[SFDXA] IARU Announces HF Digital Mode Band Plan Review

[Bill]

    IARU Announces HF Digital Mode Band Plan Review

08/14/2020

An International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) working group has been 
formed to develop solutions to reduce congestion within very popular 
mode segments while preventing mutual interference between “incompatible 
modes” as much as possible. The working group includes representatives 
of the three regional band-planning committees, marking the first time 
the IARU three regions have joined together to directly coordinate band 
planning efforts.

“Because frequency allocations and amateur radio operating interests 
vary in different parts of the world, the development of band plans — 
voluntary guidelines on the use of the spectrum that is available to 
radio amateurs — is a responsibility of the three IARU regional 
organizations,” the IARU explained in announcing the working group. 
“Each of the three regions has a band-planning committee to focus on 
this work.”

The IARU says this approach to band planning has generally kept pace 
with the evolution of amateur radio operating, but the explosive growth 
in HF digital modes, particularly FT8, has led to perceived overcrowding 
of HF digital-mode band segments.

The new working group has already had fruitful discussions with the 
/WSJT/Development Group led by Joe Taylor, K1JT. Additional discussions, 
including with other HF stakeholders, will be held as part of a 
fundamental review of the different HF digital modes, and how they can 
be best categorized and arranged to share the limited spectrum available.

In recent years, moves have been made to bring the regional band plans 
into alignment wherever possible. Final approval of any band plan 
revisions typically occurs during regional conferences of IARU 
member-societies, held every 3 years on a rotating basis.

While the proposed band plan revisions will have to be approved by 
member-societies in each region, recent administrative changes mean that 
revisions can be implemented without having to wait for the regional 
conferences.

Amateurs can follow the working group’s progress through their IARU 
member-societies and their respective *IARU websites* 
<http://www.iaru.org/> (all are accessible via the main IARU page).

http://www.arrl.org/news/iaru-announces-hf-digital-mode-band-plan-review