New 60m allocation shows positive WRC-15 progress: IARU

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) is in Geneva (November 2-27) has developed consensus around a new 15 kHz-wide global secondary 60 metre Amateur Radio allocation at 5351.5-5366.5 kHz. The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) reportsthat last week, Conference Working Group 4B agreed to the global secondary allocation, with power limits designed to protect primary services from harmful interference.

In a news release the IARU is cautious in advising that the current compromise must clear one more level at the conference, before being final.

IARU President, Tim Ellam VE6SH, said: "While this is a positive step to a worldwide secondary amateur allocation at 5 MHz it is not yet final until it has been approved by the Conference Plenary." He attended the first part of four-week long WRC-15 and is part of the IARU-team engaged with a number of agenda items which may impact the amateur and amateur satellite services. These include a possible WRC-19 agenda item for an allocation to accommodate small non-amateur, non-geostationary satellites. "The 15 kHz allocation on a secondary basis is the result of significant compromise by a number of stakeholders in this portion of the spectrum. It will provide the opportunity for access to 60m for countries that do not presently have a domestic allocation," he said.

The IARU notes that going into the WRC-15 a number of administrations and regional telecommunications organisation (RTO) representing Russia and 10 of its neighbouring countries (RCC) were strongly and actively opposed to the new amateur allocation. After more than a dozen sub-working group meetings, it became clear that the widest achievable allocation was 15 kHz, and that a power limit in the neighborhood of 15 W effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) would have to be part of the package.

IARU Vice President Ole Garpestad LA2RR, who is co-lead of the IARU team with Tim VE6SH, said: "It took all the effort and resources of the entire IARU-team to ensure this 15 kHz compromise, and to persuade some administrations to abandon their no-allocation position." In other WRC-15 developments, a possible agenda item at the next WRC for an amateur allocation at 50 MHz in Region 1 cleared its first hurdle. A proposed agenda item to align the 160 metre band allocation in Region 1 with the rest of the world was not likely to be accepted, however.

The IARU-team also had Reinaldo Leandro YV5AM, President of IARU Region 2 and Faisal Al-Ajmi 9K2RR, Vice President of IARU Region 1. A number of other amateurs were part of the IARU-team serving on a national delegation: Colin Thomas G3PSM, Hans Blondeel Timmerman PB2T, Ken Yamamoto JA1CJP, Bryan Rawlings VE3QN, Tafa Diop 6W1KI, Don Wallace ZL2TLL, Dale Hughes VK1DSH, Flávio Archangelo PY2ZX, Ulrich Mueller DK4VW, Brennan Price N4QX and Jon Siverling WB3ERA.

IARU hosted a small reception on November 10 attended by a number of delegations and ITU senior leadership including ITU Secretary General H Zao. Attending the reception and participating in part of the WRC were IARU Region 1 President Don Beattie G3BJ and Dave Sumner K1ZZ on behalf of the IARU International Secretariat.

IARU had an emergency communications trailer to be on site. IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmerman HB9AQS/F5VKP worked with IARU member society DARC and NOTFUNK Deutschland to provide for a communications trailer and antenna system that showcased emergency communications abilities and was located in a high traffic area. Hans HB9AQS/F5VKP explained the use of Amateur Radio to delegates.

The IARU will send a later news release at the conclusion of WRC-15.

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