December 2006 witnesses a momentous change in the UK Amateur Licence with the BR68/F/I/Full and its variation notices, being comprehensively replaced with a thoroughly revamped UK 'lifetime' licence. UK Microwave Group has worked closely with the RSGB Spectrum Forum and Ofcom on this and welcomes it introduction. Of particular interest to microwavers are:-

• 10GHz, 1-Watt Access has been granted to Foundation Licensees.
  This will facilitate education, microwavers and the ATV community

• Kits for Foundation merely need to be 'commercially available' as per IR2028

• Intermediates have been granted all higher microwave bands, preventing the loss of 76GHz+ access.

• Greater clarity has been introduced for unattended Personal Beacons in the new Schedule-2.

• Full Licensees have unprecedented scope in Section-10 for unattended and remotely operated stations and beacons (for personal use) via secure links that may use Internet, Wifi or other amateur bands.

• Schedule-2 and Section-10 forms one of the pillars for a reformed Beacon application process which is currently being developed

• Callsign suffixes have been changed and are now optional (along with Club prefixes).
  • /A (Alternative fixed station) has been reintroduced and
  • /P, /M, /MM redefined for clarity

• Restrictions on emission types abolished, permitting greater experimentation.

• Logbooks no longer mandatory, except for interference investigations.

• Foundation Licensees also granted access to 10m and the Amateur Satellite Service.

UKuG is pleased to see our requests related to Foundation and Intermediate schedules being granted. Foundation microwave access is in the same educational spirit that 10GHz was available in the former UK Novice licence. The above promises exciting new possibilities for increasing and innovative microwave activity and broadening understanding of high frequencies. The new remote and /P flexibility may need a review of contest rules though!

Note-1: Timing issues mean that mm-Wave changes related to EU35 occur on Jan-1st 2007, not Dec-2006.

Note-2: You must be in personal possession of a new licence for these terms to apply. Once obtained, please note it must be revalidated at least every five years to avoid forfeiture.

Further Detail is available at Ofcom Online Licensing Centre

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2-Dec-2006