Page 26 January February 2018 TCA
P. 26
Getting Ready for the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference
Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN Our Region 1 colleagues are
WRC Special Advisor leading the charge on the
50 MHz agenda item. They
If you’ve started to read this, I am going are documenting how
to assume that you know that this will not allowing more 6 metres
necessarily be an article about the latest activity can coexist with the
DXpedition or a technical article on lingering analog television
Amateur equipment you can buy or build. operations on 50 MHz in
I will, as usual, try to update you on the Europe and with wind‑profiler
latest round of technical discussions in radar systems which operate
preparation for the next World in a few locations in or near
Radiocommunication Conference which 50 to 54 MHz. There is also
is scheduled for October 2019 (WRC19). an allocation by footnote to
The agenda items for a WRC are always the land mobile service in
chosen at the closing of the previous much of Region 1.
Conference and are therefore not subject Agreeing what separation distances from Above (from left): Dale Hughes, VK1DSH,
to change. Those to be decided at Amateur operations may be necessary is Chairman of the Amateur Working Group;
Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, IARU Vice-President; and
WRC19 were selected at the close of the the subject of intense technical discussion. Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, WRC Special Advisor.
2015 Conference. These “sharing” studies will continue to be
At about six‑month intervals teams of debated in the next round of meetings in likely scaled up to things the size of
automobiles, trucks and buses. The
technical experts from the member states May 2018. None of this is easy given the frequencies most likely to be employed are
and organizations which comprise the mix of technology, politics and national in the range from about 19 kHz to 300 kHz
International Telecommunication Union interests that all UN agencies labour with. and massive amounts of power are likely to
(ITU) gather at the ITU Headquarters in Canada is not a direct party to this;
Geneva, Switzerland in a series of however, we have tabled a document be required. Unless the technology is
carefully crafted there is great potential
Preparatory Meetings. Amateur Radio, saying our primary users, Canadian Radio here for interference into and beyond the
which is defined as a “service” in the Amateurs, would not be harmed – indeed
Radio Regulations, is overseen in would welcome – more six metre activity Amateur HF bands.
Working Party 5A whose Chairman is in Region 1. Then there are the ongoing discussions
Dr. José Costa who, as fortune would There are additionally several items on trying for a consensus on a large slice of
have it, is a Canadian resident in Ottawa. microwave spectrum for the future
the agenda for WRC19 whose outcomes
There is always a small but very busy may pose problems for Amateur Radio. evolution of mobile telephones and
contingent of Radio Amateurs at these One seeks to expand the scope and terminals. So far our regulator – and their
Preparatory Meetings. Some come capabilities of Radio Local Area Networks American colleagues – have managed to
under the auspices of the International (RLANs) in several frequency segments in keep our primary allocation in 47 to 47.2
Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which is a the 5 GHz range. Two of these cover the GHz out of consideration. With vigilance
sector (non‑voting) member of the ITU, range 5725 to 5925 MHz which overlaps we hope to keep this so.
while others are attached to their much of our Amateur 6 cm band. Two more Preparatory Meetings are
national delegations. I had an interesting scheduled in 2018 before the product of all
status as a member of both the IARU In the frequency range allocated to these discussions is assembled into
and the Canadian delegations. My Canadian Amateurs – 5650 to 5925 MHz Conference Preparatory Material for the
colleagues at the November meetings – we, as a secondary user, share the use of the delegates to WRC19 in October
included Amateurs from Australia, the spectrum with radiolocation services and 2019. There are two interesting things to
United States, Brazil, the United with ISM applications which include Wi‑Fi know about World Radiocommunication
Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, access points, cordless telephones, and Conferences. First, while the Preparatory
Germany and Japan. an ever‑growing range of IoT (Internet of Meetings are attended by technical and
Things) devices. At the upper end of the
For the 2019 Conference there is one band, work is proceeding on Intelligent subject‑matter experts, the delegates who
agenda item directly concerning Amateur Transport Service applications (road‑ make the decisions in the Conference are
Radio: a proposal to study the possibility tolling is one example). As Radio the representatives of the member states
of amending the International Table of Amateurs we have been able to input our and some may not always be diligent in
Frequency Allocations to establish an concerns, particularly for our “weak‑ familiarizing themselves with the technical
allocation in 50 to 54 MHz for the Amateur signal” segment in 5760 to 5765 MHz and material. Second, while we might talk
Service in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the for the Amateur satellite downlink range in about how the countries may “vote” on the
Middle East and Africa). The rest of the 5830 to 5850 MHz. It will be difficult for us individual agenda items, voting has not
world already has this allocation but as a secondary user to significantly been the custom since 1992 when the
six‑metre access in Region 1 has been at influence the outcome here. Fortunately, delegates opted to approve agenda items
the discretion of local administrations. the primary users also have concerns and by consensus.
These “domestic” allocations are often that may ultimately work in our favour. Reflect upon that for a moment and you will
quite restrictive. Of the 48 member states begin to appreciate how truly challenging
of CEPT, the coordinating body for Another agenda item addresses wireless the overall process is especially for a small
European Communications and Postal power transfer (WPT). We’ve all seen player like Radio Amateurs. That we have
authorities, about three‑quarters have these little devices which enable you to done well is a tribute to the truly remarkable
authorized some access to 6 metres charge your digital watch or smartphone Amateurs who have showed us how over
– most only for 50 to 52 MHz and some without connecting it to anything. That’s the years.
with very modest power levels. what this will be dealing with; however,
24
Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN Our Region 1 colleagues are
WRC Special Advisor leading the charge on the
50 MHz agenda item. They
If you’ve started to read this, I am going are documenting how
to assume that you know that this will not allowing more 6 metres
necessarily be an article about the latest activity can coexist with the
DXpedition or a technical article on lingering analog television
Amateur equipment you can buy or build. operations on 50 MHz in
I will, as usual, try to update you on the Europe and with wind‑profiler
latest round of technical discussions in radar systems which operate
preparation for the next World in a few locations in or near
Radiocommunication Conference which 50 to 54 MHz. There is also
is scheduled for October 2019 (WRC19). an allocation by footnote to
The agenda items for a WRC are always the land mobile service in
chosen at the closing of the previous much of Region 1.
Conference and are therefore not subject Agreeing what separation distances from Above (from left): Dale Hughes, VK1DSH,
to change. Those to be decided at Amateur operations may be necessary is Chairman of the Amateur Working Group;
Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, IARU Vice-President; and
WRC19 were selected at the close of the the subject of intense technical discussion. Bryan Rawlings, VE3QN, WRC Special Advisor.
2015 Conference. These “sharing” studies will continue to be
At about six‑month intervals teams of debated in the next round of meetings in likely scaled up to things the size of
automobiles, trucks and buses. The
technical experts from the member states May 2018. None of this is easy given the frequencies most likely to be employed are
and organizations which comprise the mix of technology, politics and national in the range from about 19 kHz to 300 kHz
International Telecommunication Union interests that all UN agencies labour with. and massive amounts of power are likely to
(ITU) gather at the ITU Headquarters in Canada is not a direct party to this;
Geneva, Switzerland in a series of however, we have tabled a document be required. Unless the technology is
carefully crafted there is great potential
Preparatory Meetings. Amateur Radio, saying our primary users, Canadian Radio here for interference into and beyond the
which is defined as a “service” in the Amateurs, would not be harmed – indeed
Radio Regulations, is overseen in would welcome – more six metre activity Amateur HF bands.
Working Party 5A whose Chairman is in Region 1. Then there are the ongoing discussions
Dr. José Costa who, as fortune would There are additionally several items on trying for a consensus on a large slice of
have it, is a Canadian resident in Ottawa. microwave spectrum for the future
the agenda for WRC19 whose outcomes
There is always a small but very busy may pose problems for Amateur Radio. evolution of mobile telephones and
contingent of Radio Amateurs at these One seeks to expand the scope and terminals. So far our regulator – and their
Preparatory Meetings. Some come capabilities of Radio Local Area Networks American colleagues – have managed to
under the auspices of the International (RLANs) in several frequency segments in keep our primary allocation in 47 to 47.2
Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which is a the 5 GHz range. Two of these cover the GHz out of consideration. With vigilance
sector (non‑voting) member of the ITU, range 5725 to 5925 MHz which overlaps we hope to keep this so.
while others are attached to their much of our Amateur 6 cm band. Two more Preparatory Meetings are
national delegations. I had an interesting scheduled in 2018 before the product of all
status as a member of both the IARU In the frequency range allocated to these discussions is assembled into
and the Canadian delegations. My Canadian Amateurs – 5650 to 5925 MHz Conference Preparatory Material for the
colleagues at the November meetings – we, as a secondary user, share the use of the delegates to WRC19 in October
included Amateurs from Australia, the spectrum with radiolocation services and 2019. There are two interesting things to
United States, Brazil, the United with ISM applications which include Wi‑Fi know about World Radiocommunication
Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, access points, cordless telephones, and Conferences. First, while the Preparatory
Germany and Japan. an ever‑growing range of IoT (Internet of Meetings are attended by technical and
Things) devices. At the upper end of the
For the 2019 Conference there is one band, work is proceeding on Intelligent subject‑matter experts, the delegates who
agenda item directly concerning Amateur Transport Service applications (road‑ make the decisions in the Conference are
Radio: a proposal to study the possibility tolling is one example). As Radio the representatives of the member states
of amending the International Table of Amateurs we have been able to input our and some may not always be diligent in
Frequency Allocations to establish an concerns, particularly for our “weak‑ familiarizing themselves with the technical
allocation in 50 to 54 MHz for the Amateur signal” segment in 5760 to 5765 MHz and material. Second, while we might talk
Service in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the for the Amateur satellite downlink range in about how the countries may “vote” on the
Middle East and Africa). The rest of the 5830 to 5850 MHz. It will be difficult for us individual agenda items, voting has not
world already has this allocation but as a secondary user to significantly been the custom since 1992 when the
six‑metre access in Region 1 has been at influence the outcome here. Fortunately, delegates opted to approve agenda items
the discretion of local administrations. the primary users also have concerns and by consensus.
These “domestic” allocations are often that may ultimately work in our favour. Reflect upon that for a moment and you will
quite restrictive. Of the 48 member states begin to appreciate how truly challenging
of CEPT, the coordinating body for Another agenda item addresses wireless the overall process is especially for a small
European Communications and Postal power transfer (WPT). We’ve all seen player like Radio Amateurs. That we have
authorities, about three‑quarters have these little devices which enable you to done well is a tribute to the truly remarkable
authorized some access to 6 metres charge your digital watch or smartphone Amateurs who have showed us how over
– most only for 50 to 52 MHz and some without connecting it to anything. That’s the years.
with very modest power levels. what this will be dealing with; however,
24
