On Thu, 19 Nov 2020, B.J. Guillot wrote:
Looks like it happened: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-modernizes-59-ghz-band-improve-wi-fi-and-au... https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-368228A1.pdf
"...Additional Spectrum Available Immediately..."
"The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules for the 5.9 GHz band (5.850-5.925 GHz) to make new spectrum available for unlicensed uses, such as Wi-Fi, and improve automotive safety. Specifically, the new band plan designates the lower 45 megahertz (5.850-5.895 GHz) for unlicensed uses and the upper 30 megahertz (5.895-5.925 GHz) for enhanced automobile safety using Cellular Vehicle-toEverything (C-V2X) technology" ... "The Report and Order adopts technical rules to enable full-power indoor unlicensed operations in the lower 45 megahertz portion of the band immediately, as well as opportunities for outdoor unlicensed use on a coordinated basis under certain circumstances. Under the new rules, ITS services will be required to vacate the lower 45 megahertz of the band within one year."
What impact does this have on HamWAN? No impact? Can we do encryption now? Do we have to shut it off?
The noise floor comes up. As long as we have the allocation, we still have priority over unlicensed equipment provided we can run power above the power limits of unlicensed operation. Where this becomes an issue is that 1.2 GHz in many places is pre-empted by CARSR and with 3.3-3.5 GHz removed for FirstNet, we are left with few microwave bands that allow us to occupy the same tower as a WISP unless we land-rush the spectrum. http://www.fortwiki.com/CARSR Nothing in Part 97 allows us to run encryption. The concern here is that a co-secondary user has been removed. Unfortunately, the FCC has most recently treated spectrum without a carrier on it as blank space to be refarmed which is insane spectrum management. It appears that the FCC's approach is that spectrum is best used by a primary allocation, two secondary allocations, an unlicensed allocation, a space-ground application and a ground-to-space application at the same time. I did see something where someone was able to get a link working on 5.9 GHz by selecting a region code of "licensed" in some equipment. I have also been told that some radios will actively prevent the use as a "licensed" radio, however we do have licenses. -- Kris Kirby, KE4AHR Disinformation Architect, Systems Mangler, & Network Mismanager