Galileo GNSS/GPS – FCC to vote on use of signals in USA

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it will vote in November on whether to allow U.S. GPS receivers to access the Galileo global navigation satellite system (GNSS).

From an Amateur Radio perspective the key part is that the FCC will only be voting to waive its licensing requirements for non-federal operations with Galileo channels E1 and E5, subject to certain technical constraints.

This means they will not be voting on the E6 channel 1260-1300 MHz, these frequencies are also Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Service allocations. This suggests for 1260-1300 MHz the situation in the USA will be unchanged, the unlicensed use of the Galileo signal on channel E6 will not be permitted for non-Federal operations in the USA.

Read the Reuters story which also says Ajit Pai is proposing the first comprehensive review of the FCC’s orbital debris rules since their adoption in 2004
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-fcc-gps-europe/fcc-to-vote-to-allow-u-s-devices-to-use-european-navigation-system-idUSKCN1MY2X6

2006 article – Galileo and amateur radio operations in 1260-1300 MHz
http://www.southgatearc.org/articles/galileo.htm