5.3.2 Amateur radio service

There are a number of licences on channel TV39 throughout New Zealand which are used for Amateur Radio television repeaters. In this use, television signals are transmitted from, say, an Amateur’s residence in other frequency bands, and are re-broadcast by a repeater installation on a nearby hilltop using TV39. The repeater can also broadcast informational material when not otherwise in use.

The current installations use analogue technology and operate under a radio licence. From 2010 they will need to use a spectrum licence and, because they use analogue technology, will be licensed with conditions requiring switch-off at the DSO date. The number of existing TV39 transmitters that might, given suitable licences, be converted to digital is not known. Likewise the number of Amateurs that would wish to operate individual digital transmissions to access a digital repeater is not known.

Amateur radio interests have indicated they would like the ability to operate digital technology, using transmission parameters (within the DVB framework) that provide a single programme, non-multiplexed, type of service using either TV39 or a suitable alternative channel. They have a preference for UHF frequencies because of the availability of receivers and their existing UHF transmission systems.

Provision of the desired UHF spectrum to a small interest group may be satisfactory when there is ample spectrum available, but is difficult to support when there is strong demand from other services with significantly larger numbers of users. It is likely that the Amateur interest could be accommodated in the spectrum available in the basic band plan in certain geographic areas, but not in the main population areas where spectrum for television and other purposes is likely to be in strong demand. The true level of demand may only be known when DSO is completed, as it is not clear how many of the contractual analogue licence obligations being provided will eventually be converted to digital use. Spectrum could potentially be available in the VHF bands, but this may not be preferred by Amateurs because of technology availability and the existing UHF stations.

The current analogue UHF television use by Amateurs is relatively unique internationally, and at this stage it is not proposed to make any specific reservation in the basic frequency plan for Amateur use. The lack of capacity to meet the demand for spectrum from broadcasters providing wide area services to the general public is considered to be such as to not warrant such a reservation for Amateur purposes.

Question 12

Do you agree with the proposal not to provide for Amateur television services in the UHF band?

Please give reasons for your view.