UK Regulator Eyes Frequency-Sharing By Devices

Changes are proposed in the UK that would allow frequency-sharing by certain devices.

In the UK, the regulator Ofcom has proposed changes in radio-spectrum that would make it Europe’s first country to implement the sharing of the same frequencies between two different technologies. The proposal looks specifically at the upper portion of the 6 GHz band, where priority usage would be given in one portion to Wi-Fi devices, such as routers and another to mobile devices, such as cell masts.

Ofcom said the move to this so-called prioritised spectrum would most directly benefit businesses, households and the UK economy in general.  The change would affect indoor and lower-power Wi-Fi, and any higher-power Wi-Fi under the control of an Automated Frequency Control system, as protection against interference.

The regulator will be accepting comments on the proposal no later than 20 March 2026

German Amateurs' Access To 70 Mhz Band In Limbo

In Germany, amateurs' use of the 70 MHz band continues in limbo as of January 1st. The annual temporary-use permit that had been in place expired on the 31st of December. The regulator has taken no action to renew it so far.

The Novice-level -- the middle licence class in Germany -- amateur radio licenses have had temporary permission to use the 6-metre band. The nation's regulator, BNetzA has not extended these operating privileges for Class E license holders. Any amateurs wishing to transmit on 50 MHz in Germany must hold a Class A, full license, which has had permanent access to the band since June 2024.

More Information - https://www.darc.de/nachrichten/meldungen/aktuelles-details/news/keine-duldungsregelung-2026-fuer-klasse-e-auf-6-m-unklarheiten-bei-70-mhz/

SOTA 2026 Challenge Brings Back Activity to 2m/70cm SSB/CW

The annual “SOTA Challenge” has moved from the HF bands to 2 metres and 70 cm this year, and already the VHF/UHF SOTA activity from mountain tops has surged in January.

The availability of the cheap Quansheng UV-K5 family 2m/70cm HTs, which can have one of a choice of custom firmwares which can be loaded to these FM HTs, giving them SSB / CW reception and DSB / CW transmission capabilities, may be part of the reason for an upsurge in activity, making it easy to throw this small, cheap HT and a homemade antenna in the rucksack to allow operation on the 2m and 70cm bands not only on FM. Owners of ICOM’s IC-705, as well as older HF/VHF/UHF portable multimode radios like the Yaesu FT-817/857 range, are also being used.

VHF & UHF activity can be seen on the SOTA cluster occurring in the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Given that SOTA started in 2002 with VHF communication from summits, this is somewhat of a full-circle back to the original bands. Several UK operators combine this VHF/UHF DX mode operation with activity nights on the bands, which have been organised for the last few years by the national society, the RSGB.