Via the ARRL: Amateur Radio as Educational Tool Represented to Policymakers in Washington DC

ARRL and Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) represented Amateur Radio at a symposium in Washington on February 1 at which the top domestic spectrum policymakers from across the federal government considered implementation of the National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) [PDF].

ARRL ensures that Amateur Radio is represented at sessions such as this so that decisionmakers understand amateur radio’s roles when spectrum decisions are made, including its substantial contributions to student interest and education in STEM subjects at schools throughout the country and its role during emergencies and natural disasters.

In the NSS, released by the White House in November, national policymakers identified some 2,790 megahertz of spectrum to be considered for future commercial needs. No new amateur spectrum was included, with only the ongoing reallocation studies related to 3.1 – 3.45 GHz being addressed.

The NSS was prepared for the President by the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) in collaboration with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). NTIA considered input from Federal Executive Branch agencies that use spectrum as well as from other spectrum users, including amateur radio operators. As the NSS was being formulated during 2023, ARRL’s Washington Counsel presented information on amateur radio to the policymakers at an NTIA listening session. This was followed with a written submission about amateur radio spectrum concerns, and later with a one-on-one meeting with NTIA’s Senior Spectrum Advisor in overall charge of formulating the NSS.

Read more – via American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources http://www.arrl.org/news/view/amateur-radio-as-educational-tool-represented-to-policymakers-in-washington-dc