Consultation on Amateur Radio Licensing

On 26 May Ofcom will publish new proposals to reduce the regulatory burden on the amateur radio community whilst retaining the necessary safeguards to ensure the integrity of this important use of the radio spectrum. Ofcom has today
published a summary of the key points that it will set out in greater detail in May's consultation.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/licensing/classes/amateur/forthcoming

That web page says:-

Forthcoming public consultation on amateur radio licensing

On 26 May Ofcom will publish new proposals to reduce the regulatory burden on the amateur radio community whilst retaining the necessary safeguards to ensure the integrity of this important use of the radio spectrum.

The proposals will be published for public consultation; and Ofcom believes it is very important that as many amateur radio users as possible are willing and able to share their views on the different options presented.

In order to receive an email notification as soon as this consultation document is published please register for Updates from Ofcom on radio spectrum matters.
Users can register at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/subscribe/radiospectrum.htm

For clarity and transparency, below are the key points Ofcom wishes to set out in greater detail in the formal public consultation on 26 May.

Ofcom believes that:

The amateur radio community is an important radio spectrum user group. Ofcom must continue to take the community's interests into account and ensure that the needs of the community are reflected in policymaking.

Ofcom wishes to seek the least intrusive means of regulating wherever possible and is committed to reducing the regulatory burden (and therefore, costs) for all of its stakeholders. However, Ofcom will balance against that the need to retain all necessary safeguards to ensure the integrity of radio spectrum use, including use by the amateur radio community.

Ofcom therefore believes that radio amateurs must hold a valid WT Act amateur radio licence and must hold a valid Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate in order to obtain a licence.

The public consultation document will propose two changes only:

To make amateur radio licences valid for life (they are currently renewable annually).

To make electronic licences (probably issued as Adobe PDF® documents) available online and free of charge.

Specifically, Ofcom believes the following would NOT change if these two proposals were put into effect:

Existing standards would be maintained.

There would still be a legal requirement for radio amateurs to hold a valid WT Act amateur radio licence.

The licensee would retain the responsibility for ensuring that licence details are amended as and when necessary (upon a change of address for example).

Ofcom would retain the power to revoke the licence should the radio amateur breach the terms of the licence.

It would still be a requirement to hold a valid Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate in order to obtain a licence.

For radio amateurs who wish to operate overseas, there would still be a licence document available for inspection by foreign administrations.

Ofcom would continue to hold a database of the names and addresses of all licensed radio amateurs.

Every amateur would continue to hold their own unique call-sign(s).

Ofcom would continue to notify amateur radio licence holders of changes to their licence terms and conditions.

It would still be possible for radio amateurs to apply for a Notice of variation to the licence if required.

It would still be possible to operate amateur radio repeaters.

It would still be possible to operate packet radio.

Current spectrum access rights would be maintained. Ofcom's spectrum management and enforcement activities are not determined according to the level of the licence fee.

All licensed radio amateurs would automatically receive a 'licence for life'. No action would be required on their part unless their licence had lapsed at the point when 'licences for life' were introduced.

Ofcom, or its agents, would continue to provide a postal service for applicants who do not have access to the internet or who prefer not to use the internet.

For the avoidance of doubt, whilst the formal public consultation will put forward a number of other options for the future, those options are explicitly not recommended by Ofcom. Specifically, Ofcom will not recommend any options to make the amateur radio service WT Act licence-exempt; however, for transparency and completeness, this will be put forward as an option in the public consultation in order to gather the community's views.

Ofcom Consultation Info: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/

73 de Trevor M5AKA

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