WRC-12

At the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference, held from 23 January - 17 February in Geneva, (WRC-12) document 362-E gave the radio amateurs a new band:

BOLD-CAPITAL means that this service has a primary status, in this case the Maritime mobile service.

Footnote 5.77 gives the Aeronautical navigation service also a primary status in a number of countries: In Australia, China, the French overseas communities of Region 3, Korea (Rep. of), India, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Japan, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, the allocation of the frequency band 415-495 kHz to the aeronautical radionavigation service is on a primary basis. In Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, the allocation of the frequency band 435-495 kHz to the aeronautical radionavigation service is on a primary basis. Administrations in all the aforementioned countries shall take all practical steps necessary to ensure that aeronautical radionavigation stations in the frequency band 435-495 kHz do not cause interference to reception by coast stations of transmissions from ship stations on frequencies designated for ship stations on a worldwide basis.

Footnote 5.80A defines the conditions for the Amateur service: The maximum equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) of stations in the amateur service using frequencies in the band 472-479 kHz shall not exceed 1 W. Administrations may increase this limit of e.i.r.p. to 5 W in portions of their territory which are at a distance of over 800 km from the borders of Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Ukraine and Yemen. In this frequency band, stations in the amateur service shall not cause harmful interference to, or claim protection from, stations of the aeronautical radionavigation service.

Footnote 5.80B prohibits access to the Amateur service in a number of countries: The use of the frequency band 472-479 kHz in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen is limited to the maritime mobile and aeronautical radionavigation services. The amateur service shall not be used in the above-mentioned countries in this frequency band, and this should be taken into account by the countries authorizing such use.

Footnote 5.82 protects the Maritime mobile service on 490 kHz (NAVTEX): In using the frequency band 472-479 kHz for the Amateur service, administrations shall ensure that no harmful interference is caused to the frequency 490 kHz.

The map below shows the European 800 km protection zones as mentioned in footnote 5.A123. But be aware that access to the 472-479 kHz segment and the E(I)RP that can be used depends on national regulations and can differ from what is shown on this map. An overview of countries that have access to the 472-479 kHz segment can be found here.

Footnote 5.B123 prohibits the access to the Amateur service of this frequency segment a number of countries: The use of the frequency band 472-479 kHz in Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, China, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, the Russian Federation, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Syrian Arab Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen is limited to the maritime mobile and aeronautical radionavigation services. The amateur service shall not be used in the above mentioned countries in this frequency band, and this should be taken into account by the countries authorising such use.