WAC Clears Resolution Urging Protection of Aeronautical Band
The FCC’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) Advisory Committee (WAC) endorsed a resolution Thursday defending the continued use of the 1435-1525 MHz for aeronautical mobile telemetry (AMT). The WRC meeting in 2015 is slated to examine use of the band internationally for wireless broadband.
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"This is a frequency band that is of vital importance to the United States commercial and government interests with regard to aeronautical mobile telemetry,” said Charles Rush of the Telecommunications Management Group, chairman of the WAC Informal Working Group that recommended approval of the resolution. “It’s a cornerstone to the flight support for our aircraft industry. It is also a band that I personally can attest that the United States has been at the forefront of defending since at least WRC-92.” The U.S. doesn’t object to other regions of the world looking at the band for other uses, but it needs to be preserved for AMT in Region Two, which includes the U.S., Rush said.
"Along with the band 2360-2390 MHz, it is in the critical path for aerospace research and development, and for certifying aircraft to safety standards,” said the document approved by the WAC (http://bit.ly/YfkiBi). “Flight testing requires real-time data for the protection of the pilot and aircrew, the test aircraft, and people and property on the ground. This data must be transmitted in protected radio bands to minimize the chance of interference/interruption to critical safety communications."
WAC also approved a resolution confirming that 1675-1710 MHz should be set aside for wireless broadband, consistent with a resolution approved by the last WRC in 2012 (http://bit.ly/XYEDeM). “The United States supports studies to develop technical requirements that would allow a primary mobile, except aeronautical mobile, allocation in the 1695-1700 MHz band,” the document said. In addition, the WAC approved a resolution calling for the study of the 5350-5470 MHz frequency band for “wireless access systems including radio local area networks.” WRC-03 allocated the bands on both sides, 5150-5350 MHz and 5470-5725 MHz, on a primary basis to mobile communications (http://bit.ly/YPrV1p).