National WIA President thanks submissions team

In the last couple of weeks the WIA has lodged 2 important
submissions.

One was the BPL submission. The other submission is in response to a Discussion Paper released in May by what was then the Australian Broadcasting Authority, and is now merged with the ACA to form the Australian Communications
and Media Authority, ACMA, with broad responsibilities in respect of telecommunications, spectrum management, broadcasting and data casting.

We hope that the new Authority will be able to take a broader view of the totality of its functions than could be taken when the planning of the broadcast services bands was a separate responsibility of the ABA.

The ABA Discussion Paper is in respect of the spectrum available for digital radio, looking at three possible bands allocated to broadcasting in Australia, namely the MF Band, the band 174- 230 MHZ and the band 45-52 and 56-70 MHz.

The WIA says that because of the unique propagation characteristics of that part of the spectrum the band 50-54 MHz is of particular interest to the amateur service.

It is those very characteristics that also make the band unsuitable for broadcasting.

The WIA argues that the 50-54 MHz band should be retained for and allocated exclusively to the amateur service once the existing Channel 0 transmitters are removed.

When the WIA makes a submission it seeks the advice of the experts in the relevant area, so that what it says is soundly based and cannot be attacked as being uninformed.

This involves a number of people and a great deal of time and effort.

I would like acknowledge now the assistance that we have had from many people in putting together the two most recent submissions.

In particular, the BPL case has been led by WIA director Phil Wait, VK2DKN with Roger Harrison VK2ZRH and Keith Malcolm VK1ZKM.

The 6 meter submission would not exist without the work of John Martin VK3KWA, once again Keith Malcolm VK1ZKM and Richard Winston, VK2ZRW and WIA director Glenn Dunstan VK4DU.

I really do believe that we should recognise the amount of time and effort that goes into writing these submissions, and to thank each of those involved in this very important aspect of the WIA's responsibility.

Michael Owen VK3KI
National WIA President

Source: Wireless Institute of Australia

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