In the Commission's initial Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM), it had said it would "consider" providing
replacement spectrum for displaced current users, including hams. However, the
FCC's draft Report and Order says amateurs would have to move existing
operations on the band – primarily digital networks and a satellite subband –
to other amateur allocations. The Commission was scheduled to take a final vote
on the Report and Order at its September 30 meeting, and it is possible that
changes might be made before or at that meeting.
Even if the proposal is adopted as currently
written, hams would not have to leave immediately. Current users would be
allowed to continue using the spectrum until the frequency auctions are complete
and new licenses are issued. It is expected that auctions would begin late next
year for the 3.45-3.5 GHz segment, meaning the earliest hams would lose that portion
of the band is mid-2022. The FCC and Department of Defense (the current primary
user) are still working out details for 3.30-3.45 GHz and nothing has yet been
finalized, so there is not yet a timetable for losing this band segment.
