Continuing the discussion from 70cms band use to close in 2026 ! (Part 1) - #100 by M0PAB.
Previous discussions:
To M0PAB: The B licence started in 1964, for the first year it was 70cm and the higher bands, phone only (AM at that time though a few experimented with FM.) The following year the licence was amended to permit CW. At that time we operated crystal controlled with a geographical band plan, each area had its own 200 kHz of band, in an opening you called a long CQ and tuned 432 to 434, listening for long replies! Most of us used long yagis (mine was a 13el parabeam) so it was a long CQ, tune the band, no reply, turn the beam 30deg and call again. A slow process!
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An interesting bit of history !
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AMSAT-UK is reporting that AST have been granted permission by the FCC to use 5x 50kHz channels on the 70cm band for emergency telemetry/control: AST SpaceMobile to use 430 MHz band for 248 satellites | AMSAT-UK
This is less bandwidth than the 256 kHz originally requested.
There isn’t much mention of the representations from the amateur radio community or others regarding the 70cm band, and the FCC say they’ve had no reports of the existing satellites causing any interference on the band (note 29 on page 8 of the FCC announcement)
Make 270 Great Again. 
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