IARU Represents Hams at WRC-2000

IARU TO REPRESENT AMATEURS AT WRC-2000

Amateur Radio will be well represented when World Radiocommunication Conference 2000 opens this month in Istanbul. The International Amateur Radio Union has prepared its delegation to deal with conference issues that might affect Amateur Radio. At its meeting in Tours, France, April 18-19, the IARU Administrative Council gave final review and approval of its instructions to the IARU WRC-2000 delegation. The Istanbul conference, held under the auspices of the International Telecommunication Union, runs from May 8 until June 2.

The veteran delegation consists of IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, IARU Secretary David Sumner, K1ZZ, and IARU Region 1 Executive Committee member Wojciech Nietyksza, SP5FM. Other amateurs will attend WRC-2000 in a variety of capacities, including several named specifically to represent the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services on their national delegations.

The issues facing the WRC-2000 conferees are wide-ranging. The conference is likely to be best remembered for how well it deals with allocations for IMT-2000, the next generation of mobile telecommunications systems. The 2300-2400 MHz band is on the list of possible candidate bands for IMT-2000.

During preparations for WRC-97, the specter was raised of a wholesale spectrum grab for amateur VHF and UHF bands by so-called "Little LEOs." While the Little LEOs have not gone away, no proposals targeting amateur bands have yet surfaced this time around. Little LEO advocates are looking elsewhere between 400 and 470 MHz, but they face strong opposition and there is no guarantee that their gaze will not again settle on one or more ham bands.

European Galileo radionavigation satellite interests may seek an allocation at 1260 to 1300 MHz. The IARU delegation will seek to avoid new constraints on amateur access to the 1240-1300 MHz band.

At WRC-2000, the IARU delegation will try to ensure that new spurious emission standards for space stations are not imposed in a way that would make the cost of amateur satellites prohibitive.

Allocations for the Super High Frequencies will come under scrutiny--and probable changes--at WRC-2000. These include a rearrangement of bands in the 71 to 275 GHz block as well as future allocations for spectrum at 275 to 1000 GHz.

The IARU also will support efforts to reduce so-called "country footnotes" that provide domestic allocations to amateurs inferior to those provided in the international Table of Frequency Allocations.

Delegates to WRC-2000 likely will decide which critical topics will wind up on the agenda for WRC-2003. Possibilities include broadcasting allocations in the 4 to 10 MHz range; so-called "harmonized" allocations for amateurs and broadcasting at 7 MHz; Article S25 of the International Radio Regulations, which deals with the regulations that apply specifically to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Service, including the requirement for Morse ability to operate below 30 MHz; and synthetic aperture radar--or SAR--operation in the Earth Exploration Satellite Service in the 70-cm band. Studies have shown SARs as a potential interference threat to Amateur Radio. At WRC-2000, SAR proponents will try to have the issue placed on the agenda for WRC-2003 in an effort to obtain an allocation.

If conference activities permit, Sumner plans to leave Istanbul just long enough to attend the ARRL National Convention at the Dayton Hamvention May 19-21.

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