Via the ARRL: Young Caribbean Nation Formalizing Amateur Radio Guidelines and Standards

With a population just north of 71,000, the Caribbean island country of Dominica (J7) boasts a modest but active ham radio population. Given Dominica’s vulnerability to hurricanes, the ham radio emphasis often focuses on emergency communication support. In 2017, after Hurricane Maria hit the tiny island, ham radio filled a huge telecommunications gap. Now the country’s telecommunications regulator is asking hams to help formulate new amateur radio guidelines and standards. Dominica’s National Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (NTRC) collected comments until July 12 from radio amateurs participating in a “consultation” (what the US FCC would call a “proceeding”) that could lead to a formal and better-documented set of rules and regulations.

“There is limited guidance for those who seek to utilize the telecommunications media for their own personal use, enjoyment, and fulfilment as hobby, as in the case of amateur radio,” the NTRC said in the consultation document. “Generally, [amateur radio] is self-regulating, and so the involvement of the telecommunications regulator is minimized. Though the amateur radio clubs generally do their best to provide some level of guidance and support to existing and prospective operators, there is great need for a formal and comprehensive set of guidelines and standards for the operation of Amateur Radio Services in Dominica.”

Resources used in developing the draft proposals included ARRL, the FCC’s Part 97 amateur radio rules, and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

“A primary source for this document was the Code of Federal Regulations (Title 47, Part 97), due to its comprehensiveness and its informal adoption in certain parts by the local amateur radio fraternity,” the NTRC said. Specific ARRL resources included The ARRL FCC Rule Book; The ARRL Operating Manual for Radio Amateurs, and The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. The regulators also looked at Canada’s and Australia’s amateur radio rules. The proposals would provide for three license classes — Novice, General, and Advanced — as well as the licensing procedures for each.

Read more – via American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources http://www.arrl.org/news/view/young-caribbean-nation-formalizing-amateur-radio-guidelines-and-standards