AMSAT-UK

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144 and 1240 MHz bands - WRC-23 Agenda Items - Update

Posted: 21 Jun 2019 09:04 AM PDT
https://amsat-uk.org/2019/06/21/144-...-items-update/


IARU was represented at the meeting of CEPT Project Team A (responsible for
some aspects of the CEPT position for WRC-19), held in Prague from June
17-21.

The IARU Region 1 website reports:

Of particular interest were discussions on two proposed Agenda items for
WRC-23, concerning the sharing of the 1240-1300 MHz band with the Galileo
navigation system and the proposal from France to study a range of
frequencies, including the 144 MHz amateur band, for future aeronautical
applications.

The output from PTA does not carry forward the Galileo proposal, but it is
likely that further discussions will take place prior to the Conference
Preparatory Group meeting in August. Meantime work on this issue will also
continue in other specialist CEPT forums. IARU will continue to support
this approach and it believes this will be the most efficient method for
developing the sharing guidance required to protect Galileo operations in a
timely manner.

Regarding new aeronautical frequencies (including 144-146 MHz), the
proposal was not strongly opposed by administrations and has been carried
forward to the higher level CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting
in August for final adoption.

IARU views with grave concern any proposal to include the 144 MHz band in
the proposed aeronautical agenda item and will be making every effort to
fully protect amateur radio interests and seek the support of regulators in
this regard.

The band 144-146 MHz is allocated globally to the amateur and amateur
satellite services on a primary basis. It is the only globally harmonised
VHF band for the amateur and amateur satellite service. As such it is an
important and widely used part of the amateur spectrum with a vast
installed base of both terrestrial/maritime amateur users and systems and
operational satellite stations including the International Space Station
(ISS).

This heavily used band supports a large number of repeater stations,
segments for weak-signal long distance terrestrial and EME
(Earth-Moon-Earth) communications, satellite and ISS usage, data services,
as well as conventional terrestrial and tropospheric communications. The
Primary status of the band has also enabled a number of amateur
aeronautical uses including on manned flights and high-altitude balloons.
Supporting all of this is a wide variety of commercial and experimental
equipment, ranging from ultra-low noise preamplifiers for sensitive
receivers, software defined radios and transmitting systems that can
deliver high EIRP levels when needed to overcome high loss propagation
paths.

Given the propagation to/from an aircraft at altitude, it is entirely
possible that harmful interference to sensitive amateur and amateur
satellite receivers will be caused over a 1,000 km radius of a single
aircraft.

IARU will shortly be providing a brief to Member Societies and other
interested parties, asking them to discuss the French proposal with their
administrations well in advance of the August CEPT-CPG meeting.

It is possible that France will seek to introduce into other Regional
Telecommunications Organisations (RTO) the same proposal to study the
144-146 MHz band for aeronautical use. IARU will provide a brief shortly to
enable representations to be made to administrations in countries under
those RTOs for protection of this amateur spectrum allocation.

Source: IARU Region 1 http://iaru-r1.org/

The UK Microwave Group Tweeted:

We hear only one admin (Germany) opposed the 144MHz proposal no one else.

https://twitter.com/UKGHZ/status/1142180732493803522

Download the documents from the CEPT SPG Project Team A meeting in Prague
June 17-21 from

https://cept.org/ecc/groups/ecc/cpg/...nts/?flid=5624

France proposes 144-146 MHz for Aeronautical Mobile Service

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...le-service.htm

1240-1300 MHz band discussed by CEPT WGFM and CPG/PTA

https://amsat-uk.org/2019/05/31/1240...m-and-cpg-pta/

Could a new licence class help counter threats at VHF and above?

http://www.southgatearc.org/news/201...-and-above.htm