Dale Hughes - VK1DSH

As part of preparations for the next World Radiocommunication Conference which is scheduled for November 2015, many of the Asia-Pacific nations that make up ITU region 3 are meeting in Brisbane between June 9 and 13. The Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Conference Preparatory Group (usually abbreviated to APG) will discuss many of the WRC-15 agenda items, including issues that will affect amateur operators.

The meeting in Brisbane is the third in a series of five meetings that are being held in the Asia-pacific region and this meeting is sponsored by the Australian Communications and Media Authority with the assistance of the Australian Department of Communications. Several hundred delegates representing all areas of the radio communications industry and many national administrations will attend the meeting. There are two main issues that are of interest to Australian amateurs: these being a proposed new secondary allocation for the amateur service around 5300 kHz and a proposed new primary allocation in the 77.5 to 78 GHz frequency band for the radiolocation service that may affect the existing primary amateur service allocation in that band.

Both of these issues are being extensively studied at ITU working party meetings in Geneva and the APG meeting will consider the regional aspects of these issues and formulate a regional view that will be presented at the World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015.
There are also a number of other WRC agenda items that may affect the amateur service, even though they are not specifically amateur issues. Information about all the agenda items can be found on the ITU website via the link in the print edition of this new release.
A number of delegates at the APG meeting are representing the interests of the amateur service, either as a member of their national delegation or as representatives of the International Amateur Radio Union. The amateur representatives take part in the agenda item discussions and will present information on the needs and purpose of the amateur service with respect to relevant WRC agenda items. This input also serves to maintain the profile of the amateur service in the regional communications administrations. It is vitally important that the amateur service continues to be seen as a valuable resource for the wider community and deserving of the radio spectrum we are permitted to use. Attendance at APG and ITU meetings is one aspect of showing the ongoing commitment of the amateur service to the maintenance and expansion of our operating privileges.

As the meeting is in Brisbane there is opportunity for a limited number of interested local amateurs to meet the APG representatives and a dinner is planned for the evening of Wednesday 11 June in central Brisbane. Please contact Dale Hughes VK1DSH at the email address given in the print edition of this news item if you are interested in attending.

See also the report on the APT website via this Link

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