AG06
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 6  ARLB006
>From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  March 23, 2021
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB006
ARLB006 Amateur Radio Gets a Partial Reprieve on 3.5 GHz

Pending future FCC action, amateur radio secondary use of the 3.3 -
3.45 GHz band segment may continue indefinitely. The FCC, as part of
a lengthy Second Report and Order (R&O) for commercial licensing of
3.45 - 3.55 GHz adopted on March 17, agreed with ARRL that continued
access by amateur radio to 3.3 - 3.45 GHz should be allowed until
consideration of the 3.1 - 3.45 GHz spectrum in a later proceeding.

The FCC action in WT Docket 19-348 represents a partial 'and
temporary' reprieve from the FCC's December 2019 proposal to remove
amateur radio from the entire band, and it makes available an
additional 50 Megahertz than an FCC proposal last fall to allow
amateur temporary use of 3.3 - 3.4 GHz.

The Second R&O can be found in PDF format at,
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-32A1.pdf .

Amateur secondary operation in the 3.45 - 3.50 GHz band must cease
90 days after public notice that the spectrum auction has closed and
licensing has begun. That is expected to happen early in 2022. The
FCC announced the opening of 3.45 - 3.55 GHz for auction to
commercial 5G interests on March 17.

The FCC stated that 'While we adopt our proposal to bifurcate the
band, we adjust our proposal and set 3450 MHz as the frequency at
which the band will be split.'  It agreed 'with the ARRL's
assessment that the guard band is not necessary from a technical
standpoint. We also recognize that the nature of amateur equipment
realities makes the 50 Megahertz at 3400 - 3450 MHz particularly
valuable to amateur operators because it means existing equipment
can continue to operate in the band for the time being.'

This allows 'amateur operations to continue in the lower portion of
the band while the FCC and federal government users continue to
analyze whether that spectrum can be reallocated for flexible use,'
the FCC said. The FCC had proposed splitting the band at 3.4 GHz,
permitting amateur use in 100 Megahertz of spectrum 'while also
providing a buffer to protect flexible-use operations at the lower
edge of the 3.45 GHz band.'

'We therefore allow secondary amateur operations to continue in the
3.4 - 3.45 GHz portion of the band,' the FCC said. 'We emphasize,
however, that amateur licensees remain secondary users, and those
that operate on frequencies close to the 3450 MHz band edge must do
so with particular caution to avoid causing harmful interference to
flexible-use licensees in the 3.45 GHz Service, which hold primary
status.

'In light of these considerations, while amateur operations between
3450 MHz and 3500 MHz must cease within 90 days of the public notice
announcing the close of the auction for the 3.45 GHz Service, as
specified in the Report and Order; amateur operations may continue
between 3300 MHz and 3450 MHz while the Commission, NTIA, and the
DoD continue to analyze whether that spectrum can be reallocated for
commercial wireless use.'

'There is no expectation that such operations will be accommodated
in future planning for commercial wireless operations in this
spectrum, or that amateur operators will receive more than a short
period of notice before their operations must cease,' the FCC said.