SB QST @ ARRL $ARLB033
ARLB033 219-220 NPRM issued
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 33  ARLB033
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  March 23, 1993
To all radio amateurs

219-220 NPRM issued

The FCC has issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to create a new
shared band for amateurs at 219-220 MHz.  In RM-7747 the Commission
would allocate 219-220 MHz to amateurs on a secondary basis for
amateur for point-to-point fixed communications.

The FCC says the new allocation would help alleviate crowding in the
222-225 MHz band and would facilitate establishment of regional and
nationwide backbone networks for amateur packet communications.

The FCC proposes requirements to ensure that secondary use of the
219-220 MHz band by amateurs does not interfee with primary and
existing secondary licensees in this and adjacent bands.

The FCC cites several commenters who supported the League's request,
as well as one opposing it.  The Association for Maximum Service
Television (MSTV) said that no amateur operations should be allowed
in the 216-220 MHz range because of a potential for interference to
TV channel 13 (at 210-216 MHz).

The FCC said that amateur access to the 216-219 MHz range is not
feasible because of potential interference to other point-to-point
services, and to TV channel 13.  The FCC said that amateurs do have
the technical expertise to design their packet systems to operate in
the 219-220 MHz band without interference to other services.

The FCC also agreed that power limits suggested by the ARRL in its
petition (25 watts PEP for Novices, 50 watts PEP for all others)
"are appropriate and reasonable," but are not proposing Novices be
permitted to operate at 219-220 MHz.

The FCC proposed a notification system to prevent interference by
amateur stations to stations in the Automated Maritime
Telecommunications Systems (AMTS) and in some cases to require
written permission from such AMTS stations.

Finally, amateur operation in the 219-220 MHz band would be limited
to 56 kilobauds and a maximum bandwidth of 100 kHz, although FCC
requests comments on relaxing the 56-kB limit.

The Comment deadline for this NPRM is June 15, 1993.  The Reply
Comment deadline is July 15, 1993.  More information on this NPRM
will appear in May QST.  A detailed report on the League's filing
appears in QST for August, 1991, page 58.
/EX