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A Strategy for the Future Use of the Radio
Spectrum in the UK
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A Strategy for the Future Use of the Radio
Spectrum in the UK
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The Agency will continue to actively support the development of the Amateur Radio Service, both nationally and internationally. There are approximately 63,000 licensed amateurs in the UK with numbers currently increasing by about 1% per annum. The Agency enjoys a unique and constructive relationship with the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and meets regularly with the RSGB to discuss technical and licensing issues relating to amateur radio.
With the emergence of digital technology and the increasing availability of reasonably priced digital amateur communications equipment the Amateur Packet Radio network is growing rapidly and is expected to expand further over the next 3 to 5 years. The Agency is currently working with the RSGB to provide the licensing framework for the expansion and development of the packet network in a controllable and spectrum efficient manner.
In the light of the great changes taking place within radiocommunications, the Agency will be exploring with the RSGB the future direction of the Amateur Radio Service and how it should adapt and develop to meet the demands of the 21st century. The licensing structure, the revision of the amateur licence including the morse requirement for H.F. operation and how to facilitate experimentation within the Amateur radio Service are all issues which the Agency will be discussing with the RSGB over the next five years.
With increasing demands on the spectrum the pressures on the Amateur bands are very real. The Agency will therefore have to balance the needs of amateurs against the demands of existing and new radio services, and promote the most efficient and effective use of amateur radio allocations. However, occasionally it may be possible to give amateurs access to additional spectrum which is not in so much demand, such as in the VLF to HF bands. An example is the recent initiative to introduce a special amateur assignment for experimentation purposes in the VLF/LF bands.
Citizens’ Band (CB) is a short range radio service for both hobby and business use. It is designed to be used without the need to have any technical qualifications and without causing interference to other radio users.
The last few years have seen an increase in the activities of the Agency in issues relating to the CB. service. Following representations from the CB User Groups at the regular RA/CB forum meetings and subsequent compatibility studies the Agency relaxed the CB antenna height restrictions. The Agency has also contributed to the development of an Amplitude Modulated Double Sideband and/or Single Sideband ETSI CB equipment standard, and this has now been published. Compatibility studies are being undertaken to determine whether this new equipment can be used in the UK without causing interference. The results of these studies and a decision on whether to allow this new equipment is anticipated to take two years.
The Agency recently conducted a questionnaire of all 55,000 licensed CB users in the UK to seek their views on CB related issues; these ranged from whether AM/SSB was required to whether there would be support for a national CB organisation. Approximately 12,000 replies (22% of licence holders) were received and the Agency can now confidently pursue those issues which CB users have asked us to consider.
The development of a national CB Organisation would enable the CB community to speak with one voice and would allow the Agency and Users to develop the CB service more effectively. CB representatives have recently set up their own working group to explore this issue and the best way forward. They aim to report their recommendations in the second half of 1996.
There are currently two separate equipment specifications for CB equipment in the 27 MHz band. One is for 40 channels in the CEPT CB band and the other is for another 40 channels in the UK only CB band. Following representations from the CB user groups and comments from the survey, the Agency is now developing a single national specification which will allow both sets of channels to be combined in a single 80 channel radio for operation in the UK only.
The Performance Specification MPT 1321 to which 934 MHz CB transceivers were manufacturer certified was withdrawn on 30 December 1988. No new sets were manufactured from that date and no sets were imported. Existing users of the 934 MHz band were allowed to continue to use their equipment for its foreseeable useful life. However, there is a proposal in the Detailed Spectrum Investigation Phase II report issued by the European Radio Committee that bands 880-890 MHz and 925-935 MHz should be used as extension bands for the GSM digital pan-European communication system. If, as seems likely, this recommendation is accepted, CB users will be required to vacate the 934 MHz band. The Agency envisages that the CB 934 MHz service will be withdrawn within the next 5 years.
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