NTIA Raises Federal Concerns on Shortwave Modernization Coalition Petition

NTIA raised concerns on an April petition by the Shortwave Modernization Coalition (SMC) urging the FCC to launch a rulemaking to amend its eligibility and technical rules for industrial/business pool licensees to authorize licensed use of frequencies above 2 MHz and below 25 MHz for fixed, long-distance, non-voice communications (see 2305010053). “Numerous federal entities” including the Commerce, Transportation and Homeland Security departments, the Air Force, the Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the FAA and the National Science Foundation “are greatly concerned by the regulatory changes contemplated in the Petition,” NTIA said, in a Thursday filing in RM-11953. “To the extent the Commission considers initiating a responsive rulemaking, NTIA respectfully requests that the Commission recognize that much more information would be needed to ensure protection of the significant number of incumbent federal operations in the 2-25 MHz band,” NTIA said. The FCC could also consider excluding bands “where federal incumbents and safety missions are operating,” the agency said. NTIA warned that “some 28 Federal agencies hold over 120,000 frequency assignments in the 2-25 MHz frequency band, including safety-of-life operations such as the aeronautical mobile service where no interference can be tolerated.” NTIA attached comments by the Coast Guard laying out specific concerns. ARRL, NCTA and others oppose a rulemaking, which the SMC defended, in recent comments (see 2308180033).