SARL and ICASA meeting

On Thursday last week, the first of regular quarterly coordination meetings between ICASA and the SARL was held at the authority's head office.

The meeting was a long time in materializing as the basic agreement to set-up a permanent liaison committee was reached in February 2008.

The SARL was represented by Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, and Mark Zank, ZS6YES.

A number of issues affecting amateur radio were discussed and will be further explored at the next meeting in November.

ICASA informed the SARL that it was working on a revision of the radio regulations as part of a project to bring regulations in line with the electronic communications act. The SARL will in the next few months, have an opportunity to comment on the new draft when it will be made public.

On the question of licence fees, ICASA had taken note of the SARL objections and suggestions but no final decision of the restructuring of license fees had been made. The proposals are still in committee stage.

South Africans will soon get access to the LF spectrum on 135,7 - 137,8 kHz. ICASA has agreed the implementation the WRC07 recommendations and has started the process of having a Government Gazette published.

ICASA has accepted a proposal by Mark Zank that in future all certificates and copies of certificates will be authenticated by the SARL, using a security embossing stamp. ICASA had requested the SARL to devise a procedure that would ensure that only authentic documents are submitted as part of the licensing arrangement.

Source: The South African Radio League