NZ RSM monthly update

As a result of two World Radiocommunication Conferences (February 2012 and November 2015), New Zealand’s Radio Spectrum Management (RSM) has repurposed a number of VHF maritime mobile channels — currently allocated for repeaters and NowCasting weather information channels in New Zealand — for increased ship tracking and data communication services.

To this end, RSM has advised that the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Maritime Purposes) Notice has been updated to reflect changes to Appendix 18 of the International Radio Regulations.

This General User Radio Licence came into operation on 1 October 2016 in line with the changes being made across New Zealand.

Although some maritime VHF repeater channels have been changed to make space for the newly allocated international services for ship tracking and data services, one thing that hasn’t changed is Channel 16, which is still used for safety and distress calling purposes.

According to Radio Spectrum Management (RSM), current radios are still able to access all available channels, but users might need to switch to a new channel number to continue to access local repeaters or weather forecasts.

Full information on channel selection is available on the special website, retune.co.nz.

In other news, RSM has advised that the Radiocommunications Regulations (General User Radio Licence for Short Range Devices) Notice has been updated to include a new provision covering the frequency range 77–81 GHz for the purpose of ground-based radiolocation use, including automotive short-range radar technology.

And a new provision in the Ka-band 29.5–30 GHz is now permitted in New Zealand for uplink transmission by a class of station known as ‘earth station in motion’ (ESIM), which communicates with fixed-satellite networks in the downlink band 19.7–20.2 GHz (space-to-Earth direction).

RSM says this provision is in line with the outcomes of the World Radiocommunication Conference that concluded in November 2015, particularly Resolution 156 (WRC-15).

Image courtesy RSM.