If passed in its present form, HR607 would take away the 420-440 MHz segment of the 70 cm band from amateurs and reallocate it for other use. This move has generated quite a bit of publicity, though, and most people seem to be against this reallocation.
On the PR mailing list, there was a bit of good news. John, K7VE, posted this note from his representative, Jay Inslee:
March 30, 2011
Dear Mr. Hays:
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 607, the Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011. I appreciate hearing from you.
Like you, I agree that amateur broadcasters should be equipped with the tools and spectrum to respond to emergencies. H.R. 607 allocates a segment of the 700 megahertz block of spectrum (“the D-Block”) for public safety use. The original version of this bill would reallocate and auction paired spectrum in the 420-440 megahertz and 450-470 megahertz bands, currently used by amateur radio operators for emergency communications. However, you may be happy to learn that the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Peter King, has announced that the bill will be amended to protect those frequencies for their current users. H.R. 607 has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, on which I sit. Should the Committee consider the bill, I will be sure to keep your concerns in mind.
Very truly yours,
JAY INSLEE
Member of Congress
Todd Mitchell, NØART says
Encouraging words. Thanks for sharing them with us.
John Marra says
It’s nice to see someone’s listening in Congress. What amazes me is that they don’t need our spectrum for Kings planned Broadband network. He wants to auction it off to reclaim lost revenue.