
To: ALL RADIO AMATEURS 
DATE: THU AUG 04, 1988 
FROM: DAVID SUMNER / MCI ID: 264-6149

SUBJECT: ARRL PRESS RELEASE

FCC REALLOCATES 220-222 MHZ; ARRL VOWS TO FIGHT ON

	IN THE FACE OF OVERWHELMING PUBLIC OPPOSITION, THE FEDERAL 
COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TODAY ADOPTED ITS OWN PROPOSAL TO 
REALLOCATE THE 220-222 MHZ FREQUENCY BAND FROM THE AMATEUR 
SERVICE TO PRIVATE LAND MOBILE USE.

	THE REALLOCATION, PROPOSED BY FCC 18 MONTHS AGO TO ADDRESS 
WHAT IT SAID WERE CRITICAL LAND MOBILE NEEDS AND A DESIRE TO 
PROMOTE SPECTRUM-EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY, ATTRACTED STRONG CRITICISM 
FROM THE NATION'S 435,000 RADIO AMATEURS AND THE MANY PUBLIC-
SAFETY AND DISASTER-RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS WHO RELY ON AMATEURS IN 
COMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCIES. THE THOUGHTFUL PROTESTS OF MANY 
THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS BECAME A PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE 
PROCEEDING. DOZENS OF CONGRESSMEN EXPRESSED THEIR OWN OPPOSITION 
TO THE COMMISSION, AS DID THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, ON ITS OWN 
BEHALF AND THAT OF THE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM. YET IT 
WAS NOT UNTIL UNITED PARCEL SERVICE FILED COMMENTS, SIX MONTHS 
LATE, THAT A SIGNIFICANT USER OF THE PROPOSED NEW LAND-MOBILE 
BAND WENT ON RECORD AS DESIRING THE REALLOCATION. DESPITE THIS 
CLEAR TESTIMONY THAT THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WAS NOT IN THE PUBLIC 
INTEREST, THE COMMISSION'S ACTION APPEARS TO BE IDENTICAL TO ITS 
FIRST PROPOSAL WITHOUT REFLECTING ANY ADDITIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF 
AMATEUR SERVICE NEEDS. IN ITS PRESENTATION OF THE ITEM FOR 
COMMISSION CONSIDERATION, THE STAFF OF THE FCC OFFICE OF 
ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY STATED THAT THE REALLOCATION REPRESENTED 
JUST 2% OF THE PRESENTLY AVAILABLE AMATEUR SPECTRUM -- A FIGURE 
THAT WAS ECHOED BY CHAIRMAN DENNIS PATRICK.

	"WE'RE SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED AT THE COMMISSION'S ACTION," 
SAID LARRY PRICE, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, 
THE PRIMARY SPOKESMAN FOR AMATEUR RADIO IN THE UNITED STATES. 
"THE 2% FIGURE HAS NO BASIS IN FACT. AS WE'VE POINTED OUT 
THROUGHOUT THE PROCEEDING, THE 2 MHZ THE COMMISSION IS INTENT ON 
TAKING AWAY FROM THE AMATEUR SERVICE REPRESENTS MORE THAN 15% OF 
OUR INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY ALLOCATIONS BETWEEN 30 AND 24,000 MHZ."
FCC TRIED TO SOFTEN THE BLOW BY SAYING THAT THE REMAINING 3 
MHZ WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO AMATEURS ON AN EXCLUSIVE BASIS, AND BY 
EXPRESSING ITS CONTINUED STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE AMATEUR SERVICE. 
"IT'S NICE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WANT TO BE SEEN AS SUPPORTERS 
OF AMATEUR RADIO, BUT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS," OBSERVED 
ARRL EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT DAVID SUMNER. "THE NOTION THAT 
EXISTING AMATEUR OPERATIONS BELOW 222 MHZ CAN ALL BE 
REACCOMMODATED IN THE REMAINING 3 MHZ IS FANCIFUL, AND NOT 
SUPPORTED BY THE PUBLIC RECORD. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SPECTRUM 
EFFICIENCY OF NARROWBAND LAND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN 
SERIOUSLY CHALLENGED IN ENGINEERING CIRCLES AND MAY IN FACT BE 
ILLUSORY. ABOUT ALL THAT CAN BE SAID FOR THE COMMISSION'S ACTION 
IS THAT IT PROVIDES A FERTILE FIELD FOR ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF 
RECONSIDERATION OR REVERSAL."

	"WE'VE LOST A BATTLE, BUT NOT THE WAR," ARRL PRESIDENT PRICE 
COMMENTED. "THE LEAGUE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE EVERY AVAILABLE 
ADMINISTRATIVE, JUDICIAL, AND LEGISLATIVE REMEDY TO ENSURE THAT 
RADIO AMATEURS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SPECTRUM THEY NEED TO SERVE THE 
PUBLIC."
                                                                                                                                