ATU finalises its positions for WRC-19

[IK0ZCW]

Sunday, 01 September 2019 10:02
Written by Don Beattie

The African Telecommunications Union (ATU) held its final preparatory meeting in South Africa this last week for the World Radio Conference. The meeting was attended by Brian Jacobs, ZS6YZ who represented SARL and IARU Region 1 as part of the South African Delegation led by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.

Items of interest to the amateur service which were finalised were:

- Agreement to an African Common Proposal (AFCP) on allocating 50-54 MHz to the amateur service in Region 1 on a primary basis with provisions to allow Wind Profiler Radars and the amateur service to avoid mutual interference.(WRC Agenda Item 1.1)

- Discussion on spectrum to be considered for International Mobile Telecommunications, which ATU agreed should not include the primary amateur band at 47-47.2 GHz (WRC Agenda Item 1.13)

- Agreement to an AFCP that retains the current regulatory position in the 5725-5850 MHz frequency band which includes secondary allocations to the amateur service and the amateur-satellite service (WRC Agenda Item 1.16)

- On Wireless Power Transmission for electric vehicles, ATU agreed to support no change to the Radio Regulations but continuation of studies in ITU-R to ensure that appropriate frequency ranges and technical limits are incorporated into standards to protect radiocommunication services.

IARU Region 1 notes with satisfaction the above positions reached by ATU, which form a sound base for discussions at the forthcoming World Radio Conference in Egypt in November 2019.