UK Amateur Radio Licences as at 30th September 2008

The UK regulator Ofcom has supplied the figures for the total number of Amateur Radio Licences issued as at 30th September

Change since last month

Change since last year

While the annual change in the entry level Foundation licence is 1578 the rate of increase over recent months would appear to indicate that the hobby is now only attracting around 1400 newcomers a year.

When reading these figures it should be remembered that UK Radio Amateurs can hold multiple callsigns. Someone with an Advanced licence may still have their previous Intermediate and Foundation licences counted in the figures since licences are issued for 5 years. It is understood that a former RSGB President held as many as 5 different call signs.

During 2002/3 Full/Advanced (Class B) licence holders had to take out a separate Foundation licence if they wanted to operate on the HF bands and over 3500 did so. As the M3 call sign block was only just being issued they had the pick of the best call signs. Since these call signs had a special significance to them many continued to renew them even after Full/Advanced (Class B) were given access to the HF bands in August 2003.

UK Amateur Radio Licences as at 31 st August 2008 http://www.southgatearc.org/news/september2008/
uk_amateur_radio_licences.htm

UK Amateur Radio Licences as at 30th September 2007
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/october2007/
uk_amateur_radio_licences.htm

Annual Report of the RCE Standards Committee (Exam totals)
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2008/
rce_standards_committee_report.htm

AH0A - Amateur Radio Licensing Statistics
http://www.ah0a.org/