Spain opens up the 40 MHz (8m) amateur radio band with conditions - April 2024

Good news! The licencing authorities in Spain have decided to open up the 40 MHz (8m) amateur radio band with conditions.

The national association for radio amateurs in Spain is the URE and they released this notice... "After hard work by the URE before the administration, today the Resolution of the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure was published on the Amateur Radio website, which authorizes holders of Spanish amateur radio authorizations to make broadcasts. in the 40,650 – 40,750 MHz band, with a maximum peak envelope power (PEP) of 25 W, for a period of eighteen months.

Broadcasts will only be made from fixed stations that have the corresponding license. In addition, the radio amateur must inform the Provincial Telecommunications Inspection Headquarters of the province in which he or she resides about his intention to operate in this band before broadcasting for the first time on these frequencies."

This is huge news for those interested in the 40 MHz band and Spain is the first 'big country' to allow radio amateurs access to the 8m band.

Analysis... In terms of propagation, Spain is in an ideal spot. 

F2... For F2 layer propagation, there will be plenty of openings from Spain to the Caribbean (PJ4MM) and the signals should be clearly heard in the USA and Canada as well. The north-south paths will be especially good and the 40 MHz signals will be heard all over South America and TEP openings to the radio amateurs in South Africa should be a regular occurrence.

Conditions from EA8 (Canary Islands) should be amazing while the southern EA5, EA6, EA7 stations will be a bit better than those further north.

Sporadic-E... The workhorse over the Summer months of May to July will be Sporadic-E with typical distances in the region of 1000 to 2200 kms.

For EI stations in Ireland... Expect EA5, EA6 and EA7 to be the most common. EA1 and EA2 will be harder.

ON stations in Belgium... Expect EA7 to be the most common with EA3 the hardest.

S5 stations in Slovenia... Expect EA1 and EA7 to be the easiest with EA3 and EA6 the hardest.

SV stations in Greece... EA1 might be difficult as it's close to the maximum one hop Sporadic-E distance. The rest of Spain should be easy.

In conclusion... One of the big problems with the 40 MHz band is the lack of activity. For those that are using the band, it soon gets to a stage where there is no-one new to work. With Spain joining the party, that should hopefully change.

As we're at the peak of the solar cycle, now is the time to explore the 8m band before the conditions drop away.

Links...

1) For more information on the 8m band, see my 40 MHz page. 

2) URE News item... https://www.ure.es/autorizada-la-banda-de-40650-40750-mhz/

3) The official notice in Spanish posted 2nd April 2024... https://avancedigital.mineco.gob.es/espectro/radioaficionados/autorizaciones/Documents/RESOLUCION_40_MHz.pdf

Addendum... This is the official document via Google Translate...

RESOLUTION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR WHICH IT IS AUTHORIZED, IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS AND ON A TEMPORARY AND EXPERIMENTAL NATURE, THE USE OF THE 40 MHz FREQUENCY BAND (8 METERS) BY OWNERS OF AMATEUR RADIO AUTHORIZATIONS.

The group of radio amateurs expresses to this Management Center a growing interest in use of frequencies in the 40,650 – 40,750 MHz band for experimentation with new technologies. Currently, in accordance with the provisions of the National Frequency Allocation Table (CNAF), this band is allocated in its entirety in primary to the fixed and mobile services and to various commonly used applications. Considering Law 11/2022, of June 28, General Telecommunications, the Royal Decree 123/2017, of February 24, which approves the Regulation on the use of the domain public radio, Order IET/1311/2013, of July 9, which approves the Regulations for the use of the public radio domain by amateurs, the current Table National Frequency Attribution, the Radiocommunication Regulations annexed to the International Telecommunications Convention, and other applicable provisions, this Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures,

CONSIDERING

First. - That other countries, including member countries of the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT), currently allow their radio amateurs the use, under certain conditions, of frequencies in the 40MHz. 

Second. - That it is possible to make current uses of fixed and mobile services compatible and commonly used applications, in the 40,650 – 40,750 MHz band with the implementation, in certain conditions, of frequency emissions in said band from stations authorized amateur radio

Third.- That the third section of Order ETD/1449/2021, of December 16, by the that the National Frequency Allocation Chart is approved, enables the Secretary of State of Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures, to authorize uses of a nature temporary or experimental other than those provided for in the National Table of Attribution of Frequencies

SOLVE

First.- Authorize for a period of EIGHTEEN months from the receipt of this notification to holders of Spanish amateur radio authorizations of carrying out emissions in the 40,650 – 40,750 MHz band with peak envelope power (PEP) maximum of 25 W.

Second.- The average power of all components of an out-of-band emission authorized power must not exceed 50 milliwatts and will comply with the provisions of Annex I of the Order IET/1311/2013, of July 9, approving the Domain Use Regulations public radio by radio amateurs.

Third.- Emissions will be made only from fixed stations that have the required license and the radio amateur must inform the Provincial Headquarters of Telecommunications Inspection of the province in which you reside of your intention to operate in this band before broadcasting for the first time on these frequencies. Yes to operate in these frequencies, if it is necessary to modify the station's facilities and equipment, action will be taken in accordance with the provisions of article 20 of the current Regulations for the use of the public domain amateur radio.

Fourth.- This authorization is granted on the basis of non-harmful interference with others telecommunications services with allocation in the band or adjacent bands and not protection against interference.

Fifth.- If harmful interference occurs to other telecommunications services, the Emissions must be suspended immediately.

Against this resolution, which exhausts the administrative route, it may be filed, in accordance with article 123 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on Administrative Procedure Common of Public Administrations, optional appeal for replacement before the same body that has issued it within a period of one month from the day following its notification or be challenged directly before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the Court National within a period of two months counted from the day following the notification, of in accordance with article 46 of Law 29/1998, of July 13, regulating the Jurisdiction Contentious-Administrative, without both resources being able to be simultaneous.