Vehicular
radar systems that help with parking and collision prevention are becoming more
and more common, increasing the need for spectrum on which to operate. The FCC,
which already has allocated 76-77 GHz to the radar systems, is now looking at
the entire 76-81 GHz band, which is currently a shared-use ham band, with
amateur radio having a primary allocation at 77.5-78 GHz. 
The FCC action is in
response to a petition for rulemaking by Robert Bosch LLC. Bosch said in its
filing that it had met several times with ARRL technical staff and, according
to the ARRL Letter, "is unconvinced … that there is any 'significant
incompatibility' " between current amateur operations on the band and its
short-range radar system.
The FCC, however, notes that it had previously
suspended amateur operation at 76-77 GHz to prevent interference with radar
systems and wants to be sure that any rules affecting amateur use of the full
band are applied "in a comprehensive and consistent manner." It is
looking for input on possible alternative spectrum in the same frequency ranges
for amateur use. The proceeding is ET Docket 15-26.
