Ofcom is proposing to make changes to our amateur radio licences, and the deadline for comments is closing fast.
In a letter sent out by the RSGB General Manager today, it’s clear that very few amateurs have taken the time or the effort to comment. If Ofcom see little interest from amateurs about changes to our licence, we could all lose out.
You may have seen emails today from the RSGB, your local club, or from us – only 300 amateurs have taken the time to respond, and that’s not enough.
We have until Monday the 20th of October 2014 to show Ofcom that we care about the future of our licences.
The Important Proposals:
Most of the 10 questions are straightforward, and are to simplify the wording. Four questions are causing controversy, and the RSGB’s advice is to vote “NO” on the following:
| Q1 | 470kHz & 5MHz bands | Allowing Full licensees access to these bands without an NoV seems like a good idea, but there are issues with the wording – We would be required to prevent interference to non-radio equipment and also take steps to minimise RF radiation. This could set a precedent that imposes restrictions on how we use bands and require amateurs to undertake expensive tests | “NO” |
| Q6 | Use of callsigns | We’re all familiar with the 15 minute rule for station identification. New proposals change this to ‘clearly identifiable at all times’ and ‘as frequently as is practicable during transmissions’ – Not only is this unclear, it’s hard to teach and open to interpretation. Let’s stick with the 15 minute rule, which is clearly understood | “NO” |
| Q7 & Q8 | Regional Secondary Locators | Removing the “M” for Scotland, “W” for Wales, “I” for Northern Ireland, etc. Any change here could be very confusing and disruptive, as the current practice is understood around the world | “NO” |
The Documents and Forms
- The full 32 page document is available here: stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/amateur-radio-licence
- RSGB’s view and sample responses: http://rsgb.org/main/operating/licensing-novs-visitors/licence-review/rsgb-guidance-responding-ofcom-consultation-updating-amateur-licence/
- Tell Ofcom your response:https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/amateur-radio-licence/howtorespond/form
The form is pretty straightforward and should only take a couple of minutes.
| Show Ofcom that you care about your licence – Respond to Ofcom’s Proposals |
Letter from RSGB General Manager
Below is a copy of an email sent to RSGB regional officials asking them to spread the word amongst club members and other amateurs:
Subject: Ofcom consultation – URGENT and IMPORTANT
We held our regular meeting with Ofcom last Thursday and, as you will know, Ofcom attended the Convention at the weekend. Feedback from those events is that
- Only 300 or so people have responded to the consultation document so far.
- Ofcom will be relying heavily on the volume and content of the responses as evidence of what the amateur radio community feels about the proposals.
Whilst we published some explanatory notes on the website soon after the document was released, it is apparent that many amateurs have not yet read the document which is far from straightforward in several places. We are thus today publishing further guidance together with suggested responses to the key questions. There is now just one week before Ofcom’s consultation period ends (20th October 2014) and time is thus of the essence. This note is to ask for your personal support as follows.
- Please make sure that you respond to Ofcom.
- Please make use of any other contacts you may have to spread the word.
Many thanks,
Graham Coomber, G0NBI
General Manager Radio Society of Great Britain
