WRC-12 Enters Third Week

The ITU’s 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) has now entered its third week, with only one further week to follow. Dale Hughes VK1DSH as a member of the Australian delegation to WRC-12 nominated by and paid for by the WIA has been reporting daily to the Board on the many hours of meetings and discussions, particularly on those matters that will affect the amateur service.

The proposal that has been agreed to by most administrations that support the amateur allocation calls for a worldwide secondary allocation to the amateur service at 472 to 479 kHz with a power limit of 1 watt e.i.r.p., but with a provision for administrations to permit up to 5 watts e.i.r.p. for stations located more than 800 km from certain countries that wish to protect their aeronautical radionavigation service (non-directional beacons) from any possible interference. Proposed footnotes provide administrations with opportunities to opt out of the amateur allocation and/or to upgrade their aeronautical radionavigation service to primary if they wish to do so. In addition to these protections for aeronautical radionavigation, the amateur service must avoid harmful interference to the primary maritime mobile service.

This proposal has now proceeded through the committee stages and will go to a Plenary meeting, where if it is approved on two occasions will become part of the Radio Regulations. Dale has also watched meetings dealing with agenda item 1.15, dealing with oceanographic radar.

Of importance to the amateur service is the allocation of bands where this service could operate, and the candidate bands include 5.250 to 5.275 MHz, where a number of administrations that have granted amateurs access to spectrum around 5 MHz. This could affect the amateur position that an allocation around 5 MHz to the amateur would be extremely useful, and a future agenda item dealing with such a proposal would be welcomed.

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