ACMA letter on 2300-2302 MHZ band

[VK4WDM]

I, like all advanced licences have received a letter from the ACMA asking for comment on the loss of the 2GHZ ham band and its re-allocation to other services.

I don't operate in the band and probably never will, but I always try and support other hams in their endeavours, so what do you want me to say?

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK2ZRH]

Keep a watch on the WIA website over the next few days.

I've been working on the WIA's submission. The outline and strategy was approved a few days ago. A news item setting out the WIA's position and intended action will be posted to the WIA website shortly; an item is being prepared for next Sunday's VK1WIA broadcast.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK3HJ]

Thanks Roger.
I was at a loss as to what I could do in response to ACMA letter, in support of the Amateur Service, as it is a band I have not had any interest in either.
I look forward with interest the news.
73,
Luke VK3HJ

[VK2AAH]

I don't have an interest in the band either Roger however I've read your submission and it makes perfect sense to me from a spectrum planning perspective. I hope that they go for it!

Cheers


Richard
VK2AAH

[VK2ZRH]

News on the WIA's submission to the ACMA concerning 2300-2302 MHz is now live on the WIA website, here: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2 ... /index.php

2300-2400 MHz is to be re-allocated for Spectrum Licensing in 2015. It is expected that the technology to be deployed will be Long Term Evolution (LTE).

The WIA is arguing for the retention of a 150 kHz-wide allocation at 2300 MHz on at least a co-primary basis.

The idea is that this segment sits right at the lower edge of the lowest frequency channel of LTE, in the "white space" of unoccupied spectrum, as illustrated in the diagram.

Go read the full story.

Posted in the interests of spreading the news

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2LK]

Good work WIA!

[VK2KYP]

Thanks for your effort, fingers crossed now.

73 Gary VK2KYP

[VK4WDM]

I urge that ALL those who have received a request for a submission from the ACMA put one in, even if it is only one that draws attention to the WIA one.

This may not be a band that you are interested in but your favourite band might be next We must support each other, apathy is the major enemy!

(No I am not a trade unionist, just a concerned ham)

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK2JDS]

Roger is right on the ball with this issue

I sent in my submission regarding this sacred band as its the only link we have for EME on 13cm. As did the Central West Radio group as a general submission.
2400 upwards is way outside the filters and LO switching capabilities to operate and work the rest of the world for weak signal experiments via the moon when everyone else is at 2300-2320.
besides its polluted with data wifi and microwave oven qrm

When Matt vk2dag and myself worked Brazil from my place here on 2301.9 on CW recently it took an enormous effort in building the feedpoint septum, setting up the focus and feedarms mods, running the heliaxes and building the LNA. and thats just to get the dish gear working. next was the spectrian amps and getting the transverter operational. It was all run off solar power, but the contact into PY took 2 days to complete, myself and Bob vk0bp/vk2abp did it on the first night marginally, then Matt got him the next night as the clouds had moved on.
Its a challenging band for rare dx , but well worth the effort.
Its homebuilding the front ends to dig so deep into the noise and days spent tuning front ends and feeds into cold sky that are the challenge.

this segment is worth saving. our pencil thin beamwidth antennas aim up at the moon, not into towns. phone users spread spectrum receivers ignore carriers and narrowband digital modes. we wont interfere with their telephones

send in a submission and lets see what we can do as an organisation

73 from Dave vk2jds

[VK4ADC]

Mine has gone in to ACMA too now.

Pity that the full actual WIA submission was not made public so that we could cut and paste sections into our individual submissions.

Cutoff is this Wednesday at COB - assumed as 5PM EDST.

[VK4EKA]

I did note Doug at Murrarrie making comments about the high level of QRM during the microwave field day.
I wonder how many have any measurements of the QRM problem encountered on the 2400 to 2450 MHZ segment?
Perhaps there was some on the Mt Gravatt Lookout too (although there is quite a bit of commercial receive equipment on that hilltop that may lift the background locally).

[VK3BSF]

For a brief and lucid explanation see below:
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/333129,ac ... r-lte.aspx

[VK2ZRH]

VK4EKA asks:
I wonder how many have any measurements of the QRM problem encountered on the 2400 to 2450 MHZ segment?

Anecdotal evidence conveyed to me suggests that the ambient noise floor across 2400-2450 MHz is some 10-15 dB above that outside this ISM band. As deployment of WiFi and other ISM systems advances relentlessy, this situation will only get worse.

Traceable measurements would be nice.

VK3BSF suggests:
For a brief and lucid explanation see [IT News]

Not so much lucid as a quick "clip" from the ACMA's Consultation paper; the included picture is inappropriate under the circumstances. Lazy "journalism"

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2TS]

Good work again Roger, of course the battle is not over. I know of 4 other local WIA members including myself who have made submissions supporting the WIA submission. It does add weight to be a member and have a united voice. Problem with these forums is the number of anarchistic supposedly grown men (and women) who wont join and put there money where there mouth is. I suppose if this bid is successful then those people will remain negative and as always non members and yet reap the benefits.

Lets see what transpires.

Cheers

Tony
VK2TS

[VK4WDM]

I put a submission in to draw attention to, and support, the WIA one. We are going to see more and more of this and we need to support the WIA efforts "warts and all."

73

Wayne VK4WDM

[VK4TIM]

I sent in my submission today. In my recommendations I stated that if the existing allocation cannot be retained that I support the WIA's submission.
We did some research on LTE and found some interesting information.

[VK2ZRH]

Today, I emailed my submission to the ACMA in support of the WIA submission

It's attached below, for the record.

2.3 GHz Submission VK2ZRH.pdf

(10.46 KiB) Downloaded 161 times

The WIA's submission should be posted to the WIA website some time this evening.

Thanks to all those who have included support for the WIA's proposal in their submissions to the WIA.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2ZRH]

The WIA submission is now up on the website at: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2 ... /index.php

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2ZRH]

A number of email correspondents asked why we didn't ask for 2304-2304.1 MHz, where the US and Canada band plans have their "weak-signal EME" band.

The simple answer is that this would most likely have met with outright rejection from the ACMA as it falls within all of the LTE and WiMAX channel bandwidths at the bottom end of the 2300-2400 MHz band. This is readily understood from the diagram below. Having a spectrum licensee carve out a slot for Australian amateurs on all, or even some, of the equipment deployed would be an expensive exercise. And there's no point having secondary access amongst a widespread digital service.

As you can see, WiMAX has channel widths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 MHz. LTE has channel widths of 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MHz. Although the ACMA Consultation paper specifically mentions a preference for 5 MHz channels, this may not pertain over the 15-year life of the spectrum licence for 2300-2400 MHz. The shaded bar on the left indicates the "unoccupied space"/"guard band" at the lowest frequency edge of the lowest frequency LTE or WiMAX channels, respectively.

Unfortunately, around the world, Amateur access to the 13 cm band is a fragmentary dog's breakfast

• Canada: 2300-2450 MHz. Weak-signal/EME 2302.90-2304.2 MHz.
  Japan: 2400-2450 MHz. Weak-signal/EME 2424-2424.5 MHz.
  New Zealand: 2396-2450 MHz. Weak-signal/EME 2424-2424.5 MHz.
  UK: 2310-2450 MHz. Parts subject to regulatory change: 2322-2400 MHz. EME 2320-2320.025 MHz.
  USA: 2300-2310 MHz; 2390-2450 MHz.Weak-signal/EME 2304-2304.1 MHz.

IARU Region 1: Protection and global harmonisation of incumbent amateur service activity (particularly the sensitive weak-signal sub bands) has been and continues to be a key objective in 2300-2400 MHz. The most sensitive amateur service operations are narrowband modes harmonised at 2300-2305 and 2320-2322MHz (CW, SSB, Beacons, EME etc), where international (and for EME intercontinental) long distance reception occurs close to the noise floor.

Posted in the interests of clarification and transparency.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH

[VK2ZRH]

The ACMA has released an outline on the responses to its February discussion paper proposing to withdraw the 2300-2302 MHz amateur allocation.

The ACMA reports that it received 124 submissions in response to the discussion paper, from which an overwhelming number objected to the ACMA’s proposal.

A staggering 93% of submissions disagreed with the ACMA’s proposal, and of those, 30% indicated support for the position advocated by the WIA. Many submissions of the 124 sent to the ACMA were from individuals.

As you know, The WIA sought to have the 150 kHz segment from 2300-2300.15 MHz retained for the amateur service on at least a co-primary basis.

The ACMA has advised that, after considering the information provided in the submissions, its view is that the amateur service would be unable to retain co-primary status if 2300-2400 MHz was spectrum licensed.

However, the ACMA goes on to say that it will work closely with the WIA to “test whether a coexistence licensing arrangement might be developed under section 138 of the Radiocommunications Act.” Section 138 provides for a class licence to be issued within spectrum-licensed bands where it would not result in unacceptable levels of interference to equipment operated under the spectrum licence.

Congratulations and well done to all those amateurs who wrote and sent a submission. This is a good result.

As I say in the WIA news item posted to its website today: There are many issues to explore here and the WIA looks forward to working with the ACMA to achieve a positive outcome for the 2300-2302 MHz band.

See: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2 ... /index.php

The posting on the ACMA website is here: http://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Take-act ... -licensing

Disclosure: I am a Director of the WIA and a member of the WIA's Spectrum Strategy Committee.

73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH