clarified in response to an ARRL request that the new $35 application fee will not apply to most license modifications, including those to upgrade anamateur radio licensee’s operator class and changes to club station trustees. The FCC staff explained that the new fees will apply only to applications for a new license, renewal, rule waiver, or a new vanity call sign. As previously announced, the new fees take effect on April 19, 2022.

“We are pleased that the FCC will not charge licensees the FCC application fee for license upgrade applications,” said ARRL Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM. “While applicants for a new license will need to pay the $35 FCC application fee, there will be no FCC charge for future upgrades and administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. Most current licensees, therefore, will not be charged the new FCC application fee until they renew their license or apply for a new vanity call sign.”

ARRL previously reported that the new $35 application fee for amateur radio licenses will become effective on April 19, 2022. Further information and instructions about the FCC Application Fee are available from the ARRL VEC at www.arrl.org/fcc-application-fee. ¹

Amateur Radio license application fees—part of a new fee schedule published in Report and Order FCC 20-184 on December 29, 2020—will take effect April 19, 2022, as announced in FCC Public Notice DA-22-307.

The $35 application fee … will apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications. The fee will be per application.

Administrative updates, such as a change of name, mailing or email address, will be exempt from fees.

Applications processed and dismissed will not be entitled to a refund. This includes vanity requests where the applicant does not receive the requested call sign. ¹

ARRL’s FCC Application Fee Instructions page states that “VECs and Volunteer Examiner (VE) teams will not have to collect the $35 fee at exam sessions.” Applicants will pay the $35 fee directly to the FCC through the CORES FRN Registration system; successful exam candidates will receive an e-mail message from the FCC containing payment instructions and will have 10 calendar days from the date of the e-mail to pay their application fee.

FCC’s new fee schedule was adopted pursuant to authority established by RAY BAUMS’s Act of 2018

Other Related Links

ARRL News Story about the FCC Application Fees

FCC Application Fees Unlikely to Go into Effect Until 2022

FCC Registration Help

https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/publicHome.do?help=true

To access CORES with a (Payer) FRN

https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/paymentFrnLogin.do

This probably does not mean that the FCC will start paying more attention to Amateur Radio.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel named two prominent radio amateurs among her appointments to the FCC Technological Advisory Council (TAC) on January 19.

The TAC serves to assist the FCC in identifying important areas of innovation and developing informed technology policies that support US competitiveness in the global economy. The TAC will consider and advise the FCC on topics such as 6G, artificial intelligence, advanced spectrum-sharing technologies, and emerging wireless technologies, including new tools to restore internet access during shutdowns and other disruptions. ¹

Read the complete ARRL news article …

This ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit does not appear to impact Amateur Radio Super High Frequency (SHF) operation since—according to the ARRL US Amateur Radio Frequency Allocations page and Wikipedia ITU Region 2 frequency allocation chart—the 6GHz band is outside the Amateur Radio 5cm allocation (5.650–5.925 GHz).

A ruling (pdf) last week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has paved the way for deployment of faster, better Wi-Fi, while simultaneously cementing the FCC’s authority to make important decisions related to spectrum and interference concerns.

Last year, the FCC voted to open up a chunk of spectrum in the 6GHz band for unlicensed use , providing more airwaves to be used by Wi-Fi and other technologies. Wi-Fi is the most immediate beneficiary; this posed the biggest expansion of available spectrum since Wi-Fi was first unveiled back in 1989. The expansion, and the new standards making more efficient use of more spectrum, should result first in better, more reliable Wi-Fi, and ultimately faster speeds of 1-2 Gbps connections over Wi-Fi. That means better broadband, and more innovation in the band: ¹

Big news! Today the DC Circuit unanimously upheld the FCC's decision to free up the 6 GHz band for more unlicensed use. This decision = more Wi-Fi in more places and it matters because it comes at a time when being connected is more important than ever. https://t.co/jjN4G8ALzA

— Jessica Rosenworcel (@JRosenworcel) December 28, 2021

On April 27, 2021, ARRL News reported:

Auto-registration in the FCC Commission Registration System (CORES) amateur radio exam for candidates using a Social Security number will be discontinued on May 20, 2021. Applicants must use an FCC Registration Number (FRN) for all license transactions with the FCC. Examinees must register in CORES and receive an FRN before exam day. Starting on May 20, electronic batch filed applications that do not include a candidate’s FRN will be rejected. The Social Security/Licensee ID Field will be disabled.

An instructional video provides step-by-step instructions on how to establish a CORES account, which is necessary for licensees to make administrative updates and download electronic license authorizations.

After June 29, all filers must provide an email address on all applications. When an email is provided, applicants will receive an official electronic copy of their licenses once granted (allow incoming email from authorizations@fcc.gov). If no email is provided when filing on or after June 29, applications will be rejected. ARRL VEC suggests that those without access to email to use the email address of a family member or friend.

Licensees need to log in to the Universal Licensing System (ULS) to download their authorizations. The FCC no longer issues paper copies. ¹

“The Federal Communications Commission will be changing the way new amateur radio applicants register for a FCC Registration Number (FRN)”¹—the identification number needed by those who are “doing business” with the Commission (e.g. applying for a radio operator license, paying fees).

The FCC have released a short HOWTO video demonstrating the registration procedure. Please note that e-mail address verification is required when creating an FCC User Profile; applicants will need access to their e-mail account during profile creation.

Other video tutorials for the Updated CORES system have been published on the FCC Commission Registration System (CORES) Video Tutorials page.

Two years ago KA0LDG made a presentation titled RF Exposure Evaluation for Amateur Radio Operators (PDF and Powerpoint versions are available in the Training and Education | Presentations folder on the RRRA Groupware server) in anticipation of the updated FCC RF exposure rules.

This week ARRL reports in ARRL General Bulletin ARLB011 (2021) and the Updated Radio Frequency Exposure Rules Become Effective on May 3 News story:

The FCC has announced that rule changes detailed in a lengthy 2019 Report and Order governing RF exposure standards go into effect on May 3, 2021. The new rules do not change existing RF exposure (RFE) limits but do require that stations in all services, including amateur radio, be evaluated against existing limits, unless they are exempted. For stations already in place, that evaluation must be completed by May 3, 2023. After May 3 of this year, any new station, or any existing station modified in a way that’s likely to change its RFE profile—such as different antenna or placement or greater power—will need to conduct an evaluation by the date of activation or change. ¹

According to Greg Lapin, N9GL, chair of the ARRL RF Safety Committee and a member of the FCC Technological Advisory Council (TAC):

“For amateurs, the major difference is the removal of the categorical exclusion … which means that every ham will be required to perform some sort of calculation, either to determine if they qualify for an exemption or must perform a full-fledged exposure assessment. For hams who previously performed exposure assessments on their stations, there is nothing more to do.” ²

Amateur Radio operators—especially those who have never conducted an RF exposure evaluation of their station—are encouraged to review the ARRL News Updated Radio Frequency Exposure Rules Become Effective on May 3 article and visit the ARRL RF Exposure page for more information and resources.

RF Exposure Calculators

• VP9KF Amateur Radio RF Exposure Calculator
• N7OH RF Exposure Calculator - HTML5 calculator with local storage

On December 23, 2020, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a reduced Amateur Radio application fee of $35. This new fee is part of the application fee schedule published in Report and Order FCC 20-184 (R&O).

This application fee “will not take effect until the requisite notice has been provided to Congress, the FCC’s information technology systems and internal procedures have been updated, and the Commission publishes notice(s) in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of such rules.” ¹

The Amateur Radio Service has been included in the Personal License category of Wireless Licensing Fees. This fee category—and the FCC rationale for not exempting the Amateur Radio Service—is discussed in section III.B.1.b on page 11 of the R&O.

The Personal License category encompasses:

• Amateur Radio Service licenses
• Ship licenses
• Aircraft licenses
• Commercial Radio Operator licenses
• General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) licenses

All licenses in the Personal License category are subject to a $35 fee for these types of applications:

• New license
• Special temporary authority
• Rule waiver
• Renewal

The Amateur Radio Service is also subject to a $35 fee for Vanity Call Sign applications. ²

On December 30, 2020, ARRL News reported:

The FCC has agreed with ARRL and other commenters that its proposed $50 fee for certain amateur radio applications was “too high to account for the minimal staff involvement in these applications.” In a Report and Order (R&O), released on December 29, the FCC scaled back to $35 the fee for a new license application, a special temporary authority (STA) request, a rule waiver request, a license renewal application, and a vanity call sign application. All fees are per application. There will be no fee for administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address. ³

The KB6NU Ham Radio Blog has also reported on this development.

ARRL News reported on December 21, 2020, “The FCC is encouraging users of the Universal Licensing Service (ULS) to have an e-mail address on file with the FCC.” ¹

This is to ensure that ULS users are ready for the FCC’s upcoming transition to electronic-only licensing correspondence.

FCC Notice

ULS users can log-in to their accounts on the ULS homepage to add or update their e-mail address.

Sometime in mid-2021 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will complete their transition to “electronic correspondence and will no longer print or provide wireless licensees with hard-copy authorizations or registrations by mail.” ¹

This transition will require all Amateur Radio licensees—both existing and applicants—to provide a valid e-mail address on license applications. Licensees will also be required to maintain a valid e-mail address in their ULS record in the same way that they must maintain a valid mailing address.

Part 97 § 97.21 ¶ (a)(1) will be revised to read, in part:

(a) A person holding a valid amateur station license grant:

(1) Must apply to the FCC for a modification of the license grant as necessary to show the correct mailing and e-mail address, licensee name, club name, license trustee name, or license custodian name in accordance with § 1.913 of this chapter. … ²

Part 97 § 97.23 will be revised to read:

Each license grant must show the grantee’s correct name, mailing address, and e-mail address. The e-mail address must be an address where the grantee can receive electronic correspondence. Revocation of the station license or suspension of the operator license may result when correspondence from the the FCC is returned as undeliverable because the grantee failed to provide the correct e-mail address. ³

A announcement of this transition to electronic-only licensing correspondence was adopted on September 16, 2020, in a Report and Order (R&O) in the matter of Completing the Transition to Electronic Filing, Licenses and Authorizations, and Correspondence in the Wireless Radio Services:

Today, we finalize our transition to electronic interactions for licenses in the Wireless Radio Services—a transition that began more than two decades ago. By doing so, we decrease the costs for consumers and the Commission, enhance transparency of and access to data, significantly improve administrative efficiency, and save a substantial amount of paper annually—to the benefit of the Commission and those who interact with these systems alike. ⁴

While the Commission corresponds electronically with applicants and licensees in some instances, there remains a large amount of paper communication generated by ULS and its supporting systems. The relevant applications and FCC Forms provide an opportunity for, but do not require, users to provide an e-mail address as part of their contact information. The Wireless Telecommunications and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureaus (the Bureaus) by practice send paper correspondence generated by these systems to applicants and licensees, such as copies of licenses, reminder letters, and other courtesy notices. The Bureaus send thousands of these letters via U.S. Postal Mail each year. ⁵

Finalizing the Commission’s transition to an electronic-only ULS and [Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) System], and reducing the paper created by other systems, requires us to take several remaining steps. First, we remove the remaining exemptions to mandatory electronic filing in ULS and require electronic filing in the ASR System. Second, we require electronic filing of pleadings related to Wireless Radio Services licenses and applications in these systems and require electronic service where service of such pleadings is required. Third, we require that all applicants, licensees, and registrants in the Wireless Radio Services include at least one valid e-mail address on the relevant FCC Forms. Fourth, we shift from U.S. Postal Service to electronic delivery of correspondence generated from these systems to applicants, licensees, and registrants in the Wireless Radio Services. And finally, we set a transition deadline of six months for these changes to take effect, ⁶

“The new rules will go into effect 6 months after publication in the Federal Register, which hasn’t happened yet, but the FCC is already strongly encouraging applicants to provide an email address.” ⁷

The current version of Part 97 is available on-line in a number of locations including:

• PART 97—Amateur Radio Service Rules (ARRL)
• 47 CFR Part 97 - Amateur Radio Service (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School)
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations - PART 97—Amateur Radio Service (Government Printing Office)

Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio license application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed this week. Included in the FCC’s fee proposal are applications for new licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees.¹

The proposed charges:

• Application for new license: $50
• License modification (e.g. upgrades): $50
• License renewal: $50
• Vanity application: $50
• Administrative update (address change, etc.): free

“Note that [these fees] would apply per license in the ULS, so if you maintain a club callsign, it would cost the same amount for the club application and renewal.”²

While an application fee may help solve the problem of people hoarding 1x2 and 2x1 call-signs it will increase the cost of participating in our hobby. And it may have unintended consequences such as causing an increase in unlicensed operation.

The FCC proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which was adopted to implement portions of the “Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act” of 2018—the so-called "Ray Baum’s Act".

The Act requires that the FCC switch from a Congressionally-mandated fee structure to a cost-based system of assessment. In its NPRM, the FCC proposed application fees for a broad range of services that use the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), including the Amateur Radio Service that had been excluded by an earlier statute. The new statute excludes the Amateur Service from annual regulatory fees, but not from application fees.³

Read the ARRL News story about the NPRM for more details.

“The White House and US Department of Defense (DOD) have revealed that the 3.45-3.55 GHz band will be made available for 5G, a move that has been welcomed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.” ¹ This reallocation is a 25% loss of 9cm band spectrum to our hobby.

In an FCC News Release dated August 10, 2020, Chairman Pai issued this statement:

I commend the President and Department of Defense for today’s announcement that the 3.45–3.55 GHz band will be made available for commercial 5G deployment. This is a key milestone in securing United States leadership in 5G. I also would like to thank FCC staff for their work to help create a framework that will promote 5G service in this important band. Together with the spectrum being made available for 5G in the C-band as well as the 3.5 GHz band, we are now on track to have a 530-megahertz swath of mid-band spectrum available for 5G from 3.45 to 3.98 GHz. The FCC looks forward to moving quickly to adopt service rules for the 3.45 GHz band and then hold an auction to bring this prime mid-band spectrum to market. ²

Remarks by President Trump on United States 5G Deployment have been published on-line by the White House.

The FCC News Release is available in multiple formats on the FCC Chairman Pai on Administration Freeing Up 3.45-3.55 GHz Band for 5G page.

Today's announcement by @WhiteHouse and @DeptofDefense that 3.45-3.55 GHz band will be made available for commercial wireless services is key marker in US leadership in #5G. @FCC looks forward to moving quickly to adopt service rules and then auction this prime mid-band spectrum. pic.twitter.com/E6YAKDyPMO

— Ajit Pai (@AjitPai) August 10, 2020

References

• US frees up midband spectrum for 5G (Advanced Television, 2020-08-11)
• Does not bode well for the 3 GHz amateur radio allocation (/r/amateurradio/)
• Executive Branch Makes 3.45-3.55 GHz Band Available for 5G Networks (Law Street, 2020-08-10)
• America’s 5G Capabilities Are About to Get a Big Boost (Defense One, 2020-08-10)
• President Donald J. Trump Is Unleashing America’ss 5G Potentia (White House, 2020-08-10)
• FCC Will Auction Another 100 MHz of Mid-Band Spectrum for 5G (telecompetitor, 2020-08-10)
• U.S. to free up 100 MHz of mid-band spectrum for 5G (Fierce Wireless, 2020-08-10)
• DOD Releases Prime Airwaves for Commercial 5G Networks (Nextgov, 2020-08-10)
• ARRL Opposes FCC Plan to Delete the 3.4 GHz Band (ARRL, 2020-02-25)
• FCC Formally Adopts Proposals to Remove Amateur 3-GHz Band, Invites Comments (ARRL, 2019-12-17)
• FCC to propose elimination of 3.3– 3.5 GHz amateur allocation (KB6NU, 2019-11-27)
• ARRL to Oppose Proposal to Eliminate 3.3– 3.5 GHz Amateur Allocation (ARRL, 2019-11-25)

Comments are due by January 18, 2020, in reponse to the Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz Band (FCC 19-130) and Use of the 5.850-5.925 GHz Band (FCC 19-129) Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which will affect current Amateur Radio allocations in these bands.

All Amateur Radio Operators are encouraged to submit comments against these reallocations and in support of current Amateur operations in the bands to the FCC.

The Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1-3.55 GHz Band NPRM proposes “to eliminate … the non-federal amateur allocation in the 3.3-3.5 GHz [as] an initial step toward potential future shared use between federal operations and flexible use commercial services, in furtherance of [the FCC’s] obligations under the MOBILE NOW Act to identify spectrum for mobile and fixed wireless use and to work with NTIA to evaluate this band for potential shared use.”¹

A discussion of the comments desired by the FCC is presented on the Future of Incumbent Non-Federal Operations section on page 5 of NPRM FCC 19-130.

The Use of the 5.850-5.925 GHz Band NPRM proposes to make spectrum available for Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) operations as requested by the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) by by authorizing C-V2X in a 20Mhz segment of this band.

The NPRM notes “that the Amateur Service also shares the 5.9 GHz band through a secondary allocation [and proposes] that no additional rules are necessary to accommodate co-channel C-V2X use with the Amateur Service. [And the FCC proposes] that no additional rules are necessary to protect C-V2X devices from ISM operations permitted under Part 18 of our rules in the 5.850-5.875 GHz portion of the band. [The FCC seeks] comment on these proposals.”²

Comments on both of the NPRMs are due thirty (30) days after their publication in the Federal Register; their publication date was December 18, 2019. Commenters are urged to read the NPRMs before writing their comments to ensure they are effectively on-topic.

How to Comment

“Interested parties may file short comments on WT [Dockets 19-148 and 19-348] via the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing Service (Express). Visit the FCC’s How to Comment on FCC Proceedings page for information on filing extended comments”³

KA0LDG has provided sample comments in his FCC NPRM message on the Club Discussions mailing list. Please take the time to support our hobby in the face of threats to resources and activities regardless of whether or not you personally use them.

Why Bother Commenting?

First the FCC came for our allocation in the 11M band
And I did not speak out
Because 11M wasn’t harmonically related to the other HF bands

Then the FCC refused to stand up to HOAs regarding installation of effective outdoor antennas
And I did not speak out
Because I was smarter than other hams did not live under an HOA

Then the FCC came for our allocations in the 3GHz and 5GHz bands
And I did not speak out
Because data networks are useless and they are not real ham radio anyway

Then the FCC banned ARES
And I did not speak out
Because I’m only interested Contesting and Rag Chewing

Then the FCC suspended Part 97 because there’s no financial benefit to Amateur Radio
And there was no one left
To speak out for me

On December 17, 2019, the ARRL website reported in an article titled “FCC Formally Adopts Proposals to Remove Amateur 3-GHz Band, Invites Comments”:

At its December 12 meeting, the FCC formally adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in WT Docket 19-348 and invited comments on its plan to remove “existing non-federal secondary radiolocation and amateur allocations” in the 3.3 - 3.55 GHz band and relocate incumbent non-federal operations. The FCC said it’s seeking comment on appropriate “transition mechanisms” to make that happen. ARRL has indicated that it will file comments in opposition to the proposal.¹

This action by the FCC signals their intent to proceed with reallocation of frequency spectrum in compliance with the MOBILE NOW act which states “the Commission shall make available a total of at least 255 megahertz of Federal and non-Federal spectrum below the frequency of 6000 megahertz for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use”² and, in Sec. 5.3(a), specifically requires review of the 3.1–3.55 GHz band for reallocation.

The FCC said it is seeking comment on relocating non-federal licensees to another band. With respect to amateur operations, the FCC invited comments on whether sufficient amateur spectrum exists in other bands that can support the operations currently conducted at 3.3 - 3.5 GHz. The 3.40 - 3.41 GHz segment is earmarked for amateur satellite communication. “We seek comment on the extent to which the band is used for this purpose, whether existing satellites can operate on other amateur satellite bands, and on an appropriate timeframe for terminating these operations in this band,” the FCC said. If non-federal licensees are relocated to 3.1 - 3.3 GHz band, the FCC proposes that they continue to operate on a secondary basis to federal operations, consistent with current band allocations.³

Reallocation of the 3.3–3.55 GHz band will impact RRRA’s partially deployed—and yet to be utilized—AREDN backbone by requiring the replacement of equipment supporting several 3.4 GHz links. And it calls into question the future viability of hobbyist experimentation and investment in non-HF RF spectrum.

The ARRL article concludes with a quote from the AREDN Project and some useful information for interested parties who wish to submit comments pertaining to this matter.

“The AREDN Project is able to leverage low-cost commercial devices solely because they are designed to operate on adjacent allocations” AREDN said on its website. “Moving to other allocations would be difficult if not impossible without a complete redesign, manufacture, purchase, and installation of new custom amateur hardware and software…, raising the price out of reach for the typical ham.”

Interested parties may file short comments on WT Docket 19-348 via the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing Service (Express). Visit the FCC How to Comment on FCC Proceedings page for information on filing extended comments.⁴

At its December 12 open meeting, the FCC will consider adopting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes to remove the amateur radio 9-centimeter allocation at 3.3–3.5 GHz. ARRL plans to comment in opposition to the proposed action.¹

This NPRM, which threatens our use of the 24 non-shared channels on 3.4 Ghz in our RF mesh network (AREDN)—along with other Amateur Radio use of this band—is the result of the MOBILE NOW Act, reintroduced to the 115th congress by U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, on January 3, 2017, and ultimately signed into law by President Trump on March 23, 2018.

According to an FCC "Fact Sheet," the proceeding WT Docket 19-348, “Facilitating Shared Use in the 3.1–3.55 GHz Band,” is a follow-on from the MOBILE NOW Act, approved by the 115th Congress, which requires the FCC and the US Department of Commerce to make available new spectrum for mobile and fixed wireless broadband use. It also requires the FCC to work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to evaluate whether commercial wireless services and federal incumbents could share spectrum between 3.1 and 3.55 GHz.²

The MOBILE NOW Act—discussed in a U.S. Senate Committe on Commerce, Science, & Transportation press release—is intended to “[boost] the development of next-generation gigabit wireless broadband services, including 5G, by ensuring more spectrum is identified for private sector use”³ and includes numerous amendments focused on unlicensed spectrum and meeting consumer demands for telecommunications services.

Also on the FCC’s agenda for it’s December 12th meeting is consideration of an NPRM in WT Docket 19-138 which could affect the amateur radio 5-centimeter allocation from 5.650–5.925 GHz. “ARRL also will file comments opposing any changes affecting the 5-centimeter amateur allocation.”⁴

The legislation and NPRMs discussed in this article should serve as a reminder to Amateur Radio Operators of the importance of joining the ARRL and contributing to the Spectrum Defense Fund; in the United States ARRL is the only voice of advocacy we have for our hobby.

ARRL has taken a minor exception to the wording of a September 24 FCC Enforcement Advisory pertaining to the importation, marketing and sale of VHF and UHF transceivers and is in discussion with FCC personnel to resolve the matter. The Enforcement Advisory was in response to the importation into the US of certain radio products that are not FCC certified for use in any radio service, but identified as Amateur Radio equipment. ¹

In its discussions with the FCC, ARRL has stated:

“In several places, the Enforcement Advisory makes the point that ‘anyone importing, advertising or selling such noncompliant devices should stop immediately, and anyone owning such devices should not use them,’” ARRL pointed out. “The Advisory broadly prohibits the ‘use’ of such radios, but our view is that there is no such prohibition relative to licensed Amateur Radio use—entirely within amateur allocations—of a radio that may be capable of operation in non-amateur spectrum, as long as it is not actually used to transmit in non-amateur spectrum. ¹

The Enforcement Advisory includes the following Amateur Radio Exception which appears to disallow the use of certain uncertified devices in the Amateur Radio Service:

If a device is capable of operating only on frequencies that the FCC has allocated for use by Amateur Radio Service licensees, it does not require FCC equipment authorization, and an amateur licensee may use his or her license to operate such radios. However, many two-way radios that purport to operate on amateur frequencies also operate on frequencies that extend beyond the designated amateur frequency bands. If a two-way VHF/UHF radio is capable of operating outside of the amateur frequency bands, it cannot be imported, advertised, sold, or operated within the United States without an FCC equipment certification. ²

On September 24, 2018, the Federal Communications Commisssion (FCC) published Enforcement Advisory No. 2018-03 (the Advisory)—titled Two-way VHF/UHF radios may not be imported, advertised, or sold in the United States unless they comply with the Commission’s rules—in response to “an increase in the manufacturing, importation, advertising, and sale of two-way VHF/UHF radios that are not authorized in accordance with the Commission’s rules.” ¹ The Advisory has been published in PDF, DOC, and plain text formats.

One item of note in the Advisory is an Amateur Radio Exception which appears to disallow the use of uncertified devices by Amateur Radio Service (ARS) licensees.

The Advisory “follows an August 1 Citation and Order to Amcrest Industries, LLC (formerly Foscam Digital Technologies, LLC), an importer and marketer of popular and inexpensive BaoFeng handheld transceivers, alleging that the company violated FCC rules and the Communications Act by illegally marketing unauthorized RF devices.” ²

The Advisory was inspired in part, as evidenced by footnote 4 on page 2, by a letter from the Land Mobile Communications Council to FCC Commissioner Michael O’Reilly dated June 7, 2018:

The members of the Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) wholeheartedly endorse your efforts to enlist the support of eBay and Amazon to partner with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in fighting the distribution of illegal products that fail to comply with and/ or falsely use FCC branding on their devices. LMCC is a nonprofit association of organizations that represent the wireless communications interests of public safety, critical infrastructure, business, industrial, transportation, private carriers, and manufacturers of wireless communications equip ment. The LMCC has a similar concern to that which you have raised regarding non-compliant set-top boxes that are sold through those two companies. Our issue is the widespread importation , distribution, and use of radio frequency devices that do not comply with FCC rules.

The two-way radios in question are being marketed for use by any individual or entity, for any purpose , without regard to Federal and non-Federal spectrum allocations, user eligibility, or licensing requirements. Some devices indicate that they have been certified by the FCC while others do not. Even those that display an FCC certification are shipped to consumers and businesses from eBay and Amazon preprogrammed on a variety of channels for which the user is ineligible including aeronautical, broadcast auxiliary, and public safety frequencies. ³

On-line mentions of the Advisory include:

• Buy A Baofeng While You Still Can? FCC Scowls at Unauthorized Frequency Transmitters (Hackaday)
• Did the FCC just make Baofengs illegal? (Medium)
• Did the FCC just make Baofengs illegal? Short answer: NO! (KB6NU’s Ham Radio Blog)
• FCC Back pedals—All transceivers capable of transmitting on frequencies that require certification must be certified and can not be used on Amateur radio (Medium)
• FCC Back peddles - Baofengs illegal to operate on ham, as well as ANY radio capable of transmitting outside the ham band (homebrew or otherwise) that is not certificated (r/amateurradio)
• Did the fcc just make baofengs illegal? Email correspondents clarification from the FCC (r/amateurradio)
• So you can’t even operate a Baofeng, says FCC (r/amateurradio)
• FCC cracking down on Boafeng and similar radios that can transmit outside of amateur frequencies (r/preppers)
• Twitter search: “fcc enforcement advisory”
• FCC citation for selling Baofengs (QRZ)

Amateur Radio Exception

If a device is capable of operating only on frequencies that the FCC has allocated for use by Amateur Radio Service licensees, it does not require FCC equipment authorization, and an amateur licensee may use his or her license to operate such radios. However, many two-way radios that purport to operate on amateur frequencies also operate on frequencies that extend beyond the designated amateur frequency bands. If a two-way VHF/UHF radio is capable of operating outside of the amateur frequency bands, it cannot be imported, advertised, sold, or operated within the United States without an FCC equipment certification. ¹

Resources

• Amateur Radio Rules
• Equipment Marketing
• Consumer Complaint Center
• Consumer Complaint Hotline: 1-888-CALL-FCC

On August 14, 2018, ARRL reported:

Reorganized and updated FCC Personal Radio Services (PRS) Part 95 rules have been published in The Federal Register. … Effective September 30, 2019, it will be illegal to manufacture or import handheld portable radio equipment capable of operating under FRS rules and under other licensed or licensed-by-rule services. ¹

The updated regulation is effective September 28, 2018.

Perhaps the most significant regulatory change is the retroactive re-classification of currently available hybrid FRS/GMRS Blister Pack, or Bubble Pack, transceivers with an Effective Radiated Power (ERP) of 2 watts, or less, as FRS devices. This re-classification, in conjunction with other changes to Part 95B, authorizes the license free use of these low power transceivers on all built in channels (1–22) and increased the power on certain FRS channels from 0.5 to 2 watts ERP.

Although these changes are unrelated to Part 97 they will have an impact on Hams who use Part 95 services such as FRS, GMRS, and CBRS (formerly known as CB); and who render advice to Part 95 service users.

Summary from the Federal Register

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a comprehensive reorganization of and update to the rules governing the Personal Radio Services (PRS). PRS provides for a wide variety of wireless devices that are used by the general public for personal communication uses, which include applications like walkie-talkies, radio controlled model toys, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs), medical implant devices and other uses. In addition to the comprehensive review and update of the rules to reflect modern practices, the Commission enhanced the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) to allow new digital applications, allot additional interstitial channels and extend the license term from five to ten years. It also allotted additional channels to the Family Radio Service (FRS) and increased the power on certain FRS channels from 0.5 Watts to two Watts. It also updated the CB Radio Service to allow hands-free headsets, removed a restriction on communicating over long distances and removed other outdated requirements. These changes and others outlined below will update PRS rules to be more in line with current public demands for the services and will make the rules easier to read and find information, while also removing outdated requirements and removing unnecessary rules. ²

FCC and OSHA Release Communications Tower Best Practices Guide https://t.co/RLn5zGlgJg #ARRL #HamRadio pic.twitter.com/PNO3B7mhbn

— ARRL (@arrl) June 1, 2017

Rule Making Petition to FCC Calls for Vanity Call Sign Rule Changes: The FCC is inviting comments on a Petiti... https://t.co/kUC0MOKDkL

— ARRL (@arrl) October 27, 2016

Comments on Rule Making Petition RM-11775 may be viewed or submitted through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System. These comments may also be tracked using an RSS Feed.