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Proposed Air-Ground Broadband for Passengers Aboard Aircraft
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The FCC has proposed the establishment of a new air-ground mobile broadband service in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band. The current primary allocation is to the Fixed Satellite Service. The FCC proposes to achieve compatibility through “spatial diversity” rules, which would limit the directions in which antennas can point. Since the 14.0-14.5 GHz band is used for sending transmissions from the Earth towards satellites orbiting over the equator, U.S. earth stations all point south, more or less. Antennas in the proposed system would point north (in the case of ground stations) or downwards (in the case of the antennas on the aircraft), which should reduce their interference with satellite users.
The following information is edited from the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,FCC 13-66:
We propose to establish a new, terrestrial-based air-ground mobile broadband service with aircraft in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band. The service would provide multi-gigabit broadband connectivity to aircraft flying within the contiguous United States. The service is intended for the business and personal use of passengers aboard aircraft, and will have no role in aeronautical operations or as a safety of life and property service.
The 14.0-14.5 GHz band is allocated on a primary basis to the FSS as an uplink (Earth-to-space) band for geostationary orbit (GSO) FSS operations. The air-ground mobile broadband service would operate on a secondary basis to GSO satellite systems and future non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems, and on a co-secondary basis with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) that operates under a Federal Fixed Service (FS) and Mobile Service (MS) allocation. In addition to coordinating with NASA TDRSS in the 14.0-14.2 GHz band, we propose that air-ground mobile broadband would also be required to coordinate with Radio Astronomy Service (RAS) users in the 14.47-14.5 GHz band, in accordance with the procedures set forth for other services in this band. To implement this service, we propose to amend Part 2 of the rules to add a secondary allocation in the non-Federal Aeronautical Mobile Service (AMS) for air-ground mobile broadband in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band.
We propose that under the rules we implement for the 14.0-14.5 GHz band to support the new allocation, we would require a licensee to use this spectrum for air-ground mobile broadband only. We also seek comment regarding the appropriate regulatory framework for the proposed provision of service. We seek comment on our proposal to classify the services as Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) given the proposed air-ground use of the spectrum. With respect to whether and how to apportion the spectrum, we seek comment on Qualcomm’s proposal to create two 250 megahertz licenses as well as on alternate approaches such as licensing the entire 500 megahertz of spectrum to a single licensee or dividing the spectrum into more than two blocks. Given the proposed air-ground use of the band, we propose to license the spectrum on a nationwide basis. We also seek comment on whether to adopt an open eligibility standard and whether to adopt any specific aggregation limits applicable to the initial licensing of the band.
To the extent that we adopt a geographic licensing scheme for the 14.0-14.5 GHz band, and permit the filing of mutually exclusive applications, we seek comment on a number of proposals relating to competitive bidding. We propose that the Commission conduct an auction in conformity with the general competitive bidding rules set forth in Part 1, Subpart Q, of the Commission’s rules, and seek comment regarding bidding credits for small businesses.
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Frequency Bands |
| Band | Use | Service | Table |
| 14 - 14.5 GHz | - | ARMR | N |
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Radio Astronomy Formaldehyde (H2CO) Observations
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Radio astronomers observe molecular lines of formaldehyde at both 14.49 GHz and 4830 MHz. According to the European Science Foundation's Committee on Radio Astronomy Frequencies (CRAF):
At 14.4885 GHz an important formaldehyde (H2CO) line exists, which has been observed in the direction of many galactic sources. Since these lines originate from the upper levels of ortho-formaldehyde their study gives valuable information on the physical conditions of the interstellar medium, because the excitation energies required to produce such lines are different from the energies required to produce the H2CO lines observed at 4829.66 MHz.
There is no formal allocation to the radio astronomy service in these bands, but the international footnote 5.149 and the U.S. footnote US203 note that consideration should be taken to the use of 14.47-14.5 GHz and 4825-4835 MHz band segments for radio astronomy.
In the U.S., there is an increasing use of the entire 14-14.5 GHz band by vehicle-, ship-, and airplane-based Internet terminals that communicate through geostationary satellites (14-14.5 GHz is used as the uplink band). Such activities are required by the FCC to be coordinated with the radio astronomy service.
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Frequency Bands |
| Band | Use | Service | Table |
| 4825 - 4835 MHz | Radio astronomy observations of formaldehyde (4829.66 MHz) | Radio Astronomy | - |
| 14.47 - 14.5 GHz | Radio astronomy observations of formaldehyde (14.4885 GHz) | Radio Astronomy | - |
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