It is my privilege to report some spectrum defense news that is as unexpected as it is welcome. There are parallel domestic and international proceedings regarding spectrum for 5G mobile broadband. The WRC-19 agenda identifies the 47-47.2 GHz band among several between 24.25 GHz and 86 GHz for consideration. We are engaged in the early stages of defending this band on the international stage, insisting that the mobile industry show its work to justify its claimed spectrum needs. While the international process will drag out for a few more years, the FCC has been very aggressive in finding spectrum for 5G. ARRL commented in a January 2015 Notice of Inquiry seeking to identify suitable bands above 24.25 GHz for mobile broadband, pointing out that there were ample mobile service allocations already, and that the amateur bands should be avoided. (For your recollection, our comments are attached above.) After the WRC-19 agenda was set, we were afraid that the FCC would use the international agenda as an excuse to consider the 47-47.2 GHz band for 5G mobile broadband here in the United States. In the past week, FCC Chairman Wheeler has begun making public statements hyping imminent FCC action on new bands for 5G. Today, the FCC issued a fact sheet (attached) on the so-called "Spectrum Frontiers" rulemaking, which has been placed on the agenda of its July 14 meeting. The fact sheet *excludes* 47-47.2 GHz from consideration in the United States at this time (see the list of bands to be considered in the next-to-last paragraph). To have the FCC omit this band in light of the political momentum behind 5G is incredible. Credit is due to Chris Imlay, who gave life to Dave Sumner's and my thoughts on 5G spectrum in ARRL's response to the Notice of Inquiry in January 2015. Some credit must also go to the quiet efforts of Ted Rappaport, N9NB, who is a leading academic in the field of millimeter band use and exploitation. Ted gave the keynote address at a 5G workshop held at the FCC earlier this year. He told me that at dinner before the workshop, he told the Commissioners and other attendees that 47 GHz is a valuable test bed for radio amateurs to advance the state of the art, and that they should leave the band alone. The international work on this band still needs to be done, and won't be easy--the band would not have been included if *someone* didn't want our spectrum somewhere in the world. Nevertheless, we have avoided a domestic battle that would not have been pretty. I am pleased, and you should be too. 73 de Brennan N4QX Brennan T. Price, N4QX Chief Technology Officer American Radio Relay League PO Box 3470 Oakton VA 22124-9470 Tel +1 860 594-0247