New threat to amateur bands
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New proposals to provide wireless broadband in rural areas could pose a threat to 
amateur radio and amateur satellite services in the UK, warns amateur satellite 
group Amsat. Telecoms regulator Ofcom has recently published a report that looks 
at options for bringing broadband to countryside communities. One of the options 
is to provide rural areas with wireless broadband. However, because the broadband 
would have to cover a large area, it would be necessary for it to be transmitted 
at high power. The report proposes the use of powers up to 80W EIRP in the 2.4GHz 
band and 200W EIRP in the 5GHz band.

Radio amateurs currently have allocations in both of these bands, and Amsat is 
worried that the high power levels outlined in the report could cause serious 
interference to amateurs operating in these bands. The problem would be particularly 
severe on the 2.245-2.4GHz band which is used by both weak-signal amateur satellites 
and amateur TV repeaters.

An Amsat spokesman said: “It is hard to see how amateurs would be able to continue 
using these frequencies when faced by the high levels of interference from the high 
power applications envisaged by this report.”

Worryingly, the report makes no mention of amateur radio operation on the 2.4GHz band, 
suggesting that the potential impact of the plan on radio amateurs has either been 
overlooked or simply ignored. Loss of - or disruption to - the 2.4GHz amateur 
frequencies would be a major blow to radio hams, not least because four amateur 
satellites currently under construction will use 2.4GHz to provide amateurs with 
worldwide communications. The amateur Mars orbiter P5-A, due for launch in 2009, 
will also rely on the amateur 2.4GHz allocation.

Also under threat would be a plan to provide an amateur radio video link from the 
International Space Station to schools as part of the ARISS School Contact programme. 
Once again, this service will use 2.4GHz and could be jeopardised by the high-power 
transmissions outlined in the Ofcom report.
[www.ofcom.org.uk/research/technology/overview/ese/exempt/]
(quoted from GB2RS)