NEWSReport No. DC 96-5     ACTION IN DOCKET CASE       January 29, 1996

            FCC AFFIRMS SECONDARY ALLOCATION OF THE 219-220 MHz
                 BAND FOR USE BY THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE
                             (ET DOCKET 93-40)

     The FCC affirmed the secondary allocation of the 219-220 MHz band for use by the
Amateur Radio Service, granting in part and denying in part a Petition for Reconsideration
filed by Orion Telecom (Orion), a licensee in the Automated Maritime Telecommunications
Systems (AMTS).

     Orion argued that the FCC should rescind its decision to allocate the 219-220 MHz
band to the amateur radio service because the 80 km exclusion distance between AMTS and
amateur operations is insufficient to protect primary AMTS operations from harmful amateur
interference.  Orion asserted that a 925 km (575 mile) exclusion distance is necessary to
protect AMTS operations.  Orion further asserted that such an exclusion distance would
render the 219-220 MHz band unusable for the Amateur Radio Service because this exclusion
distance around every AMTS operation would effectively exclude amateur operations from
urban areas where they are predominantly concentrated.  Orion also stated that in the event
we do not rescind the allocation, we should amend our rules to provide better protection for
AMTS operations.  

     Orion specifically requested the Commission to:

     1) modify the rules specifically to protect AMTS remote receivers;

     2) require all amateur operations in the 219-220 MHz band to use interference
avoidance techniques;

     3) amend the rules to correspond specifically with the text of the R&O concerning the
immediate resolution of any interference by amateurs to AMTS licensees; 

     4) require type acceptance of all amateur equipment used in the 219-220 MHz band;

     5) require the amateur notification provided AMTS licensees to include the technical
specifics of the proposed amateur operation; and



                                  (over)

                                   - 2 -

     6) require that the maximum permissible power of amateur operations in the 219-220
MHz band be limited according to the percentage of the channel over which the signal is
spread to prevent high powered narrowband signals.

     The FCC denied the above requests.  Nevertheless, the FCC took note of Orion's
expressed concern that the amateur rules do not adequately specify the frequency range of
AMTS operations and, thus, database searches conducted by amateurs could miss some
AMTS coast stations.  Accordingly, the FCC amended the rules to indicate that AMTS
operations specifically use the 217-218 MHz and 219-220 MHz bands.  

     Action by the Commission January 25, 1996, by MO&O (FCC 96-25). Chairman
Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong, with Commissioner Quello issuing
a statement.

                                  - FCC -

     News Media contact: Kara Palamaras at (202) 418-0500.
     Office of Engineering and Technology contact: Tom Derenge at (202) 418-2451.