I have created a petition on the UK government web site about the proposal to reallocate the 2m amateur band for commercial use. The site limits me to 500 characters so I’ve had to try to talk about the advantage of having a 2m amateur band in this space.

The petition is currently at checking stage so it is not possible to see the text. I have copied it here.

Block the proposal to reassign the 2m amateur radio band for commercial use.

The European Conference of Postal and Telecoms (CEPT) are considering reallocating the 2m amateur radio band to primary commercial use. It will be hard for amateur radio to continue on this band. Amateur radio is a great resource worth keeping for education, scientific and volunteer use.

The detail section follows:

The 2m amateur radio band is used for experimentation in VHF radio and has provided innovation here. It is used for local club communication and in education – for example the ISS and satellites. Equipment is easy to set up and greatly lowers barrier to entry for newcomers to amateur radio, people who go on to support current HF research like WSPRnet. 2m band antennas are highly portable and the range good, ideal for safety communication in rural areas provided by volunteer groups like RAYNET.