ODV,

The following describes a draft FCC decision on the 3.4 GHz (9 cm) matter.  The draft is not official FCC action.  Final action is scheduled for March 17.  Changes may be made to the below description before final adoption by the Commission.

The FCC has released a draft of its decision on 3.4 GHz (9 cm) and scheduled consideration at its meeting on Wednesday, March 17.  The Commission had proposed limiting amateur operations to the 3.3 – 3.4 GHz band while negotiations continue on the future use of that spectrum. (The entire 3.3-3.5 GHz band is within spectrum internationally allocated for 5G and other mobile services, including in our ITU Region 2.)

The draft decision agrees with ARRL that the (relatively) low power of amateur operations is conducive to allowing amateurs to continue to operate up to the band edge with future commercial operations at 3450 MHz.  This change will accommodate substantially more digital operations, notably those using Ubiquiti equipment that is said to be difficult to move much below 3400 MHz.  It also will allow the weak signal work and beacons to move just below 3450 within much better range of their current 3456 GHz operations.  It also will allow moon bounce (EME) operators  to continue to use the spectrum just above 3400.

More generally, the draft proposes that amateurs be authorized to continue to use 3300 – 3450 MHz under the same secondary status as at present.  The top quarter of the band, 3450 – 3500 MHz, will be withdrawn from all amateur use effective 90 days after public notice of the close of the auction to commercial interests.  I predict that operations in this upper portion will have to cease in about one year (somewhere around April or May, 2022).  Congress statutorily required the FCC to begin the auction for this spectrum by no later than December 31, 2021. 

Operations can continue below 3450 MHz after the auction, and those in the 3450 – 3500 MHz segment can move lower in frequency subject to secondary status to federal users (as at present).  The Commission and other agencies of the federal government (the primary users of this band) are continuing discussions on making some or all of the 3300 – 3450 MHz spectrum available for commercial use, and the FCC believes that those decisions will result in expanding commercial use there and suggest closing all secondary amateur operations in this band.  So for now it looks like amateurs will continue to have access to 3300 – 3450  MHz for some (unknown) period of time.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

73, Dave K3ZJ