As reported on November 20^th, the ITU‑R Radio Assembly (RA) met during the week before the World Radio Conference in Dubai. The IARU participated in the meeting and contributed to the development of the draft ITU‑R Recommendation for 23cm band amateur operations alongside the co-frequency radio navigation satellite service (RNSS). The published ITU‑R Recommendation M.2164 is now available and can be found here along with a summary of the technical conditions here. The recommendation will form a component of the WRC-23 discussions which are ongoing until December 15^th relating to WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b.

The final recommendation represents the culmination of more than 4 years of work by the IARU team within the ITU‑R study groups to ensure the best outcome for amateur radio in the face of intense regulatory, political and commercial pressure. 

The ITU‑R Radio Assembly (RA) met during the week before the World Radio Conference in Dubai. The IARU participated in the meeting and contributed to the development of the draft ITU‑R Recommendation for 23cm band amateur operations alongside the co-frequency radio navigation satellite service (RNSS). This has followed a difficult development process in the ITU‑R study groups but the RA achieved a positive outcome with finalisation of ITU‑R Recommendation M.2164. A summary report detailing the meeting activity and some of the tensions dealt with during the meeting is available here.

The IARUMS Region 1 Newsletter October 2023 is now available.
Click on the link to read it!

As a part of the preparatory process for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1 topic b) involving the 23cm band, ITU‑R Report M.2532 has just been published. This report encapsulates the outcome of resolves 1 of ITU‑R Resolution 774 that requires a detailed review of the different systems and applications used by the amateur and amateur satellite services in the 23cm band. The review forms a part of the basis for the studies required by resolves 2 to address the amateur and amateur satellite services coexistence with the radio navigation satellite service (RNSS).

The report M.2532 can be found here.

The publication represents a positive outcome from a great deal of work and committment by the IARU volunteer team that has been central to its development since 2019 in ITU‑R Study Group 5.

Working Party 5A meeting #30 met over the period 13^th to 22^nd September 2023 and despite extra meeting time allocated specifically to the development of the ITU‑R Recommendation M.[AS_GUIDANCE] the meeting did not reach a consensus on the technical and operational measures required to ensure the protection of the RNSS (radio navigation satellite service) in the amateur 23cm band. The measures aim to identify parts of the frequency band with associated amateur transmitter power limits that can help protect the RNSS operations. By the close of the meeting three alternative solutions remained unresolved in the draft document.

This outcome was reported to the WP5A plenary meeting and the subsequent parent Study Group 5 meeting but despite further efforts still no outcome could be achieved. Since the recommendation will be important for WRC-23 discussions it is expected that further efforts will continue to try to find a solution.

On a positive note the Draft New Report ITU‑R M. [AS_CHARACTERISTICS] was finalised by WP5A an approved in Study Group 5.

The IARU report from the WP5A meeting can be downloaded here.