Australia's communications regulator, the ACMA, has announced changes to the Foundation licence syllabus, these reflect the removal of historic restrictions on Foundation licensees

ACMA says:

As advised in our July e-bulletin, we have revised the process for updating the amateur radio syllabus to remove the requirement that the Syllabus Review Panel must approve changes.

We have now advised the Australian Maritime College (AMC) of changes to the foundation syllabus and requested they ensure the amateur radio examinations they conduct (including by its accredited assessors) are based on the revised foundation syllabus.

The changes relate to removing historical restrictions on foundation licensees from the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2015, and some editorial changes. The revised syllabus is available on the AMC website.

Future changes to the syllabus will be undertaken through the ACMA’s usual consultation process with the broader amateur community – we’ll let you know when this happens.

Transfer of call signs form

To give amateurs more options and flexibility in managing call signs, licensees can now transfer their call sign to another licensee by completing our online call sign transfer form.

The application needs to be completed and signed by both parties before it is lodged with the ACMA.

Delays in qualification and call sign processing

We’re aware of delays in processing applications for amateur radio qualifications and call signs.

These have been caused by a surge in applications for new call signs following recent changes to the call sign template, as well as COVID pandemic-related resourcing constraints.

The source of these delays is temporary, and the AMC will soon revert to normal processing timeframes.

Get your licensing notices emailed

Email us at info <at> acma.gov.au and let us know your email address. This way, you’ll get your notices faster and reduce paper waste.

Your questions answered

We often get questions about whether a licensee has to wait for the Register of Radiocommunications Licences (RRL) to reflect their licence has been granted before they can start operating an amateur station.

The answer is: No.

The RRL is not updated immediately. As long as you have a receipt of your payment, you are authorised to operate an amateur station under the LCD.

Download the new syllabus for Foundation as well as those for the Standard and Advanced exams - https://www.amc.edu.au/industry/amateur-radio/syllabus

ACMA Amateur Radio - https://www.acma.gov.au/amateur-radio-licences

Australian Foundation holders are now permitted to: