World Radio Communications Conference

A Major Breakthrough for Winlink

In the seventy years since the Telephone and Telegraph Conference, held in Madrid in 1932, introduced the regulations that governed amateur radio, the World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC), held this year - 2003 - in Geneva , was certainly the watershed. Significant reforms were approved to update the long out-of-date regulations.

Australia delegates and contributors made significant contributions not only at the WRC but also at the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) that observes and represent the interests of the amateur radio by assisting official delegates to the WRC. An informative report was prepared by Michael J. Owen, of Mount Waverley, Victoria, Australia. He attended the WRC as an Observer for IARU. He has been involved with the reform of amateur radio regulations since 1996.

For Winlink, the WRC was an outstanding success. All of the many services that Winlink provides, particularly the preparation of radio amateurs for emergency communications, were warmly endorsed by the Conference. The WRC endorsement was driven, as AussieWinlink has long argued, by the value of the amateur radio service especially during international emergencies and disasters. The fact that Winlink supports digital communications, that will get through even when voice or even the now defunct Morse code would fail, reinforces the case for Winlink's more widespread introduction in Australia. Not only is it of value internationally but it serves also the interests of national governments and the thousands of individual Users.

AussieWinlink has undertaken an analyses of the major decisions reached by WRC. It has done so in as far as it concerns Winlink's existing operations but more so assess the effects that the new regulations will have on the more widespread introduction of Winlink in Australia. The analyses is written up in five (5) pages. While not necessarily of general interest to all radio amateurs, it should be very interesting reading for all in Australia who might have an interest in Winlink either as potential Users or Winlink Radio Station Operators. 

Those interested can access the article by clicking on WRC. The document is in PDF format.

AUSSIEWINLINK
20 August 2003

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