The WRC-15 Plenary Meeting has just approved, on two back-to-back readings, the Conference's decision on agenda item 1.4, allocating 5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz to the amateur service on a secondary basis with a power limit of 15 W e.i.r.p. (with some Region 2 countries--not the United States--allowed up to 25 W e.i.r.p.). With this action, and despite conditions that are more restrictive than we had hoped at the start of the Conference, the amateur service has obtained its first new global HF allocation since 1979.

The IARU team here in Geneva, supported by others monitoring remotely, is focusing our efforts on tweaking the agenda for WRC-19. It is likely, but not certain, that the agenda will include an effort to harmonize our allocation at 50 MHz. There will also likely be at least two items requiring substantial defensive efforts. At least the 47-47.2 GHz band, and possibly the 10-10.5 GHz band, will likely be identified for study for an allocation to the mobile service to accommodate "5G" IMT (future smartphones). And it is likely that part or all of the 420-450 MHz band may be considered for allocation to the space operations service for telemetry, tracking, and control of small satellites. (We appear to have successfully blocked the consideration of the two meter band, and that took a great deal of effort by those involved.)

Beyond the WRC-19 agenda, we are monitoring several WRC-15 items that appear to be headed to at least acceptable, if not ideal, conclusions. We anticipate being busy through Thanksgiving morning.

73 de Brennan HB9/N4QX