17-09-2016, 04:07 PM
Hi Stephen,
In the VK1WIA broadcast this week (18 Sept), I cover the WIA's proposals for future Foundation licence conditions. Here's the summary:
Yes, the WIA advocates a bunch of things to ". . . buff the foundation licence a tad."
None of this will 'boost' the Foundation licence conditions into the realm of the Standard licence. The structural differences between each licence grade need to be preserved to meet the requirement of 'incentive to upgrade'. The underlying principle in the case of updating the Foundation licence conditions is to reduce the impediments Foundation licensees face in gaining richer experiences (and broader/richer learning experiences) in communications across the spectrum and with modern technologies. It also makes the Foundation licence more attractive, because there's "more to see and do".
Little of what is proposed for FLs offers insurmountable hurdles for the ACMA. But, that said, whatever issues arise will need to be addressed and worked through. Introduction of the new radiocommuncations act will go ahead as the Department of Communications has planned. The licence conditions are 'subordinate legislation' and don't face the same processes; one of the objects of creating a new radcom act was to make the creation of licence conditions, and other subordinate legislation, much easier and more flexible and thus readily adaptable as markets and conditions change. Putting a time on how long new licence conditions will take to create would be entirely speculative. It would be inadvisable to hold your breath while it happens, but you could reasonably expect it will be finished before the next World Radio Conference . . . :roll:
It's worth renewing your licence in the meantime. It would even be worth upgrading . . . and "surfing the wave" of change when it rolls through.
73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
In the VK1WIA broadcast this week (18 Sept), I cover the WIA's proposals for future Foundation licence conditions. Here's the summary:
Quote:Proposed changes to Foundation licence conditions were set down as Priority 2 in the submission.Read the text or get the podcast here: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/">http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/</a><!-- m -->
Six key issues are addressed in the submission. These are:
- Use of digital modes
- Access to more bands
- Increased power
- Relaxation of the restriction to commercially made rigs
- More permitted bandwidths, and
- A review of the Foundation callsign
Yes, the WIA advocates a bunch of things to ". . . buff the foundation licence a tad."
None of this will 'boost' the Foundation licence conditions into the realm of the Standard licence. The structural differences between each licence grade need to be preserved to meet the requirement of 'incentive to upgrade'. The underlying principle in the case of updating the Foundation licence conditions is to reduce the impediments Foundation licensees face in gaining richer experiences (and broader/richer learning experiences) in communications across the spectrum and with modern technologies. It also makes the Foundation licence more attractive, because there's "more to see and do".
Little of what is proposed for FLs offers insurmountable hurdles for the ACMA. But, that said, whatever issues arise will need to be addressed and worked through. Introduction of the new radiocommuncations act will go ahead as the Department of Communications has planned. The licence conditions are 'subordinate legislation' and don't face the same processes; one of the objects of creating a new radcom act was to make the creation of licence conditions, and other subordinate legislation, much easier and more flexible and thus readily adaptable as markets and conditions change. Putting a time on how long new licence conditions will take to create would be entirely speculative. It would be inadvisable to hold your breath while it happens, but you could reasonably expect it will be finished before the next World Radio Conference . . . :roll:
It's worth renewing your licence in the meantime. It would even be worth upgrading . . . and "surfing the wave" of change when it rolls through.
73, Roger Harrison VK2ZRH