Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship' Licensing

[Stork_III]

Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Has anyone seen (Mike Martin?) the notice of forthcoming consultation on Amateur Radio Licensing. @ web page

Mike Martin told us about Ship's Licences possibly becoming free online. The above notice doesn't refer to Ship's Licences at all but only amateur radio licences.

IS IT THE SAME THING?

It refers to needing to have a Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate to get obtain a licence. I didn't think this was necessary to get a Ship's licence, but necessary for someone on board to hold to legally operate? Anybody got any clarification, (Mike Martin).

 

[cliff]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Your link does not work
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[Tekkie]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Err NO! two differnt Licences, One is the Amateur radio Licence the other the Marine licence.

Certainly NOT the same thing.

Brian

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

NO IT'S NOT THE SAME THING! Why shout?

What Mike informed us of was the consultation about VHF marine radio usage. That consultation is well underway, and may even be finished now

The information your url points at is in relation to use of Amateur Radio (Hams), nothing to do with marine use or VHF

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

From the ofcom site, follow the following links
Home > Radiocommunications > Information for Radiocomms Licences > Renew or Apply for a New Licence > Types of Radio Use > Amateur Radio > Forthcoming Consultation

Forthcoming public consultation on amateur radio licensing

On 26 May Ofcom will publish new proposals to reduce the regulatory burden on the amateur radio community whilst retaining the necessary safeguards to ensure the integrity of this important use of the radio spectrum.


The proposals will be published for public consultation; and Ofcom believes it is very important that as many amateur radio users as possible are willing and able to share their views on the different options presented.


In order to receive an email notification as soon as this consultation document is published please register for Updates from Ofcom on radio spectrum matters. Users can register at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/subscribe/radiospectrum.htm


For clarity and transparency, below are the key points Ofcom wishes to set out in greater detail in the formal public consultation on 26 May.


Ofcom believes that:

The amateur radio community is an important radio spectrum user group. Ofcom must continue to take the community's interests into account and ensure that the needs of the community are reflected in policymaking.

Ofcom wishes to seek the least intrusive means of regulating wherever possible and is committed to reducing the regulatory burden (and therefore, costs) for all of its stakeholders. However, Ofcom will balance against that the need to retain all necessary safeguards to ensure the integrity of radio spectrum use, including use by the amateur radio community.


Ofcom therefore believes that radio amateurs must hold a valid WT Act amateur radio licence and must hold a valid Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate in order to obtain a licence.

The public consultation document will propose two changes only:


To make amateur radio licences valid for life (they are currently renewable annually).

To make electronic licences (probably issued as Adobe PDF® documents) available online and free of charge.

Specifically, Ofcom believes the following would NOT change if these two proposals were put into effect:

Existing standards would be maintained.
There would still be a legal requirement for radio amateurs to hold a valid WT Act amateur radio licence.
The licensee would retain the responsibility for ensuring that licence details are amended as and when necessary (upon a change of address for example).
Ofcom would retain the power to revoke the licence should the radio amateur breach the terms of the licence.
It would still be a requirement to hold a valid Radio Amateur Examination Pass Certificate in order to obtain a licence.
For radio amateurs who wish to operate overseas, there would still be a licence document available for inspection by foreign administrations.
Ofcom would continue to hold a database of the names and addresses of all licensed radio amateurs.
Every amateur would continue to hold their own unique call-sign(s).
Ofcom would continue to notify amateur radio licence holders of changes to their licence terms and conditions.
It would still be possible for radio amateurs to apply for a Notice of variation to the licence if required.
It would still be possible to operate amateur radio repeaters.
It would still be possible to operate packet radio.
Current spectrum access rights would be maintained. Ofcom’s spectrum management and enforcement activities are not determined according to the level of the licence fee.
All licensed radio amateurs would automatically receive a ‘licence for life’. No action would be required on their part unless their licence had lapsed at the point when ‘licences for life’ were introduced.
Ofcom, or its agents, would continue to provide a postal service for applicants who do not have access to the internet or who prefer not to use the internet.
For the avoidance of doubt, whilst the formal public consultation will put forward a number of other options for the future, those options are explicitly not recommended by Ofcom. Specifically, Ofcom will not recommend any options to make the amateur radio service WT Act licence-exempt; however, for transparency and completeness, this will be put forward as an option in the public consultation in order to gather the community's views

 

[VicMallows]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Thanks Brendan for posting the details. Fantastic news. Have not been active for over 20years, but have kept on paying my £15/year thinking "one day I'll be off blue-water and will get back in". Was seriously thinking of cancelling licence, but when the marine licence proposed changes appeared, thought the others were likely to follow. Don't know if I could still find my 12wpm pass slip! (literally a 'slip' of paper).

Vic .... G3TSM

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

What's nice to see is that now Ofcom have taken over regulation, they are concentrating more on the big stuff (like commercial broadcasting and cellphones etc) and reducing the regulatory burden on maritime vhf and hams - I bet it was costing them more to process annual renewals than it brought in revenue

 

[Stemar]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

[ QUOTE ]
I bet it was costing them more to process annual renewals than it brought in revenue

[/ QUOTE ]Nothing unusual there. What is unusual - though welcome - is that they didn't increase the fees to cover the cost!

 

[Mike_Martin]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

[ QUOTE ]
I bet it was costing them more to process annual renewals than it brought in revenue

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd lose I'm afraid.

Mike

 

[Mike_Martin]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Just to clarify no it's not the same consultation but a similar change to systems.

The Ship Radio Consultation can still be found in the link in my sig.

Mike

 

[Stork_III]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Thanks Mike, clear and concise as ever.

 

[Stork_III]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

Its called emphasis. Thanks for the confirmation.

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Ofcom Public Consultation re Ship\' Licensing

You are much better placed than me to comment.

Glad to see you are still commenting tho!

 

[BrendanS]

emphasis?

why?
Loads more info available?