The ARRL Board of Directors’ HF Band Planning Committee is inviting input from the US Amateur Radio community regarding possible changes to the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 2 Band Plan. That band plan and other significant Amateur Radio spectrum issues will be high on the agenda at this fall’s IARU Region 2 General Assembly in Chile. Leading up to that gathering, the ARRL and other IARU member societies in the Americas will be seeking comments and suggestions regarding the Region 2 HF Band Plan. The HF Band Planning Committee will review the current plan, consider comments from the US Amateur Radio community, and recommend any changes to the ARRL Board for submission to IARU Region 2.

“The ARRL HF Band Planning Committee wants to stress that the IARU Region 2 Band Plan is a voluntary guideline and does not supersede FCC regulations related to spectrum usage,” Committee Chairman and ARRL Second Vice President Brian Mileshosky, N5ZGT, noted. He also pointed out two other issues for radio amateurs to consider.

• Most Region 2 countries outside the US do not have the sort of detailed sub-band regulations contained in the FCC’s Part 97. For radio amateurs in these countries, the Region 2 Band Plan may serve as the only source of guidance on spectrum usage.
• The designation of a calling frequency or band segment for a particular purpose or mode in any IARU band plan does not convey any special rights or exclusivity of use. On the other hand the absence of a calling frequency or band segment associated with a particular purpose or mode should not suggest that these have been overlooked or are viewed negatively.

The Committee is urging US radio amateurs who are considering suggesting revisions to the IARU Region 2 Band Plan first to study the existing IARU Region 2 Band Plan. They then should formulate a clear statement of any proposed changes, including a brief explanation of why each particular change would benefit all IARU Region 2 spectrum users. Participants should include name and call sign. Submit input via e-mail by June 1, 2016. Messages will be automatically acknowledged.

Radio amateurs licensed in Region 2 countries other than the US should contact their own IARU member society for information on how to participate in the band-planning process.

The 19th IARU Region 2 General Assembly will take place in mid-October in Viña del Mar, Chile. Held every 3 years, the Region 2 Conference is attended by delegations from IARU member societies in throughout the Americas.