Wireless Spectrum Finder: Telecommunications, Government and Scientific Radio Frequency Allocations in the US 30 MHz - 300 GHz

513 Pages·2001·5.25 MB·English

by  Bennett Z. Kobb

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Wireless
SPECTRUM
Finder
Telecommunications, Government
and Scientific Radio Frequency
Allocations in the U.S.,
30 MHz—300 GHz
Bennett Z. Kobb
McGraw-Hill
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DOI: 10.1036/0071383727
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Table of Contents
Preface by James F.Lovette iv
Acknowledgments v
Introduction vi
Three Trends 1
Frequency Allocations:
VHF (30 MHz—300 MHz) 11
UHF (300 MHz—3000 MHz) 93
SHF (3 GHz—30 GHz) 267
EHF (30 GHz—300 GHz) 359
International Footnotes 403
U.S.Footnotes 421
Government Footnotes 453
Non-Government Footnotes 459
Subject Index 469
Band Index 493
About the Author 499
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Preface
One hundred and fifty years ago,the best-selling books in America were
emigrant’s guides describing trails and their landmarks,watering places,
and potential dangers to the thousands of people planning or making
their ways across our continent.
Wireless Spectrum Finderis today’s essential equivalent for all of us
involved in spectrum-dependent technologies and services.Momentous
changes are occurring in spectrum management,and any assumption
about the future is fragile.Even so,unimaginable fortunes are being
risked (and some are being made) through creative spectrum acquisition
and habitation.
Some nineteenth-century emigrant’s guides were assembled by people
who never reached St.Louis,but this guide has unassailable credibility
because,when it comes to making or describing a trail through the
Federal Communications Commission(FCC) rules,Bennett Kobb has
“been there”and “done that.”
To would-be users of spectrum,making one’s way through the FCC
process resembles the most antagonistic video-game treasure hunt ever,
with unspeakable threats popping up everywhere.The format of the FCC
rules is in part responsible.For any given frequency band,the applicable
regulations may be strewn throughout five microscopic-print tomes of the
Federal Code.Understanding a rule may also require combing the record
of the proceeding in which it wasdeveloped and often reports from both
the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration(NTIA).
Wireless Spectrum Finderdoes this research for us,and,along with
straightforward facts and clear pointers to all the regulations for each
band,the author develops especially insightful commentaries.
Anyone who hopes to exploit or bring about changes in the FCC rules
needs the most effective and dependable guidebook.If Wireless Spectrum
Finderdidn’t exist,each of us would have to create our own.We couldn’t
possibly do it as well.
JAMESF.LOVETTE
Jim Lovette is Director of Strategic Policies at Fantasma Networks,Inc.
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Acknowledgments
Wireless Spectrum Finderbenefited from the cooperation I have received
for many years from the FCC and the NTIA.
I am very fortunate to have Jim Lovette,Dale Hatfield,Dewayne
Hendricks,Mitchell Lazarus,and Craig Mathias among this book’s
friends and advocates.
Special thanks to Michael Peyton of Earthspan for photography and
research,and to WNVC-TV,Merrifield,Virginia,for the author portrait
location.
The support and expertise of Marjorie Spencer and Laura Belt were
essential to making this book happen.
This book is affectionately dedicated to Marthe and Sol Kobb.
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Introduction
The radio spectrum is that portion of the electromagnetic energy
spectrum used by radio waves.Radio services are categories of radio use.
The apportionment of frequency ranges,or bands,in the radio spectrum
to radio services is a government function called spectrum allocation or
frequency allocation.
The nations of the world allocate spectrum to radio services in the form of
an International Table of Allocations maintained bythe International
Telecommunication Union(ITU) in Geneva,Switzerland.A United
Nations agency,it develops the ITU Radio Regulations and convenes the
World Radiocommunication Conferences in which the U.S.is a key
participant.
ITU Member States create their own domestic tables of allocations based
on the International Table.International allocations are usually,but not
always,incorporated into domestic allocations.
The U.S.is within ITU Region 2,which includes the Americas and
Greenland.(Region 1 includes Europe,Africa,and the northern and
western portions of Asia.Region 3 includes the rest of Asia,Australia,and
the South Pacific.)
About the FCC and NTIA
The Communications Act of 1934 established the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) as an independent regulatory agency
with jurisdiction over non-federal spectrum use.The FCC officially
definesspectrum allocation as “the entry in the Table of Frequency
Allocations of a given frequency band for the purpose of its use by one or
more terrestrial or space radiocommunication services or the radio
astronomy service under specified conditions.”
Theradio spectrum is formally defined as extending in frequency from 0
to 3,000 gigahertz (GHz).This book is derived from the 30 megahertz
(MHz) to 300 GHz portion of the U.S.Table of Frequency Allocations.
Actually,two official U.S.Tables exist.The FCCadministers the Non-
Federal Government Table.The National Telecommunications and
Information Administration(NTIA) in the U.S.Department of Commerce
administers the Federal Government Table.In a very few cases,the
frequency boundaries in the two tables are different.Wireless Spectrum
Finderis derived from both,but emphasizes FCC allocations current at
the time of publication.
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Introduction vii
The book spans the Very High Frequency(VHF,30—300 MHz),Ultra High
Frequency(UHF,300—3000 MHz),Super High Frequency(SHF,3—30 GHz)
andExtremely High Frequency(EHF,30—300 GHz) bands.Most
commercial activity is in these bands.To the official allocations data,we
add descriptive narratives about spectrum uses and trends.
Wireless Spectrum Finderemphasizes bands allocated to services instead
of the individual frequencies assigned to millions of stations.Some bands,
especially those in the millimeter wave spectrum,may have little or no
publicly known use at this time.We nevertheless include the allocation
specifics for these bands.
All material in this book is derived from public sources.The existence or
mission of some federal stations remain classified.Others,typically in
federal law enforcement,are categorized as “sensitive,”meaning that
their operations or technical parameters are not releasable to the public
under the Freedom of Information Act or other laws or regulations.
Regulation and Enforcement
FCC spectrum allocationsusually involve a public comment process,as
prescribed by the Administrative Procedures Act,which governs many
regulations imposed on citizens.
All FCC actions are taken under the authority of five individuals:the
Commissioners,nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
Aiding the Commissioners are bureaus and offices of telecommunications
experts,attorneys,economists,and engineers.The FCC monitors radio
services at alltimes through its Washington-based Watch Officer and a
network of receiving stations and field agents.
Spectrum users should take special care in U.S.border areas where
international agreements affect radio operations,in U.S.territories under
jurisdiction of agencies other than the FCC,or in areas not under U.S.
jurisdiction.The FCC’s authority is limited to precisely delineated
geographic boundaries,whereas ITU regulations apply globally and are
enforced by its member nations.
TheCommission’s Enforcement Bureau,aided by the U.S.Marshals
Service,penalizes rogue operators and seizes radio equipment that is
made,sold,or operated in violation of FCC rules.
The federal government’s internal use of radio is subject to presidential
authority.This authority is exercised through the NTIA and its
Administrator,the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.The NTIA Administrator functions as the President’s
principal advisor and spokesperson on telecommunications policy.
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viii Introduction
The Communications Act limits NTIA’s spectrum management authority
to stations belonging to federal agencies.NTIA hosts and is advised by
theInterdepartment Radio Advisory Committee(IRAC),representing
spectrum users within the government.IRAC expertise is frequently
utilized where proposed allocations or systems will impact safety-related
or military frequencies or critical infrastructure.
Terminology
The FCC now uses theterm Federal Government(FG) to refer to theuse
of bands by stations belonging to the U.S.The term Non-Federal
Government(Non-FG) includes state or local government spectrum users,
other non-commercial users and institutions,and all commercial users.
Wireless Spectrum Finderidentifies these allocations as FG and Non-FG
respectively.Do not confuse these with the Government(G),Non-
Government(NG),and US designators that apply to Footnotes (see the
following section).
U.S.frequency allocations consist of frequency bands,lists of the services
permitted to use the bands,and Footnotes that modify the rights of a
service to operate in a band.
The FCC occasionallyauthorizes licensees to use a given band for
research purposes,even when the band is not allocated for such use.The
Experimental Radio Service,regulated in Part 5 of the FCC rules,
provides for such research.Also,Part 74 provides forExperimental
Broadcast Stations,which are used to develop services intended for
reception by the general public.
Commercial use of experimental stations is generally prohibited,though
the FCC sometimes authorizes these stations to conduct market tests
that involve selling products and/or services to the public.In these cases,
subscribers or purchasers are supposed to be warned that their
investment may become useless if the FCC changes its regulations or
declines to adopt the radio service in question.
About Footnotes
Official Footnotes may add allocations,add protection,or remove
protection from interference for a particular service or radio user.
Footnotes are designated G for government allocations and NGfor non-
government allocations.US Footnotes apply to both government and non-
government allocations.The letter S now indicatesInternational
Footnotes established by the ITU.Where International Footnotes apply to
U.S.allocations,the FCC includes them in the U.S.Table.
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