Ofcom reforms the Amateur Radio Licence

A simple guide to the changes

On the 14^th of February 2006 Ofcom released their Amateur Radio Licensing policy document. The changes are as follows.

Ofcom will be issuing the Amateur Radio licences from the 1 October 2006 and not the Radio Licensing Centre (RLC) Bristol.

Licenses will be issued electronically by Ofcom as an alternative to the postal service now offered by the RLC. The online web-based service will be ‘self-service’ e.g. every licence holder must print a copy of their licence which must be kept at the main station address, and the licensee will be responsible for informing Ofcom of any changes to their licence. Paper licences will be available, but Ofcom will apply an administration charge for this service. The amount has not yet been determined, it will be decided as part of the Wireless Telegraphy Licence Charges consultation process.

A lifetime Amateur Radio licence will now be issued, lifetime meaning there is no end date. This will also be from the 1 October 2006. The licence will remain valid for as long as the licence holder continues to update the licence details, or until it is surrendered by the licensee or revoked by Ofcom. The updates to the licence must be done at least once every five years, a reminder/revocation will be sent out by Ofcom if the licence has not been updated. Paper applications and amendment forms will be available to download from Ofcom’s website, or from the Ofcom Contact Centre which is there to support amateurs’ queries.

There will be no substantial changes with respect to the legal side of the licence, apart from the new clauses establishing the lifetime licence. It will remain an offence to use radio equipment without a licence or outside the conditions of the licence. In order to obtain an Amateur Radio licence, a valid Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate is still required. For Amateurs wishing to operate overseas, a licence document will still be available.

Amateurs can still apply for an individual variation to the licence. The fee for Notice of Variations (NoV) will be decided as part of the WT Licence Charges consultation, which will take place later this year.

Ofcom will be setting up a ‘user friendly’ online help guide, and telephone support will also be available from Ofcom’s Contact Centre.

What do you do next?

If your licence expires before the 1 October 2006

If this is the case, you will still need to renew it through the Radio Licensing Centre Bristol. Your licence will be valid for one year and will be subject to all current licence terms and conditions.

YOU WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY ON-LINE FOR YOUR LIFETIME LICENCE AT YOUR NEXT RENEWAL DATE, I.E. 2007.

If your licence expires on or after 1 October 2006

Ofcom will post directly to you a ‘lifetime’ Amateur Radio licence 6 weeks before your expiry date. At this time you will also receive the information to allow you to access the on-line web-based service.

Beware!

If you have allowed your licence to lapse, Ofcom will not post you any information.

Remember from 1 October 2006 your licence will be issued by Ofcom and not the Radio Licensing Centre Bristol.

And finally, if you currently pay for your licence by Direct Debit or Standing order, don’t forget to cancel your payment arrangement.

To view the full document, please visit the Ofcom website: www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aradio/statement/