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Home » Topics » News » Commercial Interests Petition FCC for High Power Allocation on Shortwave (HF)

Commercial Interests Petition FCC for High Power Allocation on Shortwave (HF)

Tagged: ARRL Spectrum High Frequency Trading SEC

  • This topic has 7 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 7 months ago by Steven Smith.
Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • July 13, 2023 at 11:01 am #39400
    Steven Smith
    Participant

    As announced under The News Tab on the ARRL.ORG website the 11th of this month…(Link below)

    http://www.arrl.org/news/commercial-interests-petition-fcc-for-high-power-allocation-on-shortwave-spectrum

    07/11/2023

    The ad hoc group “Shortwave Modernization Coalition” petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow data communications on multiple bands within the HF 2 – 25 MHz range with up to 20 KW, including in bands immediately adjacent to spectrum allocated to the Amateur Radio Service. This group appears to represent high-speed stock trading interests. The FCC has assigned it RM-11953. Comments are due by July 31, 2023, and reply comments by August 15. While the petitioners exclude the amateur bands, high power operations on immediately adjacent bands are proposed. ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® is reviewing the petition. A copy of the petition is at: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/1042840187330/1 (PDF).

    What does this mean in plain language….

    A Group of folks that make a considerable amount of money trading Funds
    Desires a method that allows them to shave seconds off of doing their transactions
    by using HF, yes frequencies near our bands in the range of 2.0 to 25 MHz (but outside of our band plans)

    The proposal would also allow them to use 20 Kw in RF output.

    The simple questions for us…..

    Will they interfere with our use of the spectrum we have
    Will they desire more frequencies once they are allowed what they are asking for
    Will we have any results from complaints filed with the FCC when we see their signals bleeding into our Band Plans.

    A YouTuber K6LG has presented an alarming video
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeG00x89ATI

    Here are the Facts that I know of right now……….

    Yes, the ARRL has been slow to react on this, at least to the point of notifying us the members on this Petition for Rule making
    as the Petition is dated April 28,2023 and the news item was posted by the ARRL on July 11,2023
    Over two months lapsed before the ARRL informs us.

    This so called Ad Hoc “Shortwave Modernization Coalition”
    is nothing more than big money entities that will do anything to garner a few more million dollars in their pockets.

    What they are proposing is to use large HF arrays on large towers pointed from the East Coast and West Coast towards Europe and Asia
    while running 20 Kilo Watts of RF Power, any amateur station close to one of these stations will have their receiver fronts end severely overloaded
    Basically forced off the air.

    This will largely impact anyone living on the East or West Coast near one of these stations.
    Minimal impact will probably be seen by those of us in the Central US

    However, as we have seen for many years until recently
    Shortwave Broadcast stations which started out many years ago operating with clean signals and within the FCC limits of their license
    That eventually eroded into the wild west with many short-wave stations within our 40 meter band and was only recently solved.
    I foresee the same headaches will come from this money grubers.

    I am told by a very good source that the ARRL lab is doing tests (with Computer Modeling)
    of what kind of harm these stations (proposed Financial Relay Stations) could cause us.

    Placing some stress to get action done at the ARRL as soon as possible by contacting the ARRL CEO by email
    With emphasis to get these Lab results done Now
    and posting wording of any opposition we each could echo with our own voice within the next two weeks might benefit us all.
    The ARRL CEO Email address is……

    ARRL CEO
    David Minister
    dminster@arrl.org

    Why we are getting late or short notice of this petition is direct fault of the ARRL Regulatory Information Manager
    Bart Jahnke W9JJ
    Email W9JJ@ARRL.ORG

    I will entertain any questions here or direct to my email

    Steve
    KG5VK
    KG5VK@ARRL.ORG

     

    July 14, 2023 at 5:28 am #39401
    Erica Mueller
    Keymaster

    I sent an email to CEO Minister voicing my opposition to this. All members need to do the same. Thanks to Steve for this information.

    Haskell Maroney

    KI5VGQ

    July 14, 2023 at 7:54 am #39402
    Steven Smith
    Participant

    Keep in mind if your making comments to the FCC on the Petition
    then sending them to the ARRL CEO is not the correct route

    However, if you are frustrated that is has taken over Two months for the ARRL to let us know about this petition for new rule making
    then by all means voicing that to the ARRL CEO is worth your time.

    By Now (over two months since this petition was filed to the FCC) on most Petitions for rule making
    The ARRL in the past would have already posted their stance (Comment to the FCC and shown it’s members those comments) on this petition.

    Knowing the wording the ARRL would use in opposition of this petition, helps each of us compose a comment to the rule making with the FCC website.

    So for most of you reading this still………

    Your thinking How do I go about posting a comment of this proposed rule to the FCC
    That answer with instructions is at the following link. However, I would wait another week and lets see if indeed the League does come through with suggested comments we might use.

    https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/how-comment

    73
    Steve
    KG5VK

    July 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm #39403
    Steven Smith
    Participant

    Here is another YouTube via on this Topic from W2RJ………

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRfgDulMFBU

    Ria does a good job calmly explaining the issues which we MIGHT face with these “Financial Trade Short Wave Stations”

    I still believe the ARRL is at fault for not informing us sooner about this petition for new rule making which was filled April the 11th of this year
    The petition is dated 28 April and we were just recently informed by the ARRL on the petition.

    Steve
    KG5VK

    July 15, 2023 at 10:34 am #39404
    Steven Smith
    Participant

    One last post (maybe) on this subject……….

     

    Reframing my earlier message on the Current FCC petition RM-11953

    ARRL NTX Section Members…

    Knowing now that there are over twenty Fast Trading Stations already on the air and
    that there have been zero complaints of amateur radio interference.

    I want to reframe my earlier message about their current FCC petition. (RM-11953)

    The current petition is to make these experimental stations fully licensed,
    so that they may be used routinely.

    There have been zero RF complaints.
    Knowing, this we should all exercise calm, especially myself.

    I am concerned that the ARRL has fallen in keeping us all current
    on relevant topics to our members.

    The league did post the following back in June of 2018

    “Experiments Look to Leverage Low-Latency HF to Shave Microseconds off Trade Times”

    arrl.org/news/experiments-look-to-leverage-low-latency-hf-to-shave-microseconds-off-trade-times?

    I have found no other relevant information on the ARRL website,
    using keyword search on the ARRL website.

    Until the recent notice of the Proposed rule RM-11953 on ARRL website the 11th of this Month.

    Twenty of these stations were not built overnight
    and we have not been updated on this, RM-11953 was posted with the FCC on April 28, 2023

    The ARRL posted this as a news item on their website on July 11, 2023

    What occurred to cause a delay of two months in us being given information on RM-11953 ?

    Knowledge is power,
    it allows us to know when to voice concern and when to sit idle and remain calm.

    My attempt to help inform members by referencing a YouTube post was probably not a good choice.

    With the lack of information, I made that mistake.
    Knowledge based on any single source should be held with skepticism.

    Again, my bad.

    In my effort to keep the members informed
    within our ARRL Section since April 2019
    as your Section Manager.

    I screwed up this time, apologies.

    I wish to express thanks to Jay Terleski WX0B
    For sharing his in-depth knowledge on this subject with me.

    73
    Steve
    KG5VK

    August 5, 2023 at 1:26 pm #39439
    Phillip Beall
    Keymaster

    Steve,

    You are right to be concerned.  No less than the Wall Street Journal has now picked the story up – Ham Radio Enthusiasts vs. High-Frequency Traders:  A Battle for the Airwaves.  That link is provided by my WSJ subscription as a gift for me to pass it along.  Everyone please go read it for the latest info from a well regarded media source.  Unfortunately the free link does not allow access to it, but the reader comments at the end are interesting…

    Phillip

    • This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by Phillip Beall. Reason: Added reader comments note
    August 5, 2023 at 3:08 pm #39444
    Phillip Beall
    Keymaster

    My reader comment:

    August 9, 2023 at 7:08 am #39447
    Steven Smith
    Participant

    ARRL Files Comments Against “Seriously Flawed” HF Rules Petition  

    A portion of the ARRL Filed Comments on the Proposed Rule Making is below…….

    To see the complete Comments ARRL members may click on this Link

    ———————————————————————————————————————————
    08/02/2023   ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio®, as part of its mission to protect Amateur Radio, has filed comments against a proposal that would introduce high-power digital communications to the shortwave spectrum that in many instances is immediately adjacent to the Amateur HF bands.

    The “Shortwave Modernization Coalition” (SMC), which represents certain high-frequency stock trading interests, filed the petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). (Previous coverage can be found on ARRL News.) ARRL responded on behalf of its members and the 760,000 licensees of the Amateur Radio Service in the US.

    The ARRL Laboratory performed a detailed technical analysis over several months to determine if the proposed rules would affect operations on the bands allocated to Radio Amateurs that are inter-mixed with the Part 90 bands in the spectrum in question.

    ARRL’s analysis determined that, if the proposed rules are adopted, the new operations inevitably will cause significant harmful interference to many users of adjacent and nearby spectrum, including Amateur Radio licensees. Ed Hare, W1RFI, a 37-year veteran of the ARRL Lab and internationally recognized expert on radio frequency interference, was the principal investigator on the study. Hare concluded the petition should not be granted. “This petition seeks to put 50 kHz wide, 20,000-watt signals immediately next to seven different amateur bands with weaker protections against interference than required in other services,” said Hare.

    In its formal opposition, ARRL stated, “That destructive interference would result if operations commenced using anything close to the proposed maximum levels.”

    ———————————

    Steve KG5VK

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