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WRC23 preparations continue
· Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

From 1 – 3 September, IARU participated in the first meeting of Project Team C of the WRC23 CEPT Conference Preparatory Group where the preliminary CEPT position on the international studies into the amateur radio and radio navigation satellite service coexistence was discussed. IARU will continue to play a full role in the discussions on this subject.

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African Telecommunications Union meets to prepare for WRC-23
· Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

Today the Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), the Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Sector and the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications of Cameroon opened the first on-line meeting of APM-23, which from 3 – 7 August will commence preparing the African position for the 2023 ITU World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23). IARU is attending the meeting.

It was stated that WRC-23 should build on the successes of WRC-19 for Africa and that regional bodies such as ATU were instrumental in achieving consensus on difficult issues. Furthermore, the ITU Study Groups had also initiated their WRC-23 studies and African participation was welcome.

WRC-23 has a number of agenda items which may impact the amateur and/or amateur satellite services particularly the requirement to determine if additional measures are required to ensure coexistence with the radio-navigation satellite service in the 1 240 – 1 300 MHz frequency band. As ATU is one of the four regional organisations in ITU Region 1, IARU-R1 intends to participate in future WRC-23 APM meetings to protect amateur frequency allocations wherever possible.

A number of speakers stressed the need for the participation of women, youth and academia in telecommunications. IARU supports the need for bringing amateur radio to these sectors in order for example, to help combat digital exclusion and provide communications in emergency situations in the case of natural disasters.

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Region 1 General Conference to be in two parts
· Spectrum · Sylvain, F4GKR

In the light of the COVID-19 problems, the IARU Region 1 Executive Committee has consulted with those Member Societies planning to attend the 2020 General Conference. As a result the clear majority support an EC proposal to split the Conference into two parts, the first part on the scheduled dates by virtual means and the second part in-person on a date to be determined in 2021. The 11 – 15 October 2020 event will consider much of the “business as usual” elements of a General Conference in Committees C2, C3, C4, C5 and C7.

Amateur radio is an exciting activity, offering great opportunities to those who get involved. But IARU and its member societies face some very significant challenges for the future to ensure that in-flow into amateur radio is further stimulated and that Member Societies and IARU continue to be seen as relevant and supportive by new entrants. The 2021 part of the Conference will, therefore, be primarily devoted to an exploration of these issues and mapping a way ahead. It will be run in “workshop” format with active participation from all Member Societies present, hopefully including large numbers of “tomorrow’s” radio amateurs.

The deadline for papers for the virtual conference in October remains at 10th July 2020. Because of continuing uncertainties around COVID-19, the EC will review the likely date for the 2021 in-person Conference later this year. The deadline for contributions to the 2021 event will be set when the date for that part of the Conference is decided and will be 10 weeks prior to the event. This will also be the deadline for nominations to the Executive Committee for 2021 – 23. 

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