FCC Experimental License Grants

[Gregg Lengling]

The FCC has released a list of experimental licenses granted between Nov. 1, 2003 and Jan. 1, 2004. Two of the licenses allow operation in the UHF TV band. Viacel was granted a license to operate on TV channels 54 and 59 in New York City and Union City, N.J. While the FCC CDBS does not reveal any TV stations in the NYC area on these channels, there are stations on adjacent channels - an LPTV station on channel 60 and WFUT DTV on channel 53. Consulting and Engineering Next Generation Networks, Inc. was authorized to operate on frequencies between 600 and 800 MHz (TV channels 35 to 68) "for developing proof of concept system for military using unused channels for demo purposes." The mobile operation will take place within a 100 km radius of Piedmont, Tenn.


Others grants of interest include WD2XFE, allowing use of frequencies between 135-138 KHz for propagation testing at Freeport, Ill. and WD2XGJ, allowing use of 136-140 KHz for propagation testing at Wayland, Mass. Highway Information Systems Inc. was granted a license to use 530, 1610, 1620, 1640 and 1660 KHz for testing and demonstration of highway advisory radios in all 50 U.S. states. Of possible interest to amateur radio operators, Space Exploration Technologies received authorization to operate a beacon on 144 MHz for locating rocket boosters in the Pacific Ocean. See the list of experimental licenses granted between Nov. 1, 2004 and Jan. 1, 2004 for more details and other licenses granted.