If you're wondering
about the value of the ham bands in the gigahertz (GHz) portion of the RF
spectrum, just ask any engineer working on developing 5G wireless broadband
networks. This band is among many frequencies being considered at the next
World Radiocommunication Conference in 2019 (WRC-19) to possibly accommodate
next generation 5G wireless networking.
The ARRL reported that
a new FCC recommendation in advance of the conference included 11 gigahertz of
spectrum above 24.25 GHz for consideration, but did not include the 47.0-47.2 GHz amateur allocation. This band is
allocated to amateurs on a primary basis worldwide, but could still face
pressure as demand for broadband wireless bandwidth continues to grow.