[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 68 (Monday, April 8, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15382-15386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-8385]



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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 2 and 97

[ET Docket No. 93-40; FCC 96-25]


Allocation of the 219-220 MHz Band for Use by the Amateur Radio 
Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; petition for reconsideration.

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SUMMARY: By this Memorandum Opinion and Order (MO&O), the Commission 
addresses the Petition for Reconsideration (Petition), filed by Fred 
Daniel d/b/a Orion Telecom (Orion). Orion's Petition requests that the 
Commission rescind the 219-220 MHz allocation to the Amateur Radio 
Service or, alternatively, modify the rules to provide additional 
protection for Automated Maritime Telecommunications Systems (AMTS) 
operations. This MO&O affirms the Commission's decision to allocate the 
219-220 MHz band to the Amateur Radio Service on a secondary basis; and 
also amends the amateur rules to reflect the frequency upon which the 
AMTS stations operate. Finally, the MO&O updates and corrects the Table 
of Frequency Allocations.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 8, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas P. Derenge (202) 418-2451,

[[Page 15383]]
Office of Engineering and Technology, Federal Communications 
Commission, Washington, DC 20554.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's MO&O 
adopted January 25, 1996, and released March 22, 1996. The complete 
MO&O is available for inspection and copying during normal business 
hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room 239), 1919 M Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C., and also may be purchased from the Commission's 
duplication contractor, International Transcription Service, (202) 857-
3800, 2100 M Street NW., Suite 140, Washington DC 20037.

Summary of MO&O

    1. In its Petition, Orion argues that the Commission should rescind 
the allocation, even on a secondary basis, of the 219-220 MHz band to 
the Amateur Radio Service because the exclusion distance of 80 km 
between AMTS and amateur operations, adopted in the Report and Order 
(R&O), 60 FR 15686, March 27, 1995, is insufficient to protect primary 
AMTS operations from harmful amateur interference. In denying the 
petition, the Commission determined that it is appropriate and 
desirable to provide a secondary allocation for amateur point-to-point 
fixed digital message forwarding systems at 219-220 MHz. The Commission 
states that the 80 km exclusion distance, 640 km notification distance, 
and other interference safeguards adopted in the R&O are sufficient to 
protect AMTS operations from potential interference caused by amateur 
operations. As stated in the R&O, these distances were derived as a 
result of technical studies and a consensus between the American Radio 
Relay League, Inc. (ARRL) and Waterway Communications Systems, Inc., an 
AMTS provider. Additionally, the Commission points out that Orion 
failed to provide any technical showing that the regulations adopted in 
the R&O are not sufficient to protect AMTS operations from amateur 
interference.
    2. In the event the allocation is not rescinded, Orion requests 
that the governing rules be amended to provide better protection for 
AMTS operations. Specifically, it requests that the rules provide 
interference protection to remote receivers, which may be located 
several miles from their coast stations. Additionally, Orion requests 
that the Commission's rules require amateur operations in the 219-220 
MHz band to use interference avoidance techniques such as directional 
antennas, frequency separation, and cross polarization of signals. 
Orion also states that although the text of the R&O provides that 
amateurs must immediately either resolve any interference to AMTS 
licensees or else cease operation, Part 97 failed to include that 
requirement. Orion argues that amateur equipment used in the 219-220 
MHz band should be type accepted in order to ensure that amateur 
operators use high quality equipment that will not interfere with 
commercial spectrum users. Additionally, Orion requests that the 
amateur rules specify the bands of AMTS operation to aid amateur 
operators in locating AMTS coast stations.
    3. Finally, Orion argues that the required notification to AMTS 
licensees by amateur operators should contain the specific technical 
parameters of the proposed amateur operation. In particular, Orion 
states that the notification should include: 1) the center frequency of 
the proposed amateur channel, 2) the effective radiated power in the 
direction of the AMTS station, 3) a plot of the horizontal radiation 
pattern for the proposed antenna, 4) the height of the proposed antenna 
above ground, 5) the height of the proposed antenna above average 
terrain, 6) a description of the proposed emission, and 7) a telephone 
number at which the amateur operator can be reached at any time during 
the amateur's operation in the band. Orion states that this information 
is necessary to enable amateurs to evaluate their potential for 
interference to other operations and is similarly needed by AMTS 
licensees in the event interference to their operations occur.
    4. The MO&O states that the rules already in place to protect AMTS 
coast stations are sufficient to protect remote receivers because coast 
stations and remote receivers are typically in close proximity to one 
another. Additionally, once notification is provided to the AMTS 
licensee, the licensee can easily inform the amateur operator of remote 
receiver locations. The Commission also states that requiring specific 
interference avoidance techniques for amateur operations is 
unnecessary. Instead of requiring amateurs to use specific techniques, 
amateur operators are permitted the flexibility to use whatever 
techniques they deem appropriate to avoid interference to AMTS.
    5. The Commission concludes that Orion's assertion that Part 97 of 
the rules does not reflect the requirement specified in the R&O that 
``amateurs will be required to resolve immediately any complaint of 
interference to an AMTS station or, alternatively, to cease operation'' 
is incorrect. Section 97.303(e)(2) states that ``[n]o amateur station 
transmitting in the 219-220 MHz segment shall cause harmful 
interference to, nor is protected from interference due to operation of 
Automated Maritime Telecommunications Systems. . . .'' The language of 
this rule clearly holds amateur operators responsible for avoiding 
interference to AMTS operations. In addition, the MO&O denies Orion's 
request that amateur equipment be type accepted. There is no evidence 
that amateur equipment has a history of being defective or that there 
is a need to require type acceptance for operations in the 219-220 MHz 
band. The Commission concludes that a type acceptance procedure for 
amateur 219-220 MHz band equipment would be unnecessarily burdensome.
    6. The MO&O adopts Orion's suggestion that the amateur rules 
specify the bands of operation for AMTS in order to enable amateur 
operators to identify more readily all relevant AMTS operations. The 
Commission agrees with Orion that reference must be made to licensed 
operations in both the 217-218 MHz and 219-220 MHz bands in order to 
protect AMTS systems and therefore amends Sections 97.303(e)(4) and 
97.303(e)(5) accordingly.
    7. Finally, the Commission agrees with Orion that amateurs' 
notifications to AMTS licensees should include sufficient technical 
information to facilitate coordination between amateur and AMTS 
operations. However, the Commission states that the notification form 
developed by ARRL in response to the rules adopted in the R&O provides 
sufficient information for this coordination process. Therefore, the 
Commission do not believe that it is necessary at this time to amend 
the rules to specify that amateurs provide specific technical 
information, as requested by Orion. If the current coordination 
procedures do not prove satisfactory, this issue will be revisited.
    8. Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
Section 603, a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis was incorporated in the 
Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), and R&O in ET Docket 93-40. 
Written comments on the proposals in the NPRM, including the Regulatory 
Flexibility Analysis, were requested and a final analysis was provided 
in the R&O.
    A. Need for and Objective of Rules: The objective of this action is 
to provide a secondary allocation for the Amateur Radio Service which 
will permit amateur operators to establish point-to-point fixed digital 
message forwarding systems without interfering with primary services. 
The Commission

[[Page 15384]]
believes that the rules are sufficient to permit amateurs to share the 
spectrum, while the flexibility of the rules will in large part provide 
amateurs with the operational freedom to which they are accustomed.
    B. Issues Raised by the Public in Response to the Final Analysis: 
No party suggested modifications specifically to the regulatory 
flexibility analysis.
    C. Any Significant Alternative Minimizing Impact on Small Entities 
and Consistent with Stated Objectives: This action may provide new 
marketing opportunities for amateur radio equipment manufacturers, some 
of which may be small businesses.
    9. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, that Parts 2 and 97 of the 
Commission's rules ARE AMENDED as set forth below, effective May 8, 
1996. Furthermore, IT IS ORDERED, that the Petition for Reconsideration 
filed by Fred Daniel d/b/a Orion Telecom IS GRANTED, to the extent 
described above, and IS DENIED in all other respects. This action is 
taken pursuant to Sections 4(i), 7(a), 302, 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), and 
303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 
157(a), 302, 303(c), 303(f), 303(g), 303(r).

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 2

    Radio.

47 CFR Part 97

    Radio.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.

Rule Changes

    Parts 2 and 97 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations are 
amended as follows:

PART 2--FREQUENCY ALLOCATIONS AND RADIO TREATY MATTERS; GENERAL 
RULES AND REGULATIONS

     1. The authority citation for Part 2 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Sec. 4, 302, 303, and 307 of the Communications Act 
of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Sections 154, 302, 303 and 307, 
unless otherwise noted.

    2. Section 2.104(a) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 2.104  International Table of Frequency Allocations.

    (a) The International Table of Frequency Allocations (columns 1, 2 
and 3 of Sec. 2.106) is included for informational purposes only.
* * * * *
    3. Section 2.106, the Table of Frequency Allocations, is amended as 
follows:
    a. The entries for 174-216 MHz, 174-223 MHz, 216-220 MHz, 220-222 
MHz, 222-225 MHz, 223-230 MHz, 225-235 MHz, 225.0-328.6 MHz, 230-235 
MHz, 235-267 MHz, 267-272 MHz, 272-273 MHz, 273-322 MHz, and 322.0-
328.6 MHz are removed and new entries for 174-216 MHz, 216-220 MHz, 
220-222 MHz, 222-223 MHz, 223-225 MHz, 225-230 MHz, 230-235 MHz, 235-
267 MHz, 267-272 MHz, 272-273 MHz, 273-312 MHz, 312-315 MHz, 315-322 
MHz, and 322-328.6 MHz are added in numerical order.
    b. International Footnote Nos. 633 and 634 are removed.
    c. International Footnote Nos. 621, 622, 627, and 635 are revised.
    d. International Footnote No. 641A is added.
    The additions and revisions read as follows:


Sec. 2.106  Table of Frequency Allocations.

* * * * *

                                                                                                                
                 International table                        United States table          FCC use designators    
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Government        Non-                                 
                      Region 2--        Region 3--    ---------------   Government                              
    Region 1--      allocation MHz    allocation MHz                 ---------------     Rule       Special-use 
  allocation MHz                                         Allocation     Allocation     part(s)      frequencies 
                                                            MHz            MHz                                  
(1)                (2)               (3)               (4)            (5)            (6)          (7)           
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *                  *                 *               *              *             *              *      
174-216            174-216           174-216           174-216        174-216                                   
BROADCASTING       BROADCASTING      FIXED                            BROADCASTING   RADIO                      
                                                                                      BROADCAST                 
                                                                                      (TV) (73)                 
                   Fixed             MOBILE                                          Auxiliary                  
                                                                                      Broadcasti                
                                                                                      ng (74)                   
                   Mobile            BROADCASTING                                                               
621 623 628 629    620               619 624 625 626                  NG115 NG128                               
                                      630                              NG149                                    
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
216-220            216-220           216-220           216-220        216-220                                   
BROADCASTING       FIXED             FIXED             MARITIME       MARITIME       MARITIME                   
                                                        MOBILE         MOBILE         (80)                      
                   MARITIME MOBILE   MOBILE            Aeronautical   Aeronautical   Private                    
                                                        Mobile         Mobile         Land                      
                                                                                      Mobile                    
                                                                                      (90)                      
                   Radiolocation     BROADCASTING      Fixed          Fixed          Personal                   
                    627                                                               Radio                     
                                                                                      Service                   
                                                                                      (95)                      
                                                       Land Mobile    Land Mobile    Amateur                    
                                                                                      (97)                      
                                                       Radiolocation                                            
                                                        627                                                     
621 623 628 629    627A              619 624 625 626   US210 US229    627 US210                                 
                                      630               US274 US317    US229 US274                              
                                                        G2             US317 NG152                              
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
220-222            220-222           220-222           220-222        220-222                                   
BROADCASTING       AMATEUR           FIXED             LAND MOBILE    LAND MOBILE    PRIVATE                    
                                                                                      LAND                      
                                                                                      MOBILE                    
                                                                                      (90)                      
                   FIXED             MOBILE            Radiolocation                                            
                                                        627                                                     
                   MOBILE            BROADCASTING                                                               
                   Radiolocation                                                                                
                    627                                                                                         

[[Page 15385]]
                                                                                                                
621 623 628 629                      619 624 625 626   G2             627                                       
                                      630                                                                       
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
222-223            222-223           222-223           222-223        222-223                                   
BROADCASTING       AMATEUR           FIXED             Radiolocation  AMATEUR        AMATEUR                    
                                                        627                           (97)                      
                   FIXED             MOBILE                                                                     
                   MOBILE            BROADCASTING                                                               
                   Radiolocation                                                                                
                    627                                                                                         
621 623 628 629                      619 624 625 626   G2             627                                       
                                      630                                                                       
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
223-225            223-225           223-225           223-225        223-225                                   
BROADCASTING       AMATEUR           FIXED             Radiolocation  AMATEUR        AMATEUR                    
                                                        627                           (97)                      
FIXED              FIXED             MOBILE                                                                     
MOBILE             MOBILE            BROADCASTING                                                               
                   Radiolocation     AERONAUTICAL                                                               
                    627               RADIONAVIGATION                                                           
                                     Radiolocation                                                              
622 628 629 631                      636 637           G2             627                                       
 632 635                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
225-230            225-230           225-230           225-230        225-230                                   
BROADCASTING       FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
FIXED              MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
MOBILE                               BROADCASTING                                                               
                                     AERONAUTICAL                                                               
                                      RADIONAVIGATION                                                           
                                     Radiolocation                                                              
622 628 629 631                      636 637           G27                                                      
 632 635                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
230-235            230-235           230-235           230-235        230-235                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
                                     AERONAUTICAL                                                               
                                      RADIONAVIGATION                                                           
629 632 635 638                      637               G27                                                      
 639                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
235-267            235-267           235-267           235-267        235-267                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
501 592 635 640    501 592 635 640   501 592 635 640   501 592 642    501 592 642                               
 641 642            641 642           641 642           G27 G100                                                
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
267-272            267-272           267-272           267-272        267-272                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
Space Operation    Space Operation   Space Operation                                                            
 (space-to-Earth)   (space-to-        (space-to-                                                                
                    Earth)            Earth)                                                                    
641 643            641 643           641 643           G27 G100                                                 
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
272-273            272-273           272-273           272-273        272-273                                   
SPACE OPERATION    SPACE OPERATION   SPACE OPERATION   FIXED MOBILE                                             
 (space-to-Earth)   (space-to-        (space-to-                                                                
                    Earth)            Earth)                                                                    
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             MOBILE                                                   
                                                                                                                
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE                                                                     
641                641               641               G27 G100                                                 
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
273-312            273-312           273-312           273-312        273-312                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    

[[Page 15386]]
                                                                                                                
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
641                641               641               G27 G100                                                 
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
312-315            312-315           312-315           312-315        312-315                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
Mobile-Satellite   Mobile-Satellite  Mobile-Satellite                                                           
 (Earth-to-space)   (Earth-to-        (Earth-to-                                                                
                    space)            space)                                                                    
641 641A           641 641A          641 641A          G27 G1                                                   
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
315-322            315-322           315-322           315-322        315-322                                   
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
641                641               641               G27 G100                                                 
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
322-328.6          322-328.6         322-328.6         322-328.6      322-328.6                                 
FIXED              FIXED             FIXED             FIXED                                                    
MOBILE             MOBILE            MOBILE            MOBILE                                                   
RADIO ASTRONOMY    RADIO ASTRONOMY   RADIO ASTRONOMY                                                            
644                644               644               644 G27        644                                       
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *                  *                 *               *              *             *              *      



International Footnotes

* * * * *
    621 Additional allocation: in the Federal Republic of Germany, 
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, 
Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Norway, the Netherlands, the United 
Kingdom, Sweden, and Switzerland, the band 174-223 MHz is also 
allocated to the land mobile service on a permitted basis. However, 
the stations of the land mobile service shall not cause harmful 
interference to, or claim protection from, broadcasting stations, 
existing or planned, in countries other than those listed in this 
footnote.
    622 Different category of service: in the Federal Republic of 
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Israel, 
Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, the 
Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland, 
the band 223-230 MHz is allocated to the land mobile service on a 
permitted basis (see No. 425). However, the stations of the land 
mobile service shall not cause harmful interference to, or claim 
protection from, broadcasting stations, existing or planned, in 
countries other than those listed in this footnote.
* * * * *
    627 In Region 2, no new stations in the radiolocation service 
may be authorized in the band 216-225 MHz. Stations authorized prior 
to 1 January 1990 may continue to operate on a secondary basis.
* * * * *
     635 Alternative allocation: in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, 
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, 
the bands 223-238 MHz and 246-254 MHz are allocated to the 
broadcasting service on a primary basis, subject to agreement 
obtained under the provisions set forth in Article 14.
* * * * *
     641A The bands 312-315 MHz (Earth-to-space) and 387-390 MHz 
(space-to-Earth) in the mobile-satellite service may also be used by 
non-geostationary-satellite systems. Such use is subject to the 
application of the coordination and notification procedures set 
forth in Resolution 46 (WARC-92).
* * * * *

PART 97--AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE

    1. The authority citation for Part 97 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 48 Stat. 1066, 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 154, 303. 
Interpret or apply 48 Stat. 1064-1068, 1081-1105, as amended; 47 
U.S.C. 151-155, 301-609, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Section 97.303 is amended by revising paragraphs (e)(4) and 
(e)(5) to read as follows:


Sec. 97.303  Frequency sharing requirements.

* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (4) No amateur station may transmit in the 219-220 MHz segment from 
a location that is within 640 km of an AMTS Coast Station that uses 
frequencies in the 217-218/219-220 MHz AMTS bands unless the amateur 
station licensee has given written notification of the station's 
specific geographic location for such transmissions to the AMTS 
licensee. The notification must be given at least 30 days prior to 
making such transmissions. The location of AMTS Coast Stations using 
the 217-218/219-220 MHz channels may be obtained from either:

The American Radio Relay League, Inc., 225 Main Street, Newington, 
CT 06111-1494;
or
Interactive Systems, Inc., Suite 1103, 1601 North Kent Street, 
Arlington, VA 22209; Fax: (703) 812-8275; Phone: (703) 812-8270.
    (5) No amateur station may transmit in the 219-220 MHz segment from 
a location that is within 80 km of an AMTS Coast Station that uses 
frequencies in the 217-218/219-220 MHz AMTS bands unless that amateur 
station licensee holds written approval from that AMTS licensee. The 
location of AMTS Coast Stations using the 217-218/219-220 MHz channels 
may be obtained as noted in paragraph (e)(4) of this section.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 96-8385 Filed 4-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P