SARL to table draft Band Plan

Following discussions with ICASA at the quarterly liaison meeting, it was agreed that the South African Radio League (SARL) would table a band plan at the public hearing.

This will overcome a potential problem that, when the old regulations are repealed and before the new regulations are gazetted, there is no agreed band plan until the new band plan is published in the Government Gazette.

The SARL has drafted a band plan in terms of the Table of Frequency Allocations that was gazetted earlier this year. No deviation from this is permissible.

For instance, expansion of the 160 m band is a totally different suggestion and would first have to be agreed to by ICASA and then submitted as a change to the Table of Frequency Allocations, which then has to be approved by the Minister of Communication. Once the Table of Frequency Allocation has been changed, can the Amateur Radio Band plan be changed to allow for the expansion.

Increase in output power is another complex issue and may not carry the approval of the broader membership. It is suggested that members who believe that an increase in the output power limit on certain - or all bands - is required, are advised to prepare an item for discussion and a motivation therefore at the SARL's AGM. Such a document needs a proposer and seconder and should be submitted for inclusion in the AGM agenda before 31 January 2011.

The draft band plan can be downloaded from www.sarl.org.za. Click on ARMI and follow the links.

Comments are invited and should be sent to armi@sarl.org.za before midnight today.

The final document will be published on the web on Tuesday 30 November and presented to ICASA on 1 December.

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