The final European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) Conference Preparatory Group (CPG) meeting prior to World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) gets under way on August 26. Action at that gathering will determine whether a French proposal to have WRC-23 study sharing 144 – 146 MHz with the Aeronautical Mobile Service will be adopted as a CEPT WRC-19 position. International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) experts will be present at the CPG to explain the IARU position on this and other topics. The French proposal, raised on short notice at a CEPT meeting in June, has riled the Amateur Radio community worldwide and prompted petitions to prevent its passage. The proposed 144 – 146 MHz segment would be part of a broader consideration of spectrum allocated to the Aeronautical Mobile Service.

IARU has asked its member societies to explain the Amateur Service’s concerns over the French proposal to their telecommunications regulators, and it has submitted a background paper on amateur usage and regulatory concerns, as well as a basic technical analysis showing the impracticality of such a proposal. IARU has said much more appropriate parts of the spectrum are available to study for non-safety AMS applications.

Another issue addressed during the June CEPT meeting concerned the sharing of the Amateur Radio 1240 – 1300 MHz band with Europe’s Galileo GPS system. IARU has asked its member societies to discuss with regulators the best way to resolve concerns regarding a few cases of Amateur Radio interference to the Galileo navigation system specific to its E6 sub-band at 1260 – 1300 MHz. IARU believes that CEPT is the proper venue to study the matter, rather than proposing it as WRC-23 agenda item.

Regarding the WRC-19 agenda item to harmonize the 50 MHz band, IARU has expressed its hope that member-states will support the European Common Proposal, “with as many as possible signing the optional footnote to allow primary access on a national basis over part of the band being proposed for amateur use.”

IARU has indicated that it will seek support from Region 1 administrations for a “No change” approach to the current regulatory situation in the 5650 – 5850 MHz and 47 – 47.2 GHz bands.

Documents for the CEPT Conference Preparatory Group meeting are available via the CEPT website.