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Trevor M5AKA
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New Zealand -
Amateur Licence changes
From Trevor M5AKA
On 1 July 2005, new annual fee provisions are planned to come into effect.
In regard to the amateur radio service there are two key changes:
Amateur operators will no longer pay an annual fee of $35. Amateur beacons
and repeaters will be subject to an annual fee of $50.
The first provision gives effect to undertakings to the amateur fraternity
in recent years to remove the annual amateur operator licence fee, and
therefore reduce the entrance barrier to young people, and help encourage
them in a career in telecommunications. Further, in conjunction with new
on-line services currently in development, it will make amateur licensing
and certification arrangements comparable with the New Zealand maritime
and aeronautical
services, and amateur counterparts overseas. The changes also have cost
benefits for the Ministry, and are aligned with government policies for
e-commerce.
The second provision, however, recognises that there remain some spectrum
management administrative costs associated with the amateur service. Informal
comment has been received from amateur licensees to the effect that while
it may be logical for RSM to recover costs through the licensing of beacons
and repeaters, this does not necessarily fairly spread those costs across
the whole amateur service. The reason given is that while most repeaters
and beacons are licensed to amateur radio clubs or NZART, only about half
of the users of repeaters and beacons are members of clubs or NZART. In
essence, annual fees for beacons and repeaters mean that a minority of
amateur operators bear the spectrum management costs of the majority.
If an annual fee for beacons and repeaters does not represent a reasonably
equitable distribution of the remaining administration costs across the
amateur service, then options for reviewing fee mechanisms include introducing
a 3-year, or possibly 5-year, callsign fee for amateurs. This would likely
be, on an annualised basis, considerably less than the present operator
fee.
A further revision of annual fees is planned for 1 July 2007. In the
intervening period RSM will consult with amateurs and NZART in regard
to an appropriate funding mechanism for the spectrum management costs
of the amateur radio service.
http://news.business.govt.nz/news/rsm/article/2192
73 Trevor M5AKA
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Trevor is a member of The Chelmsford
Amateur Radio Society
Support Essex Air Ambulance - Apply for the Chelmsford Award
See CARS website http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/
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