Puerto Rico Coordination Zone (PRCZ)
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory has taken on management of PRCZ coordination activities for the period 2023-2026. Please direct any questions about coordination to the PRCZ Program Administrator, Angel Vazquez.
Pursuant to paragraph 25 of the FCCs Report and Order on a Radio Astronomy Coordination Zone in Puerto Rico, most applicants in the following services are required to coordinate their applications with NRAO: applicants for fixed or base stations below 15 GHz in Part 5,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,73,74,78,80,87,90,95,97, and 101. The coordination procedures do not apply to applications for mobile stations in land mobile radio services, temporary base or temporary fixed stations (other than short term broadcast auxiliary operations) Civil Air Patrol, new Amateur stations (other than beacon and repeater stations within 10 miles of the Observatory) Part 25 mobile Earth station terminals, or stations aboard ships or aircraft. Pursuant to paragraph 15 of the FCCs Report and Order, affected applicants must send the following information to NRAO by e-mail, no later than the time of filing their application at the FCC:
- Geographic coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83 datum)
- Antenna height above ground
- Ground elevation
- Antenna direction and gain, if any
- Proposed frequency and FCC Rule Part
- Type of emission
- Effective radiated power or effective isotropic radiated power.
- Whether the proposed use is itinerant
PRCZ Interference Guidelines
The table below gives the ITU recommendations for the thresholds of detrimental interference in bands below 15 GHz where the Radio Astronomy Service has Primary allocations (ITU-R RA769-1), further described in Table below, "Handbook on Radio Astronomy", Radio communication Bureau, Geneva, 1995). The band 1330 -1400 MHz, in which the ITU asks that all practicable steps be taken to protect the Radio Astronomy Service, is particularly important at Arecibo Observatory, and has been included in the table, as have the bands 425 - 435 MHz and 2370 - 2390 MHz used with the ionosphere and planetary radar systems.
Direct transmission as well as harmonic, spurious, out of band or other unwanted emission into these bands above these levels is to be avoided.
| Frequency (MHz) | Bandwidth (MHz) | Threshold level of spectral power flux density (dbW/sq.meter/Hz) |
| 13.36 - 13.41 | 0.05 | -248 |
| 25.55 - 25.67 | 0.12 | -249 |
| 73.0 - 74.6 | 1.6 | -258 |
| 322.0 - 328.6 | 6.6 | -258 |
| 406.1 - 410.0 | 3.9 | -255 |
| 425.0 - 435.0 | 10.0 (Radar) | -255 |
| 608.0 - 614.0 | 6.0 | -253 |
| 1330 - 1400 | 70.0 (Footnote) | -255 |
| 1400 - 1427 | 27.0 | -255 |
| 1610.6 - 1613.8 | 3.2 | -238 |
| 1660 - 1670 | 10.0 | -251 |
| 2370 - 2390 | 20.0 (Radar) | -247 |
| 2690 - 2700 | 10.0 | -247 |
| 4800 - 4990 | 190.0 (Secondary) | -241 |
| 4990 - 5000 | 10.0 | -241 |
| 10600 - 10700 | 100.0 | -240 |
Part 5 of Chapter I of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations states:
5.70 Notification to NRAO.
Any applicant for a new permanent base or fixed station to be located on the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, and Culebra, or for a modification of an existing authorization which would change the frequency, power, antenna height, directivity, or location of a station on these islands and would increase the likelihood of the authorized facility causing interference, shall notify Angel Vazquez, PRCZ Program Administrator, electronically via prcz@nrao.edu. Communications should include all technical parameters of the proposal. Applicants may wish to consult PRCZ interference guidelines, provided in the table above.
(1) The notification to the Interference Office, shall be made prior to, or simultaneously with, the filing of the application with the Commission (FCC). The notification shall state the geographical coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83 datum), antenna height above ground, ground elevation at the antenna, antenna directivity and gain, proposed frequency and FCC Rule Part, type of emission, effective radiated power, and whether the proposed use is itinerant.
Generally, submission of the information in the technical portion of the FCC license application is adequate notification. In addition, the applicant shall indicate in its application to the Commission the date notification was made to NRAO.
(2) After receipt of such applications, the Commission will allow NRAO a period of 20 days for comments or objections in response to the notification indicated. The applicant will be required to make reasonable efforts in order to resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo Observatory and to file either an amendment to the application or a modification application, as appropriate. If the Commission determines that an applicant has satisfied its responsibility to make reasonable efforts to protect the Observatory from interference, its application may be granted.
(3) The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to operations that transmit on frequencies above 15 GHz.
* "All amateur radio stations are excluded with the exception of repeaters and beacon station modifications or installations within a 10 mile radius".
