Germany's telecommunications regulator has opened the 4-meter band to amateur use, but only on a test basis. According to Newsline, the frequencies between 70.150 and 70.180 MHz are available to hams through August 31, 2017, with significant restrictions on power, bandwidth and antenna polarization. The 4-meter band has long been available to amateurs in some European countries, but in Germany has been used primarily by the military and the national railway. Hams must operate on a non-interference basis. A similar test period occurred in 2015.
The band has never been
available in the United
States because of conflicts with analog
television broadcast frequencies. Even thought TV broadcasting has now gone
digital and moved to higher frequencies, the FCC has so far refused to consider
petitions for a U.S.
amateur allocation on 70 MHz.
