IARU Revises Resolution 17-1 for Six Narrow Amateur Bands
Back to Radio in the NewsThe IARU Resolution 17-1 amendment approved at the council’s Sept. 24 meeting in Vienna replaces “contests” with “coordinated, competitive activities” for six narrow or shared amateur allocations below 25 MHz. The Nov. 9 report says the change follows member societies’ concerns about contest-style operation on 30, 17 and 12 meters. It reinforces room for routine contacts and other noncompetitive use without changing national frequency rules or operating privileges.
IARU Resolution 17-1 Now Covers ‘Coordinated Competition’
The revised resolution keeps the same six allocations covered by the earlier policy. Four are secondary allocations where other radio services have priority. The other two are described by IARU as relatively narrow.
The covered ranges are 135.7–137.8 kHz on 2,200 meters, 472–479 kHz on 630 meters, 5,351.5–5,366.5 kHz on 60 meters, 10.1–10.15 MHz on 30 meters, 18.068–18.168 MHz on 17 meters, and 24.890–24.990 MHz on 12 meters.
The earlier version of Resolution 17-1, adopted in 2017 and available in IARU’s 2019 resolutions document, said that “contests” should not be permitted on those bands. The 2026 revision replaces that term with “coordinated, competitive activities.” The text does not define the new phrase or list which event formats it includes.
What Changes for Existing Operations
For formal contests, the underlying expectation is not new. The IARU Region 2 band plan, which covers the United States, already says contest activity should not take place on these six bands. The resolution’s revised wording responds to member societies’ reports of contest-style operation specifically on 30, 17 and 12 meters and gives IARU a broader phrase for addressing organized competition.
The change is a policy statement from IARU, not a new FCC rule. IARU says regional band plans are voluntary in most cases, though some administrations incorporate them into national rules. U.S. operation remains governed by FCC Part 97 operating standards and the applicable frequency and license privileges. The FCC’s authorized-band rules continue to list amateur access to these ranges in § 97.301.
Nothing in the revision prohibits ordinary noncompetitive contacts on these bands or gives any station exclusive use of a frequency. Operators still need to share channels, avoid harmful interference and give priority to primary services where the amateur allocation is secondary.
The Benefit for Operators Who Skip Contests
The resolution is not only a restriction on contest organizers. Its stated purpose is to limit disruption to primary users and other legitimate activity. For amateurs who use these bands for regular contacts, weak-signal work or narrowband digital and Morse code operation, the policy supports keeping organized competitive activity from taking up scarce spectrum and attention.
That can preserve more practical room for the stations that treat 30, 17 or 12 meters as everyday operating bands, and for operators using the narrow 2,200-, 630- or 60-meter allocations. It does not promise a quiet band or guarantee a particular number of open frequencies. The value is a clearer shared expectation that these allocations remain available for uses that cannot easily move elsewhere.
The IARU’s overview of regional band plans describes them as guidance for accommodating different operating interests and modes within limited spectrum. IARU Resolution 17-1 reinforces that shared-use approach by recognizing that competition can displace routine activity as well as affect services with priority.
The Remaining Question Is What Counts as Coordinated Competition
The resolution does not spell out whether its revised wording applies only to scheduled, sponsored contests or also to other organized competitive events. That distinction matters to award programs, club activities and special operating events that may use scoring or coordinated exchanges without calling themselves contests.
IARU’s update does not name an event or announce enforcement action. Follow-up guidance from IARU and its regional member societies would help organizers and ordinary operators understand how the broader wording is intended to apply. Until then, the practical message is continuity for everyday operators and a clearer request that organized competition stay off the six bands.
Sources and Further Reading
- IARU Administrative Council Meets and Revises Resolution 17-1
- IARU Resolutions and Policies, December 2019
- IARU Region 2 Band Plan
- IARU Overview of Regional Band Plans
- 47 CFR § 97.101, General Standards
- 47 CFR § 97.301, Authorized Frequency Bands