RAC Bulletin 2011-022E - Industry Canada Responds Favourably to RAC request for access to 60M. Public consultation to begin shortly.
2011-08-07
Over the last year RAC has been in discussions with Industry Canada with the objective of obtaining access to 60M. This has been a policy objective of RAC since Spring of 2010.
At the last CARAB meeting between RAC and Industry Canada on May 17, 2011, two of the major items discussed were updates to Industry Canada's regulatory documents (RBR-4 and RIC-3), and the RAC request for an assignment of certain frequencies in the 60m (5 MHz) band to the amateur service in Canada. Neither of these subjects was finalized at the time of the meeting, but Industry Canada undertook to respond to RAC on both ofthem this summer.
Industry Canada has now informed RAC that at this point is sees no reason not to respond favourably to the RAC request for frequencies at 60m on a no protection, non-interference basis.
The new frequencies would be included in the schedule of amateur frequencies in the updated edition of RBR-4 to be released for public consultation in the future. Public submissions will be considered by Industry Canada in preparation for the final version of RBR-4. Any new frequencies it contains would become available to Canadian amateurs at the time of release of the updated RBR-4. Thus, if all goes well, Canadian amateurs may expect to gain access to frequencies at 60m, basically the same as those in the US, some time this fall.
The anticipated success of this initiative is the result of many months of effort from the RAC executive and volunteers, including the HF Band Planning Committee, and also from all of those amateurs who have made observations on the use of these frequencies and relayed their comments to RAC on the need for this band in Canada. We would not have been successful without all of your help and input.
Geoff Bawden, VE4BAW
President and Chair Radio Amateurs of Canada
Co-Chair of Canadian Amateur Radio Advisory Board