Does a band allocation to "Amateur", "Fixed", and "Mobile" mean that it's for amateur radio use by fixed and mobile services, or does it mean that all these services are separate but equal?

If it is the latter case, what kind of services fall under "Fixed" and "Mobile", because it sounds very broad.


In my country's frequency allocation document, it has the following table for the amateur radio 2M band:

|                         Allocation to Services                            |
| Frequency | ITU - Region 3                    | Pakistan’s Allocations    |
| 144 – 146 | AMATEUR                           | AMATEUR                   |
|           | AMATEUR-SATELLITE                 | AMATEUR-SATELLITE         |
|           | 5.216                             |                           |
| 146 – 148 | AMATEUR                           | AMATEUR                   |
|           | FIXED                             | FIXED                     |
|           | MOBILE                            | MOBILE                    |
|           | 5.217                             |                           |

The same document contains the following definitions:

  • "Allocation (of a frequency band): Entry in the Table of Frequency Allocations of a given frequency band for the purpose of its use by one or more terrestrial or space Radiocommunication services or the radio astronomy service under specified conditions. This term shall also be applied to the frequency band concerned." (Page 6)
  • "Fixed service: A radiocommunication service between specified fixed points." (Page 6)
  • "Mobile service: A radiocommunication service between mobile and land stations, or between mobile stations." (Page 6)
  • "Amateur service: A radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest." (Page 8)

N.B. I could have tagged this as ITU - Region 3, or Pakistan, but I believe the question is broader than both these tags.


The definitions already cover everything. Fixed and Mobile are separate from Amateur; Fixed is used for private/commercial/public safety/etc. uses where both ends of the link are in fixed locations, and Mobile is for communications between mobile stations (handhelds, vehicles, aircraft, etc.), or between fixed base stations and mobile stations.

The Amateur service allows both fixed and mobile uses according to the laws of wherever you are, regardless of whether a band is also allocated to the Fixed or Mobile services (or both, or neither).

  • $\begingroup$ So these are separate and equally allocated services, and Fixed and Mobile are like catch-all categories, correct? $\endgroup$ – Amin Shah Gilani Jun 26 at 16:54
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @AminShahGilani they're no more catch-all than "amateur" is, but yes :) $\endgroup$ – hobbs - KC2G Jun 26 at 22:13

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