Our latest news comes to us from the UK, where ongoing changes to amateur radio licenses have come to a halt. Additional changes set for later this year have been delayed as the result of what the regulator calls "system development issues."
Hams in the UK who have been expecting additional changes in the licence system before the end of this year are going to have to wait a bit longer for them to take effect, according to regulator Ofcom.
A recent announcement by Ofcom said that Phases 2 and 3 of the licensing-platform modifications were being delayed instead of going forward later this year and in early 2025. The planned changes include limits being set on the number of callsigns an individual amateur can hold - in this case, only one personal licence per individual. This will require hams who advance to the next licence class to surrender their previous licence.
Ofcom had hoped to introduce the M8 and M9 call signs for those passing the Intermediate licence exam to replace the "2" series and as an optional change for Intermediate licence holders currently holding 2EØ and 2E1 callsigns. It is expected that at some unknown point, however, Ofcom will take back all numeral "2" call sign prefixes.
Also when these changes take effect, hams will be permitted to change their callsign but not more than once every five years.
The delay also affects changes to the application process for special events, which Ofcom has said will become simpler, fully automated and quicker. Ofcom did not give a date for when these changes would go forward.
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