  We present radio continuum observations of the planetary nebula (PN) IRAS
17347-3139 (one of the only two known to harbour water maser emission), made to
derive its spectral index and the turnover frequency of the emission. The
spectrum of the source rises in the whole frequency range sampled, from 2.4 to
24.9 GHz, although the spectral index seems to decrease at the highest
frequencies (0.79+-0.04 between 4.3 and 8.9 GHz, and 0.64+-0.06 between 16.1
and 24.9 GHz). This suggests a turnover frequency around 20 GHz (which is
unusual among PNe, whose radio emission usually becomes optically thin at
frequencies < 10 GHz), and a relatively high emission measure (1.5 x 10^9
cm^{-6} pc). The radio continuum emission has increased by a factor of ~1.26 at
8.4 GHz in 13 years, which can be explained as expansion of the ionized region
by a factor of ~1.12 in radius with a dynamical age of ~120 yr and at an
expansion velocity of ~5-40 km/s. These radio continuum characteristics,
together with the presence of water maser emission and a strong optical
extinction suggest that IRAS 17347-3139 is one of the youngest PNe known, with
a relatively massive progenitor star.
