No more radio licences?

Salty

Salty

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Apparently the Radiocommunications Agency is going to be subsumed within a new mega-regulator called OfCom. The latter has just published a consultation document about spectrum trading and liberalisation of use - one of the implications seems to be (and anyone with a better grasp of these things please correct me if I'm wrong) that they're open to changes on how licences are held for maritime radio, a potential outcome being that the licences don't expire, or at least remain valid for longer than a year.

The consultation document includes procedures for commenting on the proposals, so if anyone feels particularly strongly about the current licensing regime, this is the time to make your view heard.

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/current/spectrum_trading/condoc.pdf

for the full document...

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Without doing a search to find any more, at least the following countries now have class licences for VHF service in domestic waters ie a public licence is issued to everyone, you as a boat owner do not have to buy one or take any registering action unless sailing internationally (except Canada and USA treat each others waters as domestic). Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

A nice possible thought for you too.

John

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Re: A rose by any other name.

I have this funny feeling that we will continue to pay licence fees.

Goodness knows how much it's going to cost to ditch the RA and relocate the operation, just mailing every radio licence holder to say things are changing so watch this space must have cost a few squids.

Unles the Treasury has a serious rethink on taxation policy we are all going to be paying a myriad of licence fees for a very long time.



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I can't think of any past occasion when anything that required a licence and an operators certificate was deregulated. The costs and requirements only ever go up.

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Remember when .........?

Driving Licences had to be renewed every year or so?. Then the powers that be saw the light and reviewed the system whereby they lasted to age 70. Why not Radio Licensing for life also?. In any event, whatever happens, the levy will be gathered some other way.

<hr width=100% size=1>The line between balls and lunacy is very thin.
 
"I can't think of any past occasion when anything that required a licence and an operators certificate was deregulated" - The dog licence was done away with, cause it cost more to collect than was actually collected. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif/forums/images/icons/smile.gif


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I can only think of dog licences radio licences and trailer licences for Land-rovers that have droped by uk governments.
Jonathan


<hr width=100% size=1>JonA
 
Dog licences were stopped

Goivt actually admitted it was more expensive collecting the fiver .........

Anyway the old Resticted RT ticket for Merchant Navy was 5 years ....., well actually didn't expire - just needed revalidating.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I came - cos they said was FREE Guinness !
/forums/images/icons/cool.gif<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by nigel_luther on 23/11/2003 19:34 (server time).</FONT></P>
 
Come on now! these days, financially self supporting public corporations are where its at. like the dvlc, or the hydrographic office, or the post office (if it could get its act together)

A new bigger Offcom will will provide extra services like a bigger magazine than the useless one the RA used to send out. And it will consult with its customers - perhaps via one of the big consultancy firms. All this will require more employees and cost more. It will be expected by Gordon Brown to raise that extra cost from its "customers". So its charges will most likely rise. But in compensation, you will get a bulkier and more comprehensive application form to fill in.

All protests should (in the first instance) be directed in triplicate to the Office for the Promotion of Increasing Staff and Taxes - or OffPIST in short.



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The radio licence was incorporated within the television licence in the early 70's

Donald

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