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Allocations

Intro to Allocations

U.S. Non-Federal-Government Allocations

137.8 - 160 kHz
FIXED
MARITIME MOBILE

5.64 US2

FCC Rule Parts:
Maritime (80)

U.S. Federal Government Allocations

137.8 - 160 kHz
FIXED
MARITIME MOBILE

5.64 US2

ITU Region 1 Allocations

148.5 - 255 kHz
BROADCASTING

5.68 5.69 5.70

ITU Region 2 Allocations

137.8 - 160 kHz
FIXED
MARITIME MOBILE

5.64

ITU Region 3 Allocations

137.8 - 160 kHz
FIXED
MARITIME MOBILE
RADIONAVIGATION

5.64

SpectrumWiki

Aeronautical Nondirectional Radiobeacons (NDBs)

Longwave Broadcasting

Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)

LowFER Band

Amateur Radio 2200-meter Band

Footnotes

5.64 Only classes A1A or F1B, A2C, A3C, F1C or F3C emissions are authorized for stations of the fixed service in the bands allocated to this service between 90 kHz and 160 kHz (148.5 kHz in Region 1) and for stations of the maritime mobile service in the bands allocated to this service between 110 kHz and 160 kHz (148.5 kHz in Region 1). Exceptionally, class J2B or J7B emissions are also authorized in the bands between 110 kHz and 160 kHz (148.5 kHz in Region 1) for stations of the maritime mobile service.

5.68 Alternative allocation: in Congo (Rep. of the), the Dem. Rep. of the Congo and South Africa, the frequency band 160-200 kHz is allocated to the fixed service on a primary basis. (WRC 15)

5.69 Additional allocation: in Somalia, the band 200-255 kHz is also allocated to the aeronautical radionavigation service on a primary basis.

5.70 Alternative allocation: in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Central African Rep., Congo (Rep. of the), Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Oman, the Dem. Rep. of the Congo, South Africa, Tanzania, Chad, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the frequency band 200-283.5 kHz is allocated to the aeronautical radionavigation service on a primary basis. (WRC 19)

US2 In the band 9-490 kHz, electric utilities operate Power Line Carrier (PLC) systems on power transmission lines for communications important to the reliability and security of electric service to the public. These PLC systems operate under the provisions of 47 CFR part 15, or Chapter 8 of the NTIA Manual, on an unprotected and non-interference basis with respect to authorized radio users. Notification of intent to place new or revised radio frequency assignments or PLC frequency uses in the band 9-490 kHz is to be made in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the FCC and NTIA, and users are urged to minimize potential interference to the extent practicable. This footnote does not provide any allocation status to PLC radio frequency uses.

SpectrumWiki

Aeronautical Nondirectional Radiobeacons (NDBs)

According to the U.S. Federal Radionavigation Plan (2010):

NDB serve as nonprecision approach aids at some airports; as compass locators, generally collocated with the outer marker of an ILS to assist pilots in getting on the ILS course in a non-radar environment; and as en route navigation aids.

The NAS includes more than 1,300 NDB. Fewer than 300 are owned by the Federal Government; the rest are non-Federal facilities owned predominately by state, municipal, and airport authorities.

FAA has begun decommissioning stand-alone NDB as users equip with GPS. NDB used as compass locators, or as other required fixes for ILS approaches (e.g., initial approach fix, missed approach holding), where no equivalent ground-based means are available, may need to be maintained until the underlying ILS is phased out. Most NDB that define low- frequency airways in Alaska or serve international gateways and certain offshore areas like the Gulf of Mexico will be retained.

Except in Alaskan airspace, no future civil aeronautical uses are envisioned for these bands after the aeronautical NDB system has been decommissioned throughout the rest of the NAS. Marine radiobeacons have been phased out.

...

Further information from the Radionavigation Plan:

Radiobeacons are nondirectional radio transmitting stations that operate in the low- and medium-frequency bands to provide ground wave signals to a receiver. Aeronautical nondirectional beacons are used to supplement VOR-DME for transition from en route to airport precision approach facilities and as a nonprecision approach aid at many airports. An automatic direction finder (ADF) is used to measure the bearing of the transmitter with respect to an aircraft or vessel. Marine radiobeacons have been phased out.

A. Signal Characteristics

Aeronautical NDB operate in the 190 to 415 kHz and 510 to 535 kHz ARNS bands. (Note: NDB in the 285-325 kHz band are secondary to maritime radiobeacons.) Their transmissions include a coded continuous- wave (CCW) or modulated continuous-wave (MCW) signal to identify the station. The CCW signal is generated by modulating a single carrier with either a 400 Hz or a 1,020 Hz tone for Morse code identification. The MCW signal is generated by spacing two carriers either 400 Hz or 1,020 Hz apart and keying the upper carrier to give the Morse code identification.

B. Accuracy

Positional accuracy derived from the bearing information is a function of geometry of the Lines of Position (LOP), the accuracy of compass heading, measurement accuracy, distance from the transmitter, stability of the signal, time of day, nature of the terrain between beacon and craft, and noise. In practice, bearing accuracy is on the order of +/-3 to +/-10 deg. Achievement of +/-3 deg accuracy requires that the ADF be calibrated before it is used for navigation by comparing radio bearings to accurate bearings obtained visually on the transmitting antenna. Since most direction finder receivers will tune to a number of radio frequency bands, transmissions from sources of known location, such as amplitude modulation (AM) broadcast stations, are also used to obtain bearings, generally with less accuracy than obtained from radiobeacon stations. For FAA flight inspection, NDB system accuracy is stated in terms of permissible needle swing: ±5 deg on approaches and +/-10 deg in the en route area.

C. Availability

Availability of Aeronautical NDB is in excess of 99%.

D. Coverage

Extensive NDB coverage is provided by 1,575 ground stations, of which FAA operates 728.

E. Reliability

Reliability is in excess of 99%.

F. Fix Interval

The beacon provides continuous bearing information.

G. Fix Dimensions

In general, one LOP is available from a single radiobeacon. If within range of two or more beacons, a two-dimensional fix may be obtained.

H. System Capacity

An unlimited number of receivers may be used simultaneously.

I. Ambiguity

The only ambiguity that exists in the radiobeacon system is one of reciprocal bearing provided by some receiving equipment that does not employ a sense antenna to resolve direction.

J. Integrity

A radiobeacon is an omnidirectional navigation aid. For aviation radiobeacons, out-of-tolerance conditions are limited to output power reduction below operating minimums and loss of the transmitted station identifying tone. The radiobeacons used for nonprecision approaches are monitored and will shut down within 15 s of an out-of-tolerance condition.

K. Spectrum

Aeronautical NDB operate in the 190-435 and 510-535 kHz frequency bands, portions of which it shares with maritime NDB.

Frequency Bands
Band	Use	Service	Table
190 - 285 kHz	Aeronautical NDBs	Radionavigation	-
285 - 325 kHz	Aeronautical NDBs (secondary to maritime radiobeacons)	Radionavigation	-
325 - 415 kHz	Aeronautical NDBs	Radionavigation	-
510 - 535 kHz	Aeronautical NDBs	Radionavigation	-

External Links:

2010 Federal Radionavigation Plan (U.S. DOD, DHS, and DOT)

NAVAID information lookup (AIRNAV)

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Longwave Broadcasting

In ITU Region 1, and especially in Europe, the 148.5-283.5 kHz band is used for broadcasting. The broadcasts are typically in AM mode, but some stations are operating in, or experimenting with, digital broadcasts using Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). Longwave broadcasting is effectively an extension of the AM broadcast band in Europe. Most car radios, for example, include longwave coverage.

Channels are generally spaced every 9 kHz, beginning at 153 kHz and ending at 279 kHz. European AM broadcast band stations also use 9 kHz spacing (compared to 10 kHz used in other regions, including North America). Not all stations adhere to the longwave channel plan--some operate on 164, 177, 183, 209, and 227 kHz.

During favorable propagation conditions, European longwave stations can be heard in North America, especially on the East Coast during winter nights.

The Wikipedia article, linked below, has an extensive list of longwave stations, with their frequencies and locations.

Frequencies
Frequency	Bandwidth	Use	Service	Table
153 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
162 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
164 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
171 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
177 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
180 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
183 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
189 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
198 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
207 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
209 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
216 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
225 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
227 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
234 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
243 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
252 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
261 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
270 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-
279 kHz	9 kHz	Region 1 longwave broadcasting	Broadcasting	-

External Links:

Longwave (Wikipedia)

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Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)

The Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN) was a radio communications system designed to relay emergency messages between strategic military areas in the continental United States. The system was claimed to be immune to the effects of high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) energy surges caused by nuclear detonations in the ionosphere, which would disrupt the nation's electric power line transmission capability, cripple electronic devices, and adversely affect skywave communications networks based on conventional electronics. A failure of such equipment would prevent timely communications among top military and civilian leaders and strategic Air Force locations and prevent U.S. assessment and retaliation during an attack.

The GWEN system was a network of relay nodes, receive-only stations, and input/output stations. Each relay node consisted of a guyed radio tower facility similar to those used by commercial AM broadcast transmitters. Relay nodes provided essential connections with adjacent nodes in the network. Each GWEN station operated intermittently in the LF radio band at 150-175 kHz. The peak broadcast power for each GWEN tower was between 2,000 and 3,000 watts, depending on local soil conditions.

After the end of the Cold War, and because of lingering protests over radio frequency interference and adverse health effects (including claims that GWEN could be used for "mind control"), the network was defunded in 1994.

[Note: The GWEN frequency table in the referenced Wikipedia article appears to be incorrect, since it lists frequencies in the 285-325 kHz band, which is not the band used by GWEN.]

Frequency Bands
Band	Use	Service	Table
150 - 175 kHz	Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN)	Fixed	F

External Links:

AN/URC-117 Ground Wave Emergency Network (Wikipedia)

Associated Files:

	GWEN Environmental Assessment U.S. Air Force Ground Wave Emergency Network Environmental Assessment

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LowFER Band

The Low Frequency ExpeRimentation (LowFER) band encompasses a range of frequencies for low power experimental use allowed by the FCC's Part 15 rules. Radio experimenters operate beacon stations in this band. Part 15.217 of the FCC's rules allows up to 1 watt of input power to the final stage of the transmitter, and up to 15 m total length of feed line and antenna. Such limitations create very challenging circumstances for communication over any significant distance, but that is the challenge that attracts many experimenters.

Frequency Bands
Band	Use	Service	Table
160 - 190 kHz	LowFER band	-	-

External Links:

LowFER (Wikipedia)

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Amateur Radio 2200-meter Band

The FCC added a secondary allocation to amateur radio in the 135.7-137.8 kHz band (the "2200 meter band") in its WRC-07 Report and Order, issued in 2015 (FCC 15-50, available below in the documents section).

Amateur stations in this band are limited to 1 W EIRP, but other service rules for the band have not been finalized. These rules will concentrate on reducing the possibility of interference to Power Line Communications (PLC) systems that operate throughout the 9-490 kHz range.

Antennas in this band will generally be of very low efficiency. A half-wave dipole would require a wire over 1 km in length.

Frequency Bands
Band	Use	Service	Table
135.7 - 137.8 kHz	Amateur Radio 2200-meter Band	AM	N

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Related Documents, Links, and Multimedia:

FCC Proceeding (1)

FCC WRC-12 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 15-50)

In the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (WRC-12 Notice), we propose to amend Parts 2, 15, 80, 90, 97, and 101 of the Commission’s rules to implement allocation decisions from the WRC-12 Final Acts and make certain updates to our rules. Specifically, we propose to:

• Allocate the 8.3-11.3 kHz band to the meteorological aids service on a primary basis.

• Allocate the 472-479 kHz band (630 meter band) to the amateur service on a secondary basis.

• Amend the amateur service rules to provide for use of the 135.7-137.8 kHz (2200 meter) and 472-479 kHz (630 meter) bands. Amateur stations would share the band with power line carrier (PLC) systems operated by electric utilities. Amateur stations would be permitted to operate in these bands at fixed locations when separated from electric transmission lines by a specified distance.

• Amend Part 80 of the Commission’s rules to authorize radio buoy operations in the 1900-2000 kHz band under a ship station license.

• Limit the use of the 495-505 kHz band to the maritime mobile service.

• Allocate seven frequency bands (4.438-4.488 MHz, 5.25-5.275 MHz, 16.1-16.2 MHz, 24.45-24.65 MHz, 26.2-26.42 MHz, 41.015-41.665 MHz, and 43.35-44 MHz) to the radiolocation service (RLS) on a primary basis for Federal and non-Federal use, allocate the 13.45-13.55 MHz band to the RLS on a secondary basis for Federal and non-Federal use, limit the use of these RLS allocations to oceanographic radars, require that these radars not cause harmful interference to, or claim protection from, existing and future stations in the incumbent fixed and mobile services, and amend Part 90 of the Commission’s rules accordingly.

• Reallocate the 156.7625-156.7875 MHz (AIS 3) and 156.8125-156.8375 MHz (AIS 4) bands to the MSS (Earth-to-space) on a primary basis for Federal and non-Federal use to allow for greater probability of vessel tracking, with resulting benefits to maritime safety and security.

• Seek comment on the ability of Federal/non-Federal AMT stations to share spectrum with the incumbent services in the 4400-4940 MHz and 5925-6700 MHz bands.

• Extend the AM(R)S allocation from the 5091-5150 MHz band (adopted in the WRC-07 R&O) by also allocating the 5000-5091 MHz range to the AM(R)S on a primary basis for Federal and non-Federal use. AM(R)S use of the smaller 5000-5030 MHz range would extend the tuning range for AeroMACS, with the use of the 5010-5030 MHz band limited to those requirements that cannot be meet in the 5000-5010 MHz and 5091-5150 MHz bands. AM(R)S use of the 5030-5091 MHz band would support line-of-sight control links for unmanned aircraft.

• Allocate the 7850-7900 MHz band to the meteorological-satellite service (space-to-Earth) on a primary basis for Federal use.

• Allocate the 15.4-15.7 GHz band to the RLS on a primary basis for Federal use.

• Allocate the 22.55-23.15 GHz band to the space research service (SRS) (Earth-to-space) on a primary basis for Federal and non-Federal use and allocate the 25.5-27 GHz band to the SRS (space-to-Earth) on a primary basis for non-Federal use.

• Delete the aeronautical mobile service allocation from the 37-38 GHz band.

• Encourage operators of fixed stations operating in the 81-86 GHz and 92-94 GHz bands to take all reasonable steps to ensure that their unwanted emissions power in the 86-92 GHz band does not exceed the levels recommended by WRC-12.

Frequencies/Bands

8.3 - 11.3 kHz

135.7 - 137.8 kHz

472 - 479 kHz

495 - 505 kHz

1900 - 2000 kHz

4438 - 4488 kHz

5250 - 5275 kHz

13450 - 13550 kHz

16100 - 16200 kHz

24450 - 24650 kHz

26200 - 26420 kHz

41.015 - 41.665 MHz

43.35 - 44 MHz

156.775 MHz

156.825 MHz

4400 - 4940 MHz

5000 - 5150 MHz

5925 - 6700 MHz

7850 - 7900 MHz

15.4 - 15.7 GHz

22.55 - 23.15 GHz

25.5 - 27 GHz

37 - 38 GHz

86 - 92 GHz

275 - 3000 GHz

Document type and status: FCC proceeding (Current)
Document date or date of hyperlink query: July 29, 2015

FCC WRC-12 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 15-50)

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Engineering Data

	Lower Frequency	Center Frequency	Upper Frequency
Frequency	137.8 kHz	196.4 kHz	255 kHz
Wavelength	2175.6 m	1526.4 m	1175.7 m
Band designator(s)	LF	LF	LF
Isotropic collecting area	376,645.8 m²	185,416.6 m²	109,989.5 m²
Free space loss (1 m)	N/A (near field)	N/A (near field)	N/A (near field)
Free space loss (1 km)	15.2 dB	18.3 dB	16.5 dB
Free space loss (10 km)	35.2 dB	38.3 dB	36.5 dB
Free space loss (100 km)	55.2 dB	58.3 dB	56.5 dB
Free space loss (1000 km)	75.2 dB	78.3 dB	76.5 dB
Free space loss (35,786 km = GEO orbit)	106.3 dB	109.4 dB	107.6 dB
Free space loss (378,370 km = Moon)	126.8 dB	129.9 dB	128.1 dB