FCC WT Docket 19-348, issued on December 16 th , says:

“This NPRM proposes to remove the existing non-federal secondary radiolocation and amateur allocations in the 3.3-3.55 GHz band and to relocate incumbent non-federal operations out of the band and seeks comment on appropriate transition mechanisms.”

If adopted, this NPRM will severely curtail growth of one of the newest and most effective means for Amateurs to support emergency communications, that is ham, radio networking. 

Existing installations will be severely curtailed or, with no reasonable alternatives, be forced to cease operations.  Thousands of hams have built or are in the process of constructing high-speed data networks using, in part the 3 GHz ham microwave allocations.

You are urged to file your comment in opposition to this NPRM. A simple comment opposing the NPRM can be filed at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/filings?proceedings_name=19-
348&sort=date_disseminated,DESC

Detailed instructions on how to submit an effective comment can be found at https://www.arednmesh.org/content/templates-submit-comments-3-ghz-fcc-docket-19-348

Because the 3 GHz amateur allocation is not shared with any other service, it’s become a very effective method of implementing high performance “backbone” links on the ham radio network. I urge all hams, whether on the ham mesh network or not, to submit a comment opposing this NPRM.

There are instructions at the URL mentioned above detailing how an agency can file a comment in opposition to this NPRM. If as part of your ham radio support for emergency services you work closely with such an agency, please encourage them to file a comment.

To make matters worse, the FCC has opened WT Docket 19-138, which states:

“The FCC adopted a NPRM that takes a fresh and comprehensive look at the rules for the 5.9 GHz band and proposes, among other things, to make the band’s lower 45 MHz available for unlicensed operations and to permit C-V2X) in the upper 20 MHz”

If you look at the ham radio allocation in the 5 GHz band, you can see that the FCC’s intention to convert that chunk of bandwidth to unlicensed operation directly impacts the prime spot for ham radio networking, for both user access and backbone links.

Please consider submitting comments in opposition to these NPRMs. If they both are implemented

The last day to submit comments is February 15th.