5 and 70 MHz - What is the WIA asking ACMA Roger Harrison VK2ZRH, from the Spectrum Strategy Committee, reports on the WIA response to the ACMA Last month, the Australian Communications and Media Authority – the ACMA – released their “Five-year spectrum outlook 2019-23”, in what the Authority calls a consultation draft. The WIA has submitted a detailed response to the ACMA’s draft work plan, covering all key topics of interest to the Australian radio amateur community, which include: • advancing access to the 5.3 MHz – or 60 metre band – allocation, after talks with the defence department, the WIA has submitted a proposal to provide some limited access that avoids or mitigates interference to incumbent services. • amateur licence tenure and fees framework – based on models used in other countries, where amateurs have low fees and long licence tenure. • The WIA reiterated that the radio amateur community requires: -- individual licences bearing a unique callsign -- certainty of licence tenure -- an equitable framework of transaction costs – that is, fees -- certain and continuing access to frequency bands throughout the radiofrequency spectrum, and -- continued participation and representation in spectrum management processes. For those interested in the 70 MHz band, the Institute has put forward a proposal to enable conducting experiments through the use of Scientific licences obtained by the Institute which then authorises individual amateurs to conduct experiments. Check out the WIA’s response to the ACMA’s latest work plan on WIA News on the website, wia.org.au and the full text of this item in news dated May 19, 2019 http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/display.php?file_ id=wianews-2019-05-26 Source WIA News http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/display.php?file_ id=wianews-2019-06-02 http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/june/5-and-70-mhz-what-is-the-wia-asking-acma.htm
