As part of the XIX IARU Region 2 General Assembly in Viña del Mar, Chile, a new Band Plan for Region 2 was approved on October 14, 2016 during.  The document is published on the IARU Region 2 website in English and Spanish.

The changes aimed at harmonization with Regions 1 and 3, recognizance of some band occupations in Region 2 and the contextualization of the satellite segments to encourage the use of new technologies in space communications.

The main modifications are:

• Introduction of the 60 m allocation with sub-bands, footnotes and definitions harmonized with Region 1;
• The inclusion of ACDS in 2200 m, restriction of bandwidth in 630 m, harmonization of the 160 m and 80 m, especially on digital sub-bands;
• Recognition of the calling frequency 144.3 MHz in 2 m and AM practice in 15 m;
• Editorial changes in the footnotes related to ACDS, additional footnotes related to AM and editorial changes in some of the footnotes, modes and bandwidths of satellites sub-bands.

The Band Plan does not have an enforcement power per se but serves as a guide to the Member Societies. According the IARU Region 2 Band Plan “it is suggested that Member Societies, in coordination with the authorities, incorporate it [the Band Plan] in their regulations and promote widely with their amateur radio communities”.

RAC was represented at the meetings in Chile by Glenn MacDonnel VE3XRA.

73 de Norm VE3LC