The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has three regions, which are steadily aiming at a unification of band planning.  The WIA Technical Advisory Committee Chairman, John Martin VK3KM, reports that this is progressing well, with the band plans set by the WIA generally fitting in to the global scheme.

 However, the exception is 160 metres with different bands allocated in each IARU region.  A further complication is Australias digital mode segment of 1800 - 1810 kHz, which was adopted before the IARU Region 3 band plan for that spectrum.  Ultimately, 160 metre mostly crystallised AM activity, will have to move higher in that band, to align with the global band planning for digital modes.

 The TAC Notes in Decembers Amateur Radio magazine discuss the issue in detail, which will be revisited late next year at the IARU Region 3 Conference in South Korea.

 (Jim Linton VK3PC)

From text edition for DEC 3 2017 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA : http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/