Defence of Amateur Radio Fund Stay tuned for information on World Radio Conference 2023 (WRC-23)

Serge Bertuzzo, VA3SB
RAC International Affairs Officer

The sole purpose of the Defence of Amateur Radio Fund (DARF) Trust is to support the travel expenses of a certified Amateur(s) as a member of the Canadian official delegation at the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRC) and Preparatory Meetings which are usually held in Geneva, Switzerland. 

World Radiocommunication Conferences – organized and held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) every four years – update the Radio Regulations, the international treaty that, among other things, sets out the frequencies on which radio services such as the Amateur Radio Service may operate. 

The RAC delegate’s role is to assist our regulator – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) – with all agenda issues that may influence allocations to the Amateur Radio Service. This may include helping defend existing Amateur bands from being reallocated or being subject to harmful sharing by other interested parties. There may also be an agenda item offering the opportunity to advocate for a new allocation or to defend the use of existing Amateur Radio spectrum by other Services seeking to gain access to the spectrum. 

Radio Amateurs have a seat at the table – in fact, there is a specific Working Party which includes the Amateur and Amateur Satellite Service in its title – but they need to be able to participate directly. While allowing RAC membership of the Canadian delegation, ISED does not provide any funds towards their participation. As most of these meetings are usually held in Geneva, one of the most expensive cities in the world,

DARF’s funding is essential. The DARF Trust’s role is to provide funding for our delegate’s travel and living expenses in order to attend these various conferences.
Without DARF, there would be no Canadian Amateur presence at these international meetings or in the many meetings that take place developing and working out what becomes Canada’s position.

Due to the global pandemic, participation in ITU activities in 2020 was very unique. All ITU-related meetings were held virtually. Although no travel-related expenses were incurred in 2020, WRC representatives Paul Coverdale, VE3ICV and Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, have continued to be actively involved as part of the Canadian official delegation to many domestic and ITU Preparatory Meetings. It is expected that once the vaccines become widely available, face-to-face meetings will resume. This is expected to be the case by the end of 2021.

Canada is one of a small number of countries – Australia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States and Brazil – who regularly include a Radio Amateur in their official delegation. Over the years, Canada has contributed strongly and gained an excellent reputation.

These Amateur delegates work closely with each other and with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) representatives including IARU President, Tim Ellam, VE6SH. This is important, as WRC decisions are ultimately made only by the ITU Member States.

The IARU is one of many industry Sector Members representing various special interests – telecommunications companies, marine and air carriers, etc – that attend, but have no vote.

Throughout the ITU Study Cycle preparatory process, our delegates to the Preparatory Meetings regularly keep us all up to date – through ongoing articles in The Canadian Amateur, on the RAC website and via Twitter – on the issues and processes that ultimately determine Amateur Radio spectrum around the world.

The DARF Trust was created by Tom Atkins, VE3CDM and Bill Loucks, VE3AR, in 1991 to provide funding to ensure that a Canadian Radio Amateur would be part of these critical processes. Over the years, this need has only grown more critical with the explosion of mobile services and the need for more spectrum to service them. Our delegates typically attend two of these meetings each year, each lasting 10 to 12 days. Even with discounted airfare and hotel rates, it is expensive to send a person to Geneva to work and live for two to four weeks each year. 

For more information about DARF and the World Radiocommunication Conferences please visit: https://www.rac.ca/darf/ and https://www.rac.ca/wrc/