Re: Land Mobile Service Seeking 70-cm Band

[BillWA6ITF <BillWA6ITF@xxxxxxx>]

        Frpm Newsline 1082 released 5/8/98

        LMCC DEMANDS 70 CM HAM BAND FOR COMMERCIAL USE
        
        The Land Mobile Communications Council has issued a demand to the 
        FCC that it immediately reallocate of most of the 70 centimeter 
        Amateur band over to private mobile operations with private land 
        mobile designated as the primary user.  
        
        Technically the document is nothing more than a formal rule 
        making request to the FCC that has been designated RM 9267.  In 
        reality it is more a demand by the LMCC for the FCC to 
        immediately reallocate 420 to 430 MHz and 440 to 450 MHz away 
        from the federal government and over to the Private Mobile Radio 
        Service on a primary basis.  The Land Mobile Communications 
        Council is also asking for news allocations at 1390 to 1400 MHz, 
        1427-1432 MHz, and 1670 to 1675 MHz.  It is also demanding a 
        walloping 85 MHz at 960 to 1215 MHz and it wants all of this 
        turned over to the Private Mobile Radio Service no later than 
        2010.
        
        But LMCC is not willing to wait until 2010 to take over the 70 
        centimeter band even though this is the second most popular of 
        the Amateur radio services' VHF and UHF allocations.  Amateur 
        Radio is a secondary user of 420 to 450 MHz.  There are thousands 
        of F-M repeaters operating from 440 to 450 MHz and a variety of 
        modes on the air every day in the 420 to 430 MHz segment.  While 
        the Land Mobile Communications Council petition indicates that it 
        is willing to permit Amateur Radio to retain some sort of 
        secondary status, this would be only on a non-interfereing basis 
        with the new commercial interests.  
        
        Experts say that the best way to kill RM 9267 is though a massive 
        letter writing campaign to the FCC.  A campaign that outlines the 
        specific use of the band by Amateur Radio Interests -- 
        informational filings that detail how every hertz of 420 to 430 
        and 440 to 450 MHz is utilized on a day to day basis by hams.  
        
        The commentary cutoff date on RM 9267 is June 1st.  This leaves  
        precious little time for radio amateurs around the nation to 
        react.  Those responding must be certain to reference RM 9267 at 
        the top of your letter.  Send comments to the Secretary, FCC, 
        Washington DC, 20554.
        
        Again, that June 1st as the commentary cutoff date on RM 9267.  
        Comments go to the Secretary, FCC, Washington DC,
20554.