Revised IARU Region 2 Band Plan Now Available

The 2020 revision of the IARU R2 Band Plan is now available at https://www.iaru-r2.org/en/reference/band-plans/.

This includes the change approved at the General Assembly meetings in Lima in October 2019 to add an Amateur Satellite uplink sub-band from 21125 to 21450 kHz on a non-exclusive basis, which matches similar changes in the Region 1 and Region 3 band plans.

In addition, a number of administrative changes have also been made to the text. The band plan itself has not been modified. These changes include:

Modifications to the wording of the Band Plan to ensure that national regulators understand that it is a voluntary document, and that countries may make departures from the plan based on national requirements;
Definitions additions: Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), Primary service, Secondary service and several acronyms;
Inclusion of information detailing the Primary and Secondary users in each Amateur band; and
The correction of minor typographical errors.

At its May 2020 meeting, the IARU R2 Executive Committee added the following text to the Standard Operating Procedures regarding band planning. Prior to this change, Band Plan changes could only be approved at a General Assembly, held once every three years. This procedural change provides a process for the band plan to be updated to respond to changes in operating practice in a more timely manner while continuing full consultation with Member Societies.

IARU R2 Band Planning Committee Terms of Reference:
Notwithstanding 5, 6, 7 above, should the next meeting of the Conference [General Assembly] be more than 6 months in the future, the Committee may circulate, with the approval of the R2 Executive Committee, the proposed changes to Member Societies. Should no more than one objection be received within a 60-day period, the change shall be deemed accepted and reported as such at the next Conference.

The IARU R2 Band Planning Committee has a member from each of the seven R2 Areas, one of which also serves as its Chair. Questions about the Band Plan or the Band Planning Committee can be directed to the appropriate area representative or to the Committee Chair, Alphonse Penney VO1NO / VA1AVR at alphonsepenney@gmail.com