WRC-15 News Release. 18 November 2015.

On 18 November 2015, during the 6th WRC-15 plenary meeting, regulatory text for a new secondary allocation to the amateur service in the 5351.5 – 5366.5 kHz frequency band was approved without comment. This was the outcome of many meetings during the current 2015 World Radiocommunications Conference, regular ITU-R Working Party 5A meetings and regional Asia-Pacific Telecommunity meetings which started in early 2012.

Some estimates of success for this WRC-15 agenda item were as low as 20 %, so achieving this successful outcome was very much a team effort and the result of a great deal of work by individual national delegates, national amateur societies, the IARU and supportive national administrations. The new regulatory text will be part of the updated ITU Radio Regulations which are expected to come into force in January 2017. If and when Australian amateur operators might get access to the new 60 m band remains unknown as there will need to be discussions with the ACMA to address local issues.

Other issues of interest or concern to the amateur service are still being discussed at this WRC. These issues include possible new WRC-19 agenda items that are relevant to the amateur service. All WRC-15 work will be complete some time before the final WRC-15 plenary session which will be held on Friday 27 November.
It has been a privilege to be part of this work; the efforts and support of the WIA, the ACMA, Australian Department of Defence representatives and other Australian WRC-15 delegates must be positively acknowledged.

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