Future of amateur radio poll

The majority of radio amateurs want to keep the existing amateur radio licensing regime or change to a longer licence renewal period rather than switch to a licence for life, according to an Ofcom commissioned MORI poll into the future of amateur radio in the UK.

The survey of 1,572 amateurs also revealed that two-thirds of amateur radio licensees believe that the current licensing arrangement is “about right”.

Please note that this poll does not represent the final results of Ofcom's consultation into the future of amateur radio. The regulator is still processing the responses it received to its consultation document and is expected to announce those results before Christmas. The MORI poll is just one small part of the overall consultation process.

Ofcom is keen to issue amateur radio licences for life. But 52% of respondents to the MORI survey said they prefer either the existing arrangement or an extended renewal period. Among members of the RSGB, the life-time licence is even less popular, with around two-thirds favouring the current arrangement or a longer renewal period. Only a third preferred a life-time licence. Interestingly, support for the lifetime licence was less among frequent radio users than among those who use their radios irregularly.

Of those who wanted a longer renewal period, 60% preferred a five year renewal period, 23% a three year renewal period and only 10% a ten years or more renewal period. The survey also showed that only a tiny minority (1%) wanted to abolish the licensing arrangement altogether, radio amateurs generally believing that the licensing system was vital in maintaining standards of on-air operation. Less than 1% wanted to replace the current Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced licenses with something else.

Radio amateurs were generally also not keen on Ofcom's plans for web-based electronic licences, with only two in five giving their support to this idea in spite of Ofcom offering to provide a licence postal service for those who don't have access to the Internet.

To view the report in full please see the Ofcom website.

Source: GB2RS News - Courtesy of the RSGB

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