[SFDXA] IARU Region 2 Publishes New Band Plan

[Bill]

        IARU Region 2 Publishes New Band Plan

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    International Amateur Radio Union (*IARU* <http://www.iaru.org/>)
    *Region 2* <http://www.iaru-r2.org/> (the Americas) has published a
    revised */IARU Region 2 Band Plan
    <http://www.iaru-r2.org/documents/explorer/files/Plan20bandas%20%7C%20Band-plan/R220Plan%202013.pdf>/*
    for all allocations from 137 kHz to 250 GHz, effective September 27,
    2013. The member-societies of IARU Region 2 adopted the new plan
    during their triennial General Assembly in Cancun, Mexico, in late
    September. Delegates from 18 national Amateur Radio associations
    attended. Representing the ARRL were President Kay Craigie, N3KN, as
    the voting delegate; First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR; Chief
    Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, and Technical Relations
    Specialist Jonathan Siverling, WB3ERA.
    “For the first time in Region 2, band plans for the VHF, UHF, and
    microwave bands were adopted to guide development of these bands,”
    Sumner said. “HF band plans were reviewed with the objective of
    improving terminology and aligning them more closely with those of
    the other regions, particularly Region 1 (Europe, Africa, the Middle
    East, and the former Soviet Union).” The revised document designates
    a new segment for the Amateur-Satellite Service from *144.000 to
    144.025 MHz*.
    As it states in its introduction, “The IARU Region 2 has established
    this band plan as the way to better organize the use of our bands
    efficiently. To the extent possible, this band plan is harmonized
    with those of the other regions. It is suggested that
    member-societies, in coordination with the authorities, incorporate
    it in their regulations and promote it widely with their radio
    amateur communities.”
    For the first time the band plan includes definitions “to organize
    the concepts used in the band plan, as well as the proposed use of
    spectrum for the bands between 6 meters and 1 millimeter,” says IARU
    R2 News Editor Joaquín Solana, XE1R.
    The new band plan references near space stations (NSS) in its
    definitions section. According to the band plan, “Equipment located
    in temporary Near Space Stations (such as those carried by
    high-altitude balloons) can transmit carefully on any frequency;
    exceptions are the segments with ‘exclusive’ usage where ‘NSS’ are
    not applied. NSS must follow the BW [bandwidth] and mode
    restrictions of the segment and observe carefully the usual
    occupation of the band on the related region to avoid harmful
    interference. For longer missions and NSS crossing international and
    regional boundaries, extra care must be observed in harmonization of
    different allocations.