500kHz - the background
The RSGB first made proposals to IARU in respect of some form of amateur access to frequencies around 500kHz in 2002.
See RSGB paper on 500kHz, which was presented at the IARU Region 1 Conference in San Marino.
As a result the Conference adopted recommendation REC/02/SM/C4.11.
A working group be formed to investigate the possibility of a frequency allocation of approximately 10 kHz between 470–490 kHz to investigate propagation and the use of new communication technologies. A progress report should be circulated to the secretaries of Region 2 and Region 3 for information.
A Working Group was set up with members from four countries within Region 1 as well as corresponding members from Regions 2 and 3. It reported to the Region 1 General Conferences in 2005 and 2008. The Working Group’s work in supporting the IARU was recognised and it was formally disbanded at the 2011 Region 1 General Conference, when the main preparatory work for WRC-12 had been completed.
Very intense lobbying by the IARU and various national delegates resulted in the 500 kHz proposal being accepted for the WRC-12 Agenda, which reads:
to consider an allocation of about 15 kHz in parts of the band 415-526.5kHz to the amateur service on a secondary basis, taking into account the need to protect existing services
Intensive preparatory work for WRC took place between 2009 and 2011 that resulted in various overlapping options favoured by the big country groupings in the Regional Telecommunication authorities: CITEL (Inter-American) favour two sub-bands 461-469 and 471-478kHz, the Asia-Pacific Group and African Telecommunications Union 472-487 kHz and CEPT (Europe) 472-480 kHz. The Arab Spectrum Management Group proposes “No change (NOC)”, meaning that they oppose an allocation in this part of the spectrum while the Russian lead Regional Commonwealth for Communication (RCC) hasn’t reached a consensus, but the view is for the same “No Change (NOC)”.
WRC-12 took place in Geneva between 23 January and 17 February 2012, where after significant hard work by IARU delegates attending the conference, as well as Colin Thomas, G3PSM, who was part of the UK delegation, the following allocation was agreed, effective from 1 January 2013 (note that national administrations, like Ofcom, will still have to decide where to license operation against this allocation):
A worldwide secondary allocation to the Amateur Service at 472-479 kHz, with a power limit of 1 W EIRP. A provision has been made, however, for administrations to permit up to 5 W EIRP for stations located more than 800 km from certain countries that wish to protect their aeronautical radionavigation service (non-directional beacons) from any possible interference. Footnotes (see below) provide administrations with opportunities to “opt out” of the amateur allocation and/or to upgrade their aeronautical radionavigation service to primary, if they wish to do so. In addition to these protections for aeronautical radionavigation, the Amateur Service must avoid harmful interference to the primary maritime mobile service. Quite a few additional administrations—mainly in the former Soviet Union and the Arab states—added their country’s names to the Footnotes prior to the Agenda Item’s consideration in Plenary.
Footnotes to the 472-479 kHz allocation:
5.77 Different category of service: In Australia, China, the French overseas communities of Region 3, the Republic of Korea, India, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, the allocation of the frequency band 415-495 kHz to the aeronautical radionavigation service is on a primary basis. In Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the allocation of the frequency band 435-495 kHz to the aeronautical radionavigation service is on a primary basis. Administrations in all the aforementioned countries shall take all practical steps necessary to ensure that aeronautical radionavigation stations in the frequency band 435-495 kHz do not cause interference to reception by coast stations of transmissions from ship stations on frequencies designated for ship stations on a worldwide basis.
5.82 In the maritime mobile service, the frequency 490 kHz is to be used exclusively for the transmission by coast stations of navigational and meteorological warnings and urgent information to ships, by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy. The conditions for use of the frequency 490 kHz are prescribed in Articles 31 and 52. In using the frequency band 415-495 kHz for the aeronautical radionavigation service, administrations are requested to ensure that no harmful interference is caused to the frequency 490 kHz. In using the frequency band 472-479 kHz for the Amateur Service, administrations shall ensure that no harmful interference is caused to the frequency 490 kHz. (Emphasis added)
5.A123 The maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) of stations in the Amateur Service using frequencies in the band 472-479 kHz shall not exceed 1 W. Administrations may increase this limit of EIRP to 5 W in portions of their territory which are at a distance of more than 800 km from the borders of Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine and Yemen. In this frequency band, stations in the Amateur Service shall not cause harmful interference to, or claim protection from, stations of the aeronautical radionavigation service.
5.B123 The use of the frequency band 472-479 kHz in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen is limited to the maritime mobile and aeronautical radionavigation services. The Amateur Service shall not be used in the above-mentioned countries in this frequency band, and this should be taken into account by the countries authorizing such use.
Interim arrangements for UK 501-504 kHz NoV holders
Ofcom and the RSGB announced on 1 March 2012 that the NoVs currently issued for access to 501-504 kHz, which expired on 29 February 2012 could have their validity extended to 31 December 2012. See http://www.rsgb.org/operating/novapp/500.php for further information