Radio Amateurs To See Reallocation Of Portions Of Microwave Band

It's official--

US radio amateurs will lose 50 MHz from the 3300 MHz band in a spectrum auction in December 2021.

The 200 MHz segment (3300-3500 MHz) is used on a secondary basis for radio amateurs in the US, and the FCC has recommended doing away with the allocation altogether.

It is not known at this time whether radio amateurs will retain all or some portion of the remaining 150 MHz.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/10/t...ounces-major-midband-spectrum-auction-for-5g/

 

*Now* is the time to lobby for retaining some smaller --20 MHz -- for example, portion of the remaining allocation.

If not, the remaining 150 MHz will go up for a second auction in 2022, IMO.

 

Picture for accompanying (above) Amateur Radio News OP

 

Kindly note it is not my intent to foment arguments here...I only want to point out that some damage is now done--we lost 50 MHz--and it is not clear if we can retain any of 3300-3450MHz.

We need more information as to whether NTIA will or has sought to continue with that 150 MHz of spectrum on an exclusive basis.

73
Chip W1YW

 

Dave ,

We lost 50 MHz of spectrum, not the 50-54 MHz band allocation at 6m.

We had 3300-3500 MHZ shared with gov't users. Now, we likely have nothing, but the official statement so far is that we lost 3450 to 3500 MHz. It will go up for mid-band 5G auction in Dec 2021. The info is in the link.

Hope this clarifies anyone's confusion.

Thanks for bringing it up!

73
Chip W1YW

 

As an amateur in today's world I certainly understand why hams feel under attack for for the UHF and higher frequencies. Hams keep loosing allocation and a trend that will continue. The story would be different if hams utilized those frequencies, but few do anything. Today UHF and Microwave frequencies are a commodity. Broadcast TV lost a lot of spectrum.

With 5G requires a lot of bandwidth, and carriers will pay billions to own frequency. 5G comes to life above 1 Ghz and beyond with 2 to 5 Ghz being the sweet spot mix of bandwidth and distance. HF is safe as there is no real interest in the lower frequencies cuz you can't get 50 Mhz bandwidth on 29 Mhz carrier. Get up in Microwave and 200 Mhz bandwidth is easy.

Use it or lose it. Or buy it for a few billion.

 

Aren't those the bands Technicians should be taking advantage of, rather than waiting for tiny slivers of HF?

 

In reality, we haven't lost any UHF/SHF spectrum since November 1984, over 35 years ago. And we were partially reimbursed for that spectrum loss with the addition of 902 to 928 MHz.

 

I have been pointing out for a while now, that our allocations above 900 MHz are the future of ham radio in my opinion. The regulations for anything data or spread spectrum are very relaxed unlike below 900 MHz. So being able to adapt modern consumer hardware to ham use won't require an act of congress (literally: our regulations below 900 MHz are way out of date and to stringent). And above 900 MHz is fairly idle, so bothering incumbent ham radio things like repeaters that sit and id all day, won't be a big issue.

So it's a shame when a sliver of "our future" is taken. I blame that on the status quo. You know the abundant number of folks who only scratch the surface of the hobby, thinking there isn't much more to it than their baofeng ht.

New ideas and exploration can happen above 900 MHz today if you are the exploratory/engineering type of person.

 

For some of us, that's all we have. I can't get anyone in the local club to want to experiment with microwave, anyway. I'm interested in it, but...

 

Agreed, but the camel's nose is now under the tent. I really wish that private companies were not able to purchase spectrum. It should only be licensed either by a committee with submissions of how it will be best utilized or a lottery system of approved carriers. There should be expiration dates as well. Or perhaps the auction is just a licensing fee. UPS never really used the 220 spectrum we lost and we never got it back.

I totally agree with KB9MWR, the future of ham radio and ham radio experimentation is in the microwave region. We are all quite good at HF and repeaters. NTIA and government users have always functioned as a shield against spectrum loss. I am concerned about 1.2 GHz as well. The FAA may be forced to give up 1300 to 1350, where the long range radars operate. That would push them all down below 1.3 GHz. Then we may have a situation similar to the PAVE PAWS and 70 CM. Or, if they sell the whole allocation, which includes ours they will use SENSR (see link). However, the CARSR was completed in 2018 (all FPS and ARSR except ARSR-3 & 4 went SS). That was a large and expensive undertaking.

https://www.raytheon.com/sites/default/files/2018-03/SENSR Data Sheet_FINAL_2018.pdf

Chip, how do we get the ball rolling on retaining some allocation? The ARRL, letters to congress? Wasn't there a bill that never made it to a vote in the house a while back that protected our allocations? Or maybe that was the one that helped with HOA restrictions.

v/R
Matt

 

As a home brewer, the problem is cost. At hf you have commodity test gear. A 100meg scope costs nothing, 1gig spec an is affordable, vna, cheap as chips, but, as soon as you get over 500mhz, prices go up in orders of magnitude, and what is forgiving at hf, requires precision and care in the higher bands.

Plus you have the issue of ham density, without people within 50km of me, who am i going to test my widget with? With hf i can always find someone on air. Ghz is just not a valid proposition for many of us.

 

Matt,

Thanks for asking.

I think what is happening to 5G at the moment is a reflection of fundamental shifts in how we do business and conduct our social interactions in the US.

Just keep in mind that 5G exists as a solution to the 'connectivity problem'. It is efficient at the millimetric part of the spectrum ONLY in high density environments--that is what we are seeing on the installs. Works great for Times Square. Works great for stadiums.


Been in a stadium recently? You see my point.

OTOH, the midband (microwave) portion of 5G works everywhere efficiently. OTOH, the 'mid band' use of 5G, of which the new 3450-3500 MHz allocation will see auctioning, will see unanticipated pressure of use because we are 'de-densifying' in the US, caused by 'work at home' and 'city flight'. The system is, to a great degree , installed, and capable of efficient upgrade. 5G mid band is the new backbone of communication here in the US. NOT 5G millimeter.

This new pressure on mid band is driven by our Zoom-hungry at-home reality, which is NOT going away, but will morph not in magnitude of use, but in the apps that drive it. SO it is likely that additional mid band spectrum will be needed as early as 2022. That is beyond the 2021 auction.

Again, as I have said many times in the past, blaming the telecom companies as being 'greedy' and 'robbing our spectrum' is a foolish statement. Whether the execution of our insatiable spectrum use is done by companies or governments, its really the USERS--you and me-- that drive the bus.

What this comes down to is hams will lose additional microwave spectrum, for the simple reason that the people require it, and we haven't used it efficiently. To wit: how do we limit that loss??

Right now, and with my limited and incomplete knowledge on the matter, the 3300-3450 MHZ 'revised' allocation, which we presently share with the NTIA users, is unlikely to be re-allocated anytime soon. What is NOT known is if we , as hams, will retain any portion of that revised 3300-3450 MHz allocation.

Ham radio has many friends in the formulation of that answer, specifically Ted, N9NB. It is, IMO, not an accident that the entire 3300-3500 MHz allocation is not scheduled for auction in Dec 2021. But I can't and won't speak for Ted and others on this--they are readily able to do so themselves--other than to say that we owe those friends a THANKS for how the 3300 MHz has played out so far, and watching out for our interests moving forward.

The ARRL is the best conduit for articulating and defending microwave Part 97. I am not of the opinion that this defense has been optimal by the ARRL. But they are a reflection of our own voices. Tell then what we NEED and how we USE our spectrum, and WANT to use our spectrum. Future allocations are a reflection of anticipated use.

Microwave allocations in Part 97 are enablers for the future of wireless, because they are the breeding grounds of the movers and shakers that continue the wireless revolution--that is, US.

73
Chip W1YW

 

microwave is the future of ham radio? REALLY?
if you have your own metal fabrication shop in your garage
and a circuit board fabrication shop as well
also - "We don't have to worry about HF - it is safe."
I would not be so sure. Someone, somewhere could come up
with some type of telecom or other application that needs
3 clear on up to 30 mHz !