H

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF CIVIL AND DEFENSE MOBILIZATION
Washington 25, D. C.

The attached outline of interim criteria will be used by the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization in the process of reviewing requests for radio frequencies and is presented as a matter of information to all Federal users of radio.

As indicated in the outline, the review at this time will be confined to requests for radio frequency assignments for space communication, as well as for other services within specified portions of the radio spectrum.

The guidelines apply to consideration of specific requests for radio frequency assignments by Federal Government agencies, and are interim in nature. Far more information regarding space communication and the interference patterns that will affect its use must be available before a more definitive approach is possible.

It is recognized that the U. S. space program may, in the future, include space telecommunication systems operated by both Government and nonGovernment entities. In such event, correlation of Government and nonGovernment activities will be required in several areas such as financial arrangements, research and development, radio spectrum usage, international aspects, launching controls, satellite controls, operational system control, and system sharing. These matters will require intensive and complete national coordination by all of the entities concerned. However, a sound national (and international) approach to these problems can only be achieved after sufficient additional information has been amassed and evaluated.

Agencies are urged to maintain close coordination between their system planners on the one hand and their frequency allocation people on the other, in order to avoid making costly commitments in parts of the radio spectrum where frequencies may not be available.

The provision of radio spectrum allocations for space telecommunication may require revision of Government frequency allocations and relocation of some Government radio operations. It should therefore be recognized by all concerned that, pending the provision of frequency allocations for space telecommunication, existing and future frequency assignments are subject to possible review and readjustment.

Attachment

80559 O-62-15

(Signed)

F. C. Alexander

Director of Telecommunications

INTERIM CRITERIA GOVERNING OCDM REVIEW OF REQUESTS BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOR

THE USE OF RADIO FREQUENCIES IN SPACE COMMUNICATION

AND

THE USE OF RADIO FREQUENCIES IN FIXED AND MOBILE
BANDS ABOVE 7125 MC/S FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Recognizing that space communication is vital to the Nation and that suitable frequency bands must be made available for its use, and further recognizing that day-to-day requirements must continue to be met, the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization indicated some time past that it would be necessary to review:

1.

2.

Requests for frequencies for space telecommunication use in
other than the frequency bands allocated for space research;

Requests for frequencies for conventional (non-space)
telecommunication use in the Government fixed and mobile
bands above 7125 Mc/s.

The OCDM developed certain interim guidelines to assist in the review of such requests. They are as follows:

2.

3.

Assignments for research and development in the field of space telecommunication will be approved when practicable, due consideration being given to the avoidance of harmful interference to essential services, and contingent upon the selection of areas appropriate for the eventual operation.

When assignments of radio frequencies for satellite relay
communication are made, however, they shall include
provision for protection against harmful interference from
other operations on the same or adjacent frequencies, where
required for the achievement of the objective in each case.
Assignment for satellite relay communication generally
need not afford such protection to others, provided that sound
engineering principles are applied.

Approval of assignments of radio frequencies in fixed and
mobile bands above 7125 Mc/s shall be on a contingent basis
until allocations for satellite relay communication have been
decided upon subject to the conditions that:

a.

b.

If harmful interference to future space communication operations results from such assignments, the entire matter will be reviewed in order to determine wherein lies the balance of national interest;

If the balance is determined to be in favor of the space communication assignments, any approval previously indicated for the non-space assignments will no longer prevail.

March 3, 1961

OCDM-DC 35223

I

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF CIVIL AND DEFENSE MOBILIZATION
Washington 25, D. C.

Office of the Director

July 6, 1960

Honorable Frederick W. Ford

Chairman

Federal Communications Commission
Washington 25, D. C.

Dear Mr. Chairman:

This will refer to your letter to Mr. Alexander dated May 18, 1960, about the reopening of your Docket No. 11866 relative to space communication.

I am of the opinion that space communication will be of vital importance to
future activities in space as well as to our radio communication capabili-
ties. I have therefore instructed my staff to exercise extreme caution
with respect to the establishment of new or changed allocations of spectrum
space above 1000 megacycles pending results of some of the intensive work
being performed in both the space and satellite communication fields.

The Executive Branch may be able to work out a process under which new
allocations or assignments made above 1000 Mc/s generally would be subject
to review and possible change until such time as the needs of space
communication are more clearly defined and satisfied. I have asked my
staff to study this and attempt to work out coordinated procedures to achieve
this objective.

I urge the Commission to join this office in its view that, until space
communication needs are known, care should be exercised in satisfying
requirements of other radio services to avoid the establishment of new "rights"
in the spectrum above 1000 Mc/s which would make more difficult the
ultimate satisfaction of vital space communication requirements.

In view of the national importance of spectrum allocation for space communication, we believe that it is highly desirable to coordinate Government and non-Government needs. However, we do not believe the best means of coordination to be the participation of the Federal Government in the proceedings of the Commission.