UK Now to Get Lifetime Amateur Licenses

[Pete, WA2CWA]

From the UK Ofcom web site:
*  To issue lifetime amateur radio licences which will remain valid for as long as the licence details remain correct or until such time as the licence is either revoked by Ofcom or surrendered by the licensee. There shall be no end date on the amateur radio licence. Such licences will be personal to the licensee and will not be transferable.

* To provide an online, web-based, self-service licensing service as an alternative to the postal service.

* To issue electronic licences (probably PDF documents) to users of the online, web-based, self-service licensing service. Users of this service would print a hard copy of the licence which must be kept at the main station address.

* To continue to make paper licences available (but subject to a small administrative charge).

* To modify the original proposal by requiring licensees to validate their licence details at least once every five years in order to maintain their lifetime licence.

Amateur radio licensing - Policy Statement

[k4kyv]

Maintenance of licence details
6.9 Licensees will be required to validate their licence details at least once every five years in order to maintain their lifetime licence. Meanwhile licensees must continue to update their licence as and when necessary.
6.10 Ofcom will invoke the licence revocation procedure five years after the date when the licensee last amends the licence or last confirms that the licence is still valid (depending on which of these events occurs last). Licensees who either amend their licence at least once every five years or who confirm that the licence is still valid at least once every five years should not receive a five year reminder / revocation notice from Ofcom.
6.11 Ofcom will ensure that licensees with electronic licences are sent e-notifications at regular intervals to serve as reminders that they are required to keep their licences up to date. Ofcom will consider sending postal reminders to those opting to apply and receive licences by post. These processes will help to ensure that the integrity of the amateur radio licence database is maintained.

Still looks like a renewal procedure to me, albeit streamlined and relatively hassle-free.  Some procedure is needed to purge deadwood and dead people from the licence data base.

With the present online renewal system in this country, the FCC renewal procedure doesn't amount to much more.

[K1MVP]

From the UK Ofcom web site:
*  To issue lifetime amateur radio licences which will remain valid for as long as the licence details remain correct or until such time as the licence is either revoked by Ofcom or surrendered by the licensee. There shall be no end date on the amateur radio licence. Such licences will be personal to the licensee and will not be transferable.

* To provide an online, web-based, self-service licensing service as an alternative to the postal service.

* To issue electronic licences (probably PDF documents) to users of the online, web-based, self-service licensing service. Users of this service would print a hard copy of the licence which must be kept at the main station address.

* To continue to make paper licences available (but subject to a small administrative charge).

* To modify the original proposal by requiring licensees to validate their licence details at least once every five years in order to maintain their lifetime licence.

Amateur radio licensing - Policy Statement

Pete,

This is the "trend" of the future that many of us are concerned about here in the U.S.
Its just a matter of time IMO,-- not IF, but WHEN the FCC will deregulate and further
"water down" the licensing rquirements,--with "instant licenses" which will lead to
"ham cb",--and this will be "progress" as far as the ARRL is concerned?

It won`t be long and one will be able to get a "cracker box" license, when one
buy`s a new hi-tech ricebox.

Then the "floodgates" WILL be opened and it will be "every man for himself",IMO
May the "biggest strapper win",--OR there may be so many "strappers" on the air,
which will lead to chaos, chaos, and more chaos.

The attitude will be "d**n the qrp,--(its their problem)  if they don`t run QRO.
And the  ARRL,still thinks that ham radio has a "bright future"?

                                             73, K1MVP
 
P.S,--ya "aint" seen nothin yet as far as "squables" on the air which will render the
      bandwidth issues "moot", IMO