[Fourlanders] Fwd: ARRL asks for input on 902 thru 3500 MHz band plans-PART 1

[whensley11 at comcast.net]

In case you haven't seen it. 



The ARRL has formed a committee that is looking for input on the Band Plans from 902 to 3500MHz. 

They are looking for input by Dec. 15. 



ARRL UHF/Microwave Band Plan Committee 

Dear Fellow Amateurs, 

The ARRL Board of Directors and Officers recognize the need to update the published band plans for our UHF and microwave bands between 902 MHz and 3.5 GHz. In order to do this effectively, we need to know how various segments of these bands are now being utilized around the country. You can help us by sharing what you know about local usage in your area and by asking other users whom we may not have reached -- both individuals and groups -- to do the same. 

Benefits of Band Plans 

The FCC has left management of our highest bands to the Amateur Radio community. It's up to us to promote activity of our bands and to minimize possible conflicts among incompatible uses. The increasing interest in microwaves for communication and experimentation, along with advances in technology and the proliferation of new digital modes, presents exciting opportunities for amateurs. Band plans should provide room for existing applications, for experimentation and for new uses and technologies. 

Regulators are under pressure to find room for ever-expanding commercial and consumer technologies, and our slices of spectrum are at risk from such pressure. ARRL staff and volunteers are working to defend our spectrum by making the case with regulatory and political officials that we are putting the frequencies we have to good use and are, in doing so, serving the public interest. Unlike more intense frequency uses such as broadcast, radar and satellite channels, many amateur uses do not show up in conventional "surveys" of spectrum, so the nature and extent of our band utilization is not apparent to those conducting such surveys. The better our internal knowledge of current practices and planned applications around the country, the more effective our efforts to protect the amateur bands from adjacent users and proposed reallocations will be. 

The Update Process 

The purpose of these band plans is not to tell you what to do or where to do it. Rather, it is to share information about how you are using our bands now and about future plans and projects that will make use of them. Thus, the first and most important step is to collect information from you so that we have a better picture of the various uses and projects going on around the country. We know that practices may differ from one geographic region to another, often driven by local conditions or needs. We also recognize constraints that will prevent one plan from fitting every user group. Our current band plans defer to the formal determinations by regional frequency coordinating bodies. 

After gathering data we will evaluate the range of uses and draft a revision for each of the bands under consideration. Those drafts will be published for your review and comment and amended as necessary, after which the proposed plans will be brought to the ARRL Board of Directors for final approval. 
_______________________________________________