Whilst this is not directly related to Caving it does impact us:

Ofcom wants to bring "market forces" into the maritime and aviation communications.

It has started a consultation exercise, which ends on the 30th October 2008, on applying charges to spectrum use. The consultation documents are here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/

This will have significant financial impact on MRT unless it is stopped.

There is now a petition on this matter on the Number 10 petitions site:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MRT-RF-licences/

please sign and write / email your MP on the matter.

For those of us who are not familar with Mountain Rescue VHF frequencies, could you expand and explain the costs etc

Ive held a marine VHF radio operators licence for years (35+) and more recently understand I can now apply for a  >ships< licence and call sign valid for >life< and that annual fees no longer apply (not cost effective to admin I guess).   

The consultation paper link says

Quote
We have no plans to apply AIP fees to ship radio licences, and we are not minded to charge fees to aircraft either. We are inviting views on whether charities whose objective is the safety of human life in an emergency should receive a discount. We are not proposing to charge fees for maritime and aeronautical distress channels.
Unquote

So whats the background re mountain radio ??     
Does mountain rescue use Channel zero (coastguard / lifeboat etc private channel 156megs) ? 
Im only guessing there is some connection between Marine rescue and Mountain rescue as both demand helicopter comms

Excuse my ignorance         
A bit more info appreciated, then Im more than willing to support a petition 

Geoff R said:

For those of us who are not familar with Mountain Rescue VHF frequencies, could you expand and explain the costs etc

Click to expand...

Rescuers in radio review protest 

Every mountain rescue team volunteer in Scotland has been asked to write to Ofcom to object to proposed cost rises for use of VHF radio frequencies.

The regulator is consulting on planned changes to the radio broadcasting spectrum which could be introduced from next April.

The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland and RNLI have concerns about licence costs.

Ofcom has suggested charities could be offered a 50% discount.

In its consultation document, the regulator said a review was needed to bring about a more efficient use of radio communications which it described as a "finite resource".

But even with the discount, mountain rescue teams and the RNLI said the increase would be significant and put added pressures on funds.

Skye Mountain Rescue Team leader Gerry Akroyd told the BBC Scotland news website the costs involved were "astronomical".

He said: "We are a charitable organisation that save lives and is run by volunteers and are not a business.

"The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland has written to Ofcom about it and every individual in every team has also been asked to write letters."

Peter Bradley, RNLI's UK operations manager, said the charity pays a 50% discounted fee of ?38,000-a-year for its VHF licence.

Radio use on all vessels is free of charge, however, the costs apply onshore and include lifeboat stations and volunteers' pagers.

Mr Bradley said the new proposed fee would be ?260,000 - ?130,000 if a reduction was agreed.

He said: "In the current economic climate it is going to be asking a lot of volunteer fund-raisers and the public to find that extra ?100,000."

Mr Bradley hoped volunteers and the public would respond to Ofcom's consultation, which finishes on 30 October.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7662989.stm

Geoff R said:

So whats the background re mountain radio ??     
Does mountain rescue use Channel zero (coastguard / lifeboat etc private channel 156megs) ? 
Im only guessing there is some connection between Marine rescue and Mountain rescue as both demand helicopter comms

Click to expand...

Frequencies are the same as RNLI etc as its the link to other services which is key.

Estimated costs by MRT radio people is around ?10k per annum per team - a lot to raise by rattling tins on a street corner. RNLI are also concerned about the issue - its likely to cost them ?250k per annum, they too have a petition.

timrivett said:

There is now a petition on this matter on the Number 10 petitions site:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MRT-RF-licences/

please sign and write / email your MP on the matter.

Click to expand...

I can predict with some confidence that signing an online petition at the No. 10 site will be a compete waste of time. Writing or e-mailing to your MP is far more likely to be effective. If you don't know who your MP is or how to write to them, www.theyworkforyou.com is a good starting point.

What do BCRC have to say on this topic?

Nick.

Ofcom has started a consultation exercise, which ends on the 30th October
2008, on applying charges to spectrum use. The consultation documents are
here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/

responses made to question 6 of the questionnaire are more likely to have an
impact on this than the petition the response 'form' can be found here
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/howtorespond/form

phrases like "100% discount" "saving lives" etc might help

An update has has been published today:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/update201008/

This makes it clear that they are not making proposals to charge MRT for radio spectrum.

The original documentation included the relevant spectrum used by MRT in the proposals for changes to charging.

The large number of people have responded to the consultation to OFCOM and with the 645 (at the time of writing) people who have signed the petition has either changed their minds or meant that they have been forced to make their intentions clearer than they were before.

Thank you for all your support on this topic.

Just had a further update at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/aip/update171208/ on this topic.  It would appear that the heavy guns of the RNLI were applied to this topic!