Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Ham Band at 500 kHz a Step Closer


An international amateur radio allocation around 500 kHz moved a step closer to fruition in late September, as a key committee of the Council of European Post and Telecommunications authorities (CEPT) approved a draft proposal for a secondary amateur allocation between 472 and 480 kHz. According to the Southgate Amateur Radio Club's website, the approval means that the 48 member countries of CEPT will back the proposal, which was drafted by the Radio Society of Great Britain. Ham groups are still hoping for a 15-kHz-wide allocation, but feel this agreement is a good start.
Meanwhile, another CEPT committee recommended that member countries work to establish a uniform set of guidelines for administering amateur radio license exams to people with disabilities.