SB QST @ ARL $ARLB051
ARLB051 League reiterates stance on LMCC petition
ZCZC AG51
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 51 ARLB051
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT July 16, 1998
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB051
ARLB051 League reiterates stance on LMCC petition
The ARRL has called upon the Land Mobile Communications Council
(LMCC) to withdraw its request for reallocation of segments of the
420 to 450 MHz band to the Private Mobile Radio Service. Such a move
would permit the FCC to focus its attention on portions of the LMCC
petition that ''might have more merit,'' the ARRL said. The League's
suggestion is contained in reply comments filed July 16 with the FCC
in response to the LMCC's petition for rulemaking, RM-9267, filed
earlier this year. Amateur Radio shares the 70 cm band on a
secondary basis with the federal government. The LMCC seeks
immediate reallocation of the segments 420 to 430 and 440 to 450 MHz
from the federal government to the PMRS.
Alternatively, the League asked that the FCC dismiss those portions
of the LMCC petition dealing with the 420 to 450 MHz band as
''plainly not deserving of further consideration.''
The League said that comments from Amateur Radio operators--the vast
majority of those filed in response to the LMCC petition--establish
that the LMCC proposal for a PMRS allocation in the 70 cm band ''was
ill-conceived.'' Hams told the FCC that the band is heavily used and
vital to amateur public service activities. The League noted among
other commenters ''a complete absence of support'' for the 420 to 450
MHz proposal in particular. Some commenters were altogether silent
on the 420 to 450 MHz reallocation issue, while one LMCC member, the
Association of Public Safety Communications Officials-International
(APCO), opposed any reallocation in the band.
The League urged the FCC to pay close heed to the comments of the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The NTIA
said national security and other federal interests would preclude
sharing on the band. Those comments, the League noted, were ''clearly
protective of its own use of the 420-450 MHz band, and that of the
Amateur Service as well.''
The League said the LMCC has failed to justify a 420 to 450 MHz
reallocation. Comments filed so far, the ARRL said, disprove both
the LMCC's ''rank speculation'' about possible federal reductions in
the use of 420 to 450 MHz as well as its representations about
amateur use of the band. ''The record that has been developed shows
that there is no compatibility between incumbent Federal and amateur
facilities and new PMRS facilities,'' the League said. But the ARRL
said it has no quarrel with the LMCC to the extent that it seeks to
open discussion on the general issue of PMRS allocation needs.
A complete copy of the League's reply comments is available on the
ARRLWeb page at
http://www.arrl.org/news/bandthreat/RM-9267/arrl-reply.pdf.
NNNN
/EX
