7 GHz Band Study

NTIA 7 GHz Band Study

The OB3 act passed by Congress and signed into law instructs the Assistant Secretary of the NTIA to identify 500 megahertz of Federal assigned spectrum for reallocation to non-Federal use, shared Federal and non-Federal use, or a combination thereof, for full-power commercial licensed use cases. As part of this effort the frequencies between 7.125 - 7.4 GHz were identified as one of the frequency ranges to be studied for possible spectrum reallocation.

In addition, a presidential memorandum on Winning the 6G race provided further guidance and specifically notes that reallocation is not expected for geographic sites that are used for satellite telemetry uplink and radio astronomy as identified by the Assistant Secretary.

To support these efforts and provide technical support the NRAO participates in this band study supporting NSF and NTIA in analysis and preparation of the Radio Astronomy Line of Effort that summarizes technical characteristics of radio astronomy observations and their operations, as well as provides analysis defining regions around U.S. radio astronomy observatories that would be impacted by deployments of wireless technologies in the study band.

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Figure showing propagation simulation example calculating signal attenuation around a particular location taking terrain into account.

NRAO leverages the development of advanced spectrum monitors to contribute to this study as a means for monitoring spectrum use in the study band before and after spectrum reallocation to support maximizing the geographic use of full-power commercial use, while protecting the important mission radio astronomical observatories full-fill, which range from fundamental research, to supporting space exploration, technology development, and maintaining operational support for ground and space-based applications.

Under this project we also support field experimentation that inform propagation characteristics of transmissions at this frequency range. So far we have conducted and supported two experiments at the VLA:

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The NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and NSF Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Founded in 1956, the NSF NRAO provides state-of-the-art radio telescope facilities for use by the international scientific community. NSF NRAO telescopes are open to all astronomers regardless of institutional or national affiliation. Observing time on NSF NRAO telescopes is available on a competitive basis to qualified scientists after evaluation of research proposals on the basis of scientific merit, the capability of the instruments to do the work, and the availability of the telescope during the requested time. NSF NRAO also provides both formal and informal programs in education and public outreach for teachers, students, the general public, and the media.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (U.S. NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense..."

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