chuns
New member
They have initiated a consultation process called “Spectrum Framework Review – the Public Sector”, subtitled “Proposals to extend market mechanisms to improve how spectrum is managed and used.”
Big Yawn. But…
What they are talking about is better efficiency of use of certain bandwidth. Nothing wrong with that. What it really means though, is that the Government want to sell off some frequencies to people like mobile phone companies for mega pounds, and shuffle all the frequencies around, even though many of them are agreed by international treaty. So far no problem.
But a major part of the proposal is that users of the spectrum will be charged, through a mechanism called “trading”. Some of the spectrum will be sold, and whoever buys it will want to make money in order to make that purchase worthwhile. Mobile phones are a good example – what about the rip-off of international calls? That cost will have to be passed on (natch) to the end user. With me so far?
Now the biggie. Some of the frequencies that form part of this review are those occupied by VHF, and Radar. So that means that the charges will be passed on to us, if we use VHF and radar.
Now I don’t know about everybody else, but I regard my VHF and Radar as essential, and I don’t want to be without them, so I guess I’ll have to stump up if this goes through. But I bet there are many who will decide not to bother.
So how will they call for help? How will they get weather forecasts? How will they enquire whether the large vessel, position blah blah, course 080 at 22 kts has seen the vessel crossing the shipping lane?
I am sure there could be a provision to exempt marine VHF on safety grounds, but not unless boat owners make a fuss, in sufficient numbers. I would hope the boating press will take it up too.
So I urge you to complete the on-line consultation at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/sfrps/howtorespond/form particularly Question 7.
And tell your friends. Put a notice on the Club notice board, we need to resist this or it will happen by default.
Big Yawn. But…
What they are talking about is better efficiency of use of certain bandwidth. Nothing wrong with that. What it really means though, is that the Government want to sell off some frequencies to people like mobile phone companies for mega pounds, and shuffle all the frequencies around, even though many of them are agreed by international treaty. So far no problem.
But a major part of the proposal is that users of the spectrum will be charged, through a mechanism called “trading”. Some of the spectrum will be sold, and whoever buys it will want to make money in order to make that purchase worthwhile. Mobile phones are a good example – what about the rip-off of international calls? That cost will have to be passed on (natch) to the end user. With me so far?
Now the biggie. Some of the frequencies that form part of this review are those occupied by VHF, and Radar. So that means that the charges will be passed on to us, if we use VHF and radar.
Now I don’t know about everybody else, but I regard my VHF and Radar as essential, and I don’t want to be without them, so I guess I’ll have to stump up if this goes through. But I bet there are many who will decide not to bother.
So how will they call for help? How will they get weather forecasts? How will they enquire whether the large vessel, position blah blah, course 080 at 22 kts has seen the vessel crossing the shipping lane?
I am sure there could be a provision to exempt marine VHF on safety grounds, but not unless boat owners make a fuss, in sufficient numbers. I would hope the boating press will take it up too.
So I urge you to complete the on-line consultation at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/sfrps/howtorespond/form particularly Question 7.
And tell your friends. Put a notice on the Club notice board, we need to resist this or it will happen by default.
