All is not lost for the 9 cm band

New conditions for the use of parts of the 3.3-3.6 GHz band have been set out in the re-make of the Amateur Licence Conditions Determination (LCD), published in the second week of July. News of the release of the 2015 LCD was announced at the GippsTech Conference on 11 July in Churchill, Victoria.

The changes have resulted from the ACMA’s 3.5 GHz band review, announced in June 2014, later usurped by the Minister for Communications in August 2014, when he issued a Draft Direction to use 3.5 GHz band spectrum for the so-called "NBN spectrum gap". The eventual outcome was a proposal from the ACMA, in relation to the re-make of the Amateur LCD, to remove advanced amateur licensee access to 3400-3425 MHz and 3492.5-3542.5 MHz in the amateur allocation in proscribed geographic areas.

The foreshadowed geographic restrictions are set out in the re-made LCD. The two blocks of spectrum may be withdrawn from Amateur use in limited geographic areas if licences are issued to the NBN for fixed wireless services in metro fringe and hard to service areas of the major mainland cities. The geographic areas are specified in Schedule 4A of the 2015 LCD, covering the surrounds of Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

This does not mean that Advanced amateurs have "lost" the popular, most-used section of the 9 cm band, at 3400-3425 MHz.

Outside any areas where 3400 MHz licences are issued to the NBN, it’s "business as usual" for amateur radio on the 9 cm band.

Everyone needs to read the LCD

All licensees are encouraged to read and familiarize themselves with the new LCD. It’s part of the obligations of having an Amateur licence. Prospective amateurs are made aware of the LCD and asked questions about it by WIA assessors at the time of the practical assessment.

The re-made LCD can be downloaded from the Determinations page of the website, at this Link

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