Subj : ARRL Files Comments to Protect 70-Centimeter Amateur Band
To   : QST
From : ARRL de WD1CKS
Date : Tue Jul 22 2025 04:02 pm

07/22/2025

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio[1]� has filed comments with the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oppose part of an application that
would impact the 70-centimeter amateur band for telemetry, tracking and command
(TT&C) of satellites. The application, from AST & Science, LLC (AST), requests
"unprecedented authorization to 430-440 MHz for a constellation totaling 248
satellites to communicate with five ground stations using up to five channels
with up to 256 kHz bandwidth."

READ ARRL'S FULL COMMENTS[2] [PDF]

The formal opposition, filed by ARRL's Washington Counsel, asserts that the
permission AST seeks to use the 430 - 440 MHz band "should be denied because
AST does not demonstrate need for TT&C spectrum beyond that available within
existing allocations."

The filing goes on to highlight just how unprecedented the request is:

The Requested Spectrum Is Not Allocated for the Requested Purpose
�������������� The 430 - 440 MHz band is not allocated domestically or
internationally for the requested space-to-Earth and Earth-to-space satellite
TT&C operations. As others already have noted in this proceeding, signals in
this band from AST's current 5-satellite constellation have been observed
throughout the world, including in the United States, notwithstanding that the
satellites are authorized to communicate only with five ground stations well
outside the United States. From the operations by the current five satellites,
it appears that the satellites at times have transmitted continuously in the
430 - 440 MHz band throughout their orbit, not just when in communication with
one of the authorized ground stations. This activity defeats the purpose of
preventing interference in the United States by limiting operations in this
band to ground stations distant from the United States. Authorizing an
additional 243 satellites to use this band, which would result in multiple
satellites over the U.S. at all times, would effectively usurp this band's
allocated use.

The 70-centimenter band is also used in emergency communications. As recently
as early July, ARRL volunteers serving in the Amateur Radio Emergency Service�
(ARES�) made headlines for providing critical communications in flood-ravaged
areas of the Texas Hill Country[3]. Allowing the 70-centimeter band to become
overrun with TT&C operations could impact the ability for the Amateur Radio
Service to be used in future disasters. "TT&C operations in the 430 - 440 MHz
band are capable of causing harmful interference to radio amateur
communications, including to amateur satellites operating in the 435-438 MHz
subband," the comments state.

The comments go on to outline why the application would be non-compliant with
the ITU Radio Regulations Treaty.

Reply comments to the application are due by August 5, 2025. ARRL will continue
to promote and protect amateur radio spectrum.


[1] http://www.arrl.org/
[2] https://www.arrl.org/files/file/FCC%20Documents/ARRL-Partial-Opposition-25-201.pdf
[3] https://www.arrl.org/news/amateur-radio-volunteers-serving-during-texas-floods

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