The future of Amateur Radio update - Jan 2018

[VK4ADC]

The future of Amateur Radio update - January 2018

 A key part of how we operate is known as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Licence Conditions Determinations (LCD).

 The WIA Board has received some inquiries about the LCD submission following the three consultation surveys in June 2017.

 There were more than 1100 respondents form the Amateur Radio community.

•  The first survey showed that future Amateur Radio licencing must not be less than what is in the current apparatus licencing.
  
•  Respondents wanted to see reduced regulation and greater self-determination.
  
•  In relation to permitted power levels  it must be reviewed in a sensible, pragmatic way for all licence levels taking into account personal safety and electromagnetic emissions.
  
•  The second survey shows the need for digital models for Foundation licensees and access to more bands for Foundation licensees.
  
•  Support the Standard Licence included access to more bands and higher power.
  
•  For advanced licences harmonisation in 160 m and 80 m, new allocation at 5.3 MHz, primary status in 50-52 MHz, allocation at 5.3 MHz, primary status in 50-52 MHz, access to 70-70.5 MHz and the 918-925 MHz ISM band.
  
•  There was overwhelming support for a relaxation of permitted bandwidths and an increase in power to 1000 W for the Advanced Licence.
  
•  There was also overwhelming support for the balance between the three grades of licences.
  
  

 The third survey sought to address outstanding issues with licence conditions. The first question asked about clarifying the interference, station identification, retransmission and operation of repeaters.

 The WIA will be pushing to expedite the implementation of the LCD recommendations.

 The ACMA is expected to begin its review of the LCD later this year.

 (Jim Linton VK3PC)

From text edition for January 14th 2018 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA : http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/

Also in MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2018-01-14.mp3

[VK4AQJ]

"The first survey showed that future Amateur Radio licencing must not be less than what is in the current apparatus licencing."

Dare I ask why? Looking at the US, the UK, and now Sweden, many people in the amateur radio community wonder why this is such a necessity? After all, the WIA gets their cut every time a callsign is allocated. 

Is the real reason because the WIA sees any decrease in licensing costs to be a threat to its very existence? - and any move to reduce licensing costs and thus promote  our hobby, would be seen as a conflict of interest?  

As it stands, the cost (of licensing and callsign allocation) is a barrier to encouraging young people to take up amateur radio. 

In other countries, amateur radio is seen as an asset.  We should look closely at the number of radio amateurs per 100,000 in Australia compared to other developed countries, and ask ourselves the question of why we lag so far behind.

[VK4ADC]

"The first survey showed that future Amateur Radio licencing must not be less than what is in the current apparatus licencing."

I think your response is out-of-context. 

I participated in the three surveys last year and the questions to ponder were about what we envisaged for the future of the amateur service in VK plus the future role of the WIA.

The "must not be less" was more in respect of any degradation in allocated frequency bands, emission modes, authorised transmit power etc.. in any future amateur LCD.  It didn't deal with the licensing costs - because much of that is defined by the WIA <--> ACMA Agreement about cost recovery levels.

As a WIA Assessor, I would like the fees to be lower to encourage more to attempt to get newer faces to enter this hobby but you will have to admit that there does need to be a reasonable level of fees applied to offset the cost of employing a person in a full time examinations role, and these days that does not come at a low cost either. Do you work for a $0 annual salary ??

Doug VK4ADC
WIA Assessor 4-040

[VK4AQJ]

"The first survey showed that future Amateur Radio licencing must not be less than what is in the current apparatus licencing."

I think your response is out-of-context. 

I participated in the three surveys last year and the questions to ponder were about what we envisaged for the future of the amateur service in VK plus the future role of the WIA.

The "must not be less" was more in respect of any degradation in allocated frequency bands, emission modes, authorised transmit power etc.. in any future amateur LCD.  It didn't deal with the licensing costs - because much of that is defined by the WIA <--> ACMA Agreement about cost recovery levels.

As a WIA Assessor, I would like the fees to be lower to encourage more to attempt to get newer faces to enter this hobby but you will have to admit that there does need to be a reasonable level of fees applied to offset the cost of employing a person in a full time examinations role, and these days that does not come at a low cost either. Do you work for a $0 annual salary ??

Doug VK4ADC
WIA Assessor 4-040

Doug, 

Thanks for the clarification. I have no problem with charging small fee for the exam, but the licensing process itself should be improved.  If the UK, Canada and Sweden can do it, why can't Australia? 

There is no justification for charging a renewal fee every year - and if the organisation which is supposed to be working for amateur radio in Australia itself takes a sizeable cut for allocating a callsign, then maybe it's not working in the interests of Amateur Radio. For vanity calls, if we had them, a charge would be justified, but new callsigns could be allocated by a simple computer program.

What we need is a class licence system for Amateur Radio, and basically one exam for each licensing class, which should be the only cost.  Other countries have a small charge for the Foundation booklet. I understand that it's about $15 in the US. There is no reason why an amateur radio licence couldn't be issued for life (barring any misdemenours). 

"Do you work for a $0 annual salary ??"   - actually in my role at Volunteer Marine Rescue, I do. 


- Jim