U.S. Table of Frequency Allocations Sometimes at Odds With International Table

The U.S. table of frequency allocations can differ from the international table because of variations in U.S. rules, FCC Office of Engineering and Technology officials explained during an FCBA lunch Thursday. Attendees heard from Nicholas Oro, deputy chief of the Policy and Rules Division, and Jamie Coleman, chief of the Spectrum Policy Branch. The U.S. doesn’t adopt all the allocations in the international table and may adopt additional allocations, Oro said. Most parts of the table match, he said. Oro noted as one example the supplemental coverage from space (SCS) framework that commissioners approved two weeks ago (see [2403150045). In each of the bands affected, across the 600-700 MHz frequency range, the U.S. table now shows a secondary mobile service allocation, he said. That allocation isn’t included in the international table. “This is kind of the case of the U.S. getting out ahead of the international community,” Oro said. Another example is 6 GHz, where the international table has an allocation for mobile communications but the U.S. table doesn't, he said. Changes to the U.S. table often come through NTIA or as a result of actions during a World Radiocommunication Conference, Oro said. In addition, changes are made as a result of commission orders, he said. All changes require that the FCC seek public comment. NTIA has its own rulebook, the “Manual of Regulations for Federal RF Spectrum Management” or “Redbook,” which applies to federal agencies. Making changes doesn’t require a rulemaking process, Oro said. Coleman said her team at OET is largely responsible for managing the frequency table, ensuring updates are made, checking footnotes and issuing Federal Register updates when needed. “It’s a lot of work,” she said. Her office also works with other parts of the commission “to make sure that we’re properly analyzing … revisions and their impact on other areas of the spectrum.”