11/21/2019

Delegates to World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19[1]) have approved a 6-meter allocation for International Telecommunication (ITU) Region 1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle East). The decision followed more than 2 weeks of strenuous negotiations to reconcile widely disparate views of Region 1 administrations.

"The result is a dramatic improvement in the international Radio Regulations for amateurs in Region 1," the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) said in announcing the agreement.

When the Final Acts of the conference take effect, 44 countries in Region 1 will have a primary allocation of at least 500 kHz, including 26 countries with a primary allocation of the entire band 50 - 54 MHz. The entire region will have an amateur secondary allocation of 50 - 52 MHz, except in Russia, whose administration opted for only 50.080 - 50.280 MHz on a secondary basis.

Provisions will be in place to protect other existing services using the band in Region 1 and in neighboring countries in Region 3. The existing primary allocation of 50 - 54 MHz in Regions 2 and 3 is unaffected.

The WRC-19 decision on its agenda item 1.1 is the culmination of years of effort by the IARU and its member-societies.

"The successful outcome on Agenda Item 1.1 could only have come about through a team effort by the IARU member-societies and regional organizations, and especially by the volunteers who have devoted countless hours to preparing documents and attending meetings over the past 3 years," said IARU Vice President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, who is attending the WRC as a member of the Norwegian delegation. "Our thanks go to everyone who has contributed to this effort, including the radio amateurs who support the IARU through membership in the IARU member-society in their country."

Garpestad coordinated overall IARU preparations for WRC-19, while Dave Court, EI3IO, led the IARU effort on Agenda Item 1.1. Region 1 Secretary Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, was coordinator for the item on behalf of CEPT, on whose proposal the ultimate compromise was largely based.

Delegates this week faced a daunting workload as they tried to reach consensus on several remaining issues, including the agenda for the next WRC. The final session of the conference plenary to approve texts for inclusion in the Final Acts of the conference was set to wrap up today (Thursday, November 21).

As of the end of last week, no choices had been made as to which of more than three dozen proposed topics will end up on the agenda for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023. Each proposed agenda item would require studies to be conducted between 2020 and 2023.


[1] https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/conferences/wrc/2019/Pages/default.aspx

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