Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:28:41 +0100 (CET)
From: Jacek Lipkowski <sq5bpf@lipkowski.org>
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
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Subject: Re: LF: Fwd: Special Permits for Amateur Radio Operation below 9kHz?
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On Thu, 25 Feb 2010, Roger Lapthorn wrote:

> People may be interested in the reply from Rod Wilkinson at OFCOM received
> today. I asked him what OFCOM's view would be.
[...]
> They state that ITU Radio Regs indicate that there is no allocation for 
> frequencies below 9 kHz. However in the UK, a licence would be required 
> as there is no lower frequency limit for wireless telegraphy under the 
> WT Act 2006. [...]

there is already a very big commercial user of the elf and vlf spectrum, 
they inject very big power into ground dipoles. emissions from one 
continent can be heard on another. and they do this without any license 
from the radio authorities. the only regulation they need regards maximum 
field strengths (and this is usually the realm of some environmental 
protection authority and not the radio authority). the operating frequency 
varies, but is usually 50Hz, 60Hz, 16.6Hz etc :)

sometimes when dealing with the goverment, the best practice is not to ask 
at all :) even if they agree with you there will always be a "but you will 
need a license for that" clause.

if you have to ask, ask them if it is their duty to regulate potential 
electromagnetic wave transmission from instalations operating on 50Hz (or 
any other frequency in the 0-9kHz region, that is not ITU regulated). you 
would probably get an entirely different answer :)

VY 73

Jacek / SQ5BPF

ps. the answer that you got from OFCOM is actually very nice