Radio Amateurs in Canada to Get New 100 Watt 5 MHz Allocation:

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QST de W1AW

Special Bulletin 6 ARLX006

>From ARRL Headquarters

Newington CT April 17, 2018

To all radio amateurs

SB SPCL ARL ARLX006

ARLX006 Radio Amateurs in Canada to Get New 100 Watt 5 MHzAllocation

Radio Amateurs in Canada are poised to join those in several othernations around the world who have access to a new 60-meter band,5351.5 - 5366.5 kHz, as agreed upon at World RadiocommunicationConference 2015 (WRC-15), but with a maximum power of 100 wattseffective radiated power (ERP). The updated Canadian Table ofFrequency Allocations includes the new allocation, although radioamateurs have not yet been authorized to use it. This updated tablecan be found on the web at, .

Canada's radio amateurs will also retain the four Amateur Radiochannels that do not fall within the new allocation. These have beenauthorized under a footnote to the Table since 2014, permittingphone, data, and CW at a maximum occupied bandwidth of 2.8 kHz. The60-meter allocation and spot frequencies are on a secondary,non-interference basis.

In January 2017, ARRL asked the FCC to allocate a new, secondarycontiguous band at 5 MHz to the Amateur Service, while alsoretaining four of the current five 60-meter channels and currentoperating rules, including the 100 watt PEP ERP limit. The federalgovernment is the primary user of the 5 MHz spectrum in the US. TheFCC has yet to act on ARRL's petition.

Canada's regulatory agency, the Department of Innovation, Scienceand Economic Development Canada (ISED) last August proposed to adoptWRC-15 decisions that included the 15 kHz Amateur Radio allocation.The proposed revisions to the Table would retain the original five 5MHz spot frequencies with a maximum of 100 watts ERP, but restrictthe new 15 kHz allocation to just 15 watts EIRP, as agreed to atWRC-15, accommodating the concerns of a few countries over possibleinterference to their domestic communications.

"Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) noted in its response to theproposed changes that there had been no reports of interference fromAmateur Radio operations on the existing five 60-meter spotfrequencies following their use in Canada since 2014 and in the USAfor even longer," RAC President Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA, said."Further, the rationale for allocating the spot frequencies had beenbased on the value of 60 meters for emergency communication, and thelow power limit adopted at WRC-15 would seriously limit this use."

MacDonnell said comments from the Radio Advisory Board of Canada (ofwhich RAC is a member organization), the Ottawa Valley Mobile RadioClub, the Marconi Radio Club of Newfoundland, and several individualradio amateurs also recommended 100 watts.

"The new allocation will be more effective and manageable fordomestic SSB communications, and consistent with the existing use ofthe band on the five spot frequencies now enjoyed by Canadianamateurs," MacDonnell said.

ISED typically authorizes the use of new allocations via a reviseddocument RBR-4 - Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations inthe Amateur Radio Service. "Radio Amateurs of Canada will be urgingISED to authorize the new 15 kHz segment as soon as possible,"MacDonell said.

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Source: W1AW Bulletin via the ARRL.