Proposed Changes to Radio Amateur access 3.4 Ghz band Consultation

WIA advised February 5, 2020

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is consulting on proposed changes to amateur access to the 3400-3575 MHz band to help facilitate the ACMA’s preferred planning option for the band. The ACMA previously consulted on these planning options in April 2019 with the Optimising arrangements for the 3400-3575 MHz band options paper. This was followed on 24 November 2019 by the Optimising arrangements for the 3400-3575 MHz band: Planning decisions and preliminary views paper, where we outlined our planning decisions and a detailed plan for optimising licensing arrangements.

The proposal would amend the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2015 and vary the Radiocommunications (Overseas Amateurs Visiting Australia) Class Licence 2015 (Overseas Amateur Class Licence) to:

Enable use of the 3492.5–3510 MHz band by advanced amateur licensees and overseas equivalents in regional areas.

Prohibit use by advanced amateur licensees and overseas equivalents of the following frequencies and areas:

> the 3400–3425 MHz frequency range in specified metropolitan areas, regional areas and major regional centres
> the 3425–3442.5 MHz frequency range in specified regional areas
> the 3492.5–3510 MHz frequency range in specified metropolitan areas
> the 3510–3542.5 MHz frequency range in specified areas.

The ACMA is also proposing to replace the existing tables in the relevant schedules to both instruments that designate areas for operating an amateur advanced station in the 3400–3575 MHz band. The proposed tables use the Hierarchical Cell Identification Scheme (HCIS) , which removes the need to reference complex coordinate sets to describe a geographic area and is consistent with other ACMA instruments and policy documents.

The consultation paper and draft instrument (accessible via this Link) has been published on the ACMA website. We invite any submissions on this proposal to be made prior to COB Monday 1 March 2020.

Pursuant to subsection 136(1) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992, a written notice stating that the ACMA intends to vary the Overseas Amateurs Class Licence has also been published in the Australian Notices Gazette.

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