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WIA delivers major submission on future amateur licence conditions
Date :
13 /
04 /
2016
Author :
Roger Harrison - VK2ZRH
In early April, the Board finalised the WIA’s submission to the ACMA on future amateur licence conditions, addressing a wide range of issues currently affecting licensees, and establishing some key principles and policies for amateur radio licensing in the future.
The 22-page submission includes an extensive two-page preamble, setting out the context in which amateur radio operates in Australia, developments in the radiocommunications industry and the WIA’s desire to reduce the regulatory burden for both licensees and the ACMA, and for future amateur licensing to accommodate emerging innovation in wireless technologies and applications, to enable the hobby to develop in whatever direction current and future licenced radio amateurs light lead it.
The submission came ahead of a scheduled meeting between the WIA and ACMA, held on Tuesday 12th April. See the ¬news item here. Link
A key purpose of the submission is to enable greater self-determination for the amateur service, along with proposing updates to the licence conditions for all licence grades in order to ensure amateur radio remains relevant in the digitally connected age. Key proposals include:
 enabling use of digital modes for Foundation licensees
access to more bands for Foundation and Standard licensees
relaxing permitted bandwidths for all license grades
removing mode restrictions
enabling DIY construction for Foundation licensees
review of Foundation callsigns
increased maximum power for all licensees
early access to the 5.3 MHz (60m) band.
The WIA proposed the licence conditions be addressed in two stages: priority changes first (as above), with proposed changes to frequency bands later, in line with the consultation process for the upcoming review of the Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan.
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