A Must read for all Hams! The entire 40 and 80 meter ham bands at risk?

Ham radio operators have been using the shortwave (“high-frequency” or HF) bands for data communications for over 50 years, but the data rates are much less than those available with dial-up modems. HF communications have the advantage that they don't depend on vulnerable satellites, don't require line-of-sight, and can cover huge distances under the right conditions.

The FCC recently granted two companies experimental licenses to use HF bands for data communications at far greater bandwidths and data rates than have been used by amateur radio operators. While these communication systems are being developed for the military, it’s possible some of the techniques developed could be used for digital broadcasting in the AM band, or more likely for shortwave broadcasting where sky wave propagation is important.

According to the commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology Experimental Licensing Branch's list of experimental applications between 10/1/14 to 10/31/14, license WH2XCI was granted to The MITRE Corporation to operate in the 2505.00 - 4100.00, 4210.00 - 4995.00, 5005.00 - 6210.00, 6320.0 - 8250.00, 8450.00 - 9995.00, 10005.00 - 12200.00, 13500.00 - 14990.00 and 15010.00 – 16000.00 kHz bands to test HF communications at fixed locations in Bedford and Worcester in Massachusetts and Oneida and Rome in New York.

MITRE's application states, “While satellite communication provides high data rate connectivity, there are vulnerabilities that include degradation and disruption of service. HF radio communication generally are limited to narrower bandwidths and lower data rates than satellite communications. To ensure critical communications are maintained, we are investigating the capability of higher bandwidth and higher data rate communications in the HF band applying polarization diversity MIMO concepts.”


In addition to the 100 kHz bandwidth, MITRE's license allows bandwidths up to 1 MHz. MITRE states, “A stretch goal is to extend to wider bandwidth waveforms, up to 1 MHz.” The researchers’ note: “we understand that this wideband waveform may run up against other users and possibly cause interference. We plan to transmit at as low a power as possible and on a not-to-interfere basis.” 

Read entire article below

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/list-of-experimental-licenses-reveals-interesting-hf-data-comm-experiments/274152

Some interesting comments as well.