Amateur Radio Service

This information is issued as a guide to staff of the Authority and as information to those who have interest in the Amateur radio Service. The information contained may be subject to change without notice.

1. Introduction
2. Amateur radio license category
3. License Application
4. Application Procedure (Flowchart)
5. Duration of amateur radio license
6. Amateur radio examination
7. Amateur radio past year examination paper
8. Amateur radio license fee
9. Accreditation for Amateur Radio Practical Examiner
10. Callsign
11. Amateur Radio Frequency Band
12. Operating Signals
13. Emergency procedures
14. License termination
15. Regulation
    
    
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1. Introduction

Amateur radio service is defines as a radio-communications service in which a station is used for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorisedauthorised persons who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without any pecuniary interest.

In Brunei Darussalam, the amateur radio service is regulated by Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry of Brunei Darussalam (AITI).

Amateur Radio services may provide alternative for emergency communication in time of natural disaster.

Amateur Radio has been recognized as an important part of the radio community. ITU has allocated frequency bands for amateur radio service internationally in a sharing basis.

2. Amateur radio license category

AITI issues two types of amateur radio license.

• Standard Class License
  • This is for new amateur radio operators. New amateur radio operators are only allowed to transmit and receive in the VHF frequency band in the range of 144.000 MHz to 148.000 MHz.
• Advanced Class License
  • An upgrade from Standard Class license. Advanced Class Amateur Radio operator is able to operate in all amateur bands.

License that is issued by AITI is only valid to be used in Brunei Darussalam territory.

Applicants are advised not to proceed with the purchase of equipment and installation of the station until their application for a license has been approved.

3. License Application

Standard class license

To apply for Amateur Radio Standard Class License, applicant is required to fill in and submit the completed AITI License Application form together with the following document:-

• Copy of Identity Card (IC) of applicant (which is signed).

For young applicants aged between 14-17 years old, must also fulfill condition stated below:

a) A permission letter and photocopy of identification card (IC) of the guarantor. Guarantor must be among his or her family (Father or Mother or Guardian).

b) Guarantor must renew his or her letter every year and attach while renewing license holder’s radio amateur license.

c) Guarantor’s letter is valid until expiry of radio amateur license of license holder.

• Guarantors will be held responsible for activities done by license holder.

For non-Bruneians who want to operate the amateur radio station, he or she must have a valid amateur radio license issued by his/her home country authority and a written letter from local guarantor stated in written form with a copy of guarantor identification card (IC) with additional conditions:

a) Guarantor must renew his or her letter every year and attach while renewing license holder radio amateur license.

b) Guarantor letter is valid until expiry of radio amateur license.

• Guarantors will be held responsible for activities done by license holder.

• For non-Bruneian who does not have amateur license, he or she must sit for the radio amateur examination.

Advanced Class License

For existing Standard Class License holders issued before June 2007, they can apply the Advanced Class license subject to:-

1. Sit for another amateur radio examination and pass the amateur radio examination.
   
   
2. Must be active.
   
   
3. Licensee are required to submit their amateur radio logbook for the previous 6 (six) months.

For new Standard Class Amateur Radio License holder issued after June 2007, they can apply to Advance Class License subject to:-

1. The amateur license holder have hold the standard class license for a minimum of six (6) months.
   
   
2. Must be active.
   
   
3. Licensee are required to submit their amateur radio logbook for the previous 6 (six) months.

4. Application Procedure (Flowchart)

Below shows the process for applying amateur radio license.

5. Duration of amateur radio license

Each amateur radio license is valid for a year (1 year). Amateur radio license holders must renew their license 2 months before expiry date.

6. Amateur radio examination

Amateur Radio Examination is a part of a procedure to have an Amateur Radio license. This is to ensure the applicant knows the regulation, procedure and the operation of Amateur Radio.

Amateur Radio Examination Schedule

• AITI will conduct Amateur Radio Examination 3 times annually.
• The date for the Amateur Radio Examination will be announced in local newspaper and AITI website at www.aiti.gov.bn.
• The Amateur Radio Examination’s schedule for the year can be downloaded via Amateur Radio Examination Schedule.

Registration for Amateur Radio Examination

• Date for Amateur Radio Examination registration will be announced in local newspapers and AITI website (www.aiti.gov.bn).
• Payment for Amateur Radio Examination registration is B$10. This payment is not refundable.
• Payment for Amateur Radio Examination can be made during AITI office hours.

                                                Monday – Thursday:           8.00 am – 11.45 am
                                                                                         1.30 pm – 3.45 pm           
      
                                                Friday:                              8.00 am – 11.30 am
                                                                                         2.30 pm – 3.30 pm

Amateur Radio Examination Syllabus consists of:
Written Examination

a) Amateur Radio Written Examination consist of 2 sections with 30 questions in each section.

b) Section I: Licensing conditions, operating procedures with practices and transmitter interference.

c) Section II: Elementary theory of electricity, communication and transmitting techniques.

d) The Amateur Radio Written Examination Syllabus can be downloaded via Amateur Radio Written Examination Syllabus

Amateur Radio Written Examination Information

1. Candidate must be inside the examination venue 15 minutes before the examination start. Candidates who arrive late 30 minute after the examination start is not allow to sit for the exam.
2. Time allocated for the examination is 2 hours. Candidate can leave the examination hall after 30 minutes the Amateur Radio Written Examination start with the approval of exam supervisor.
3. Candidate must return the question sheet and answer sheet to examiner before leaving the examination hall.
4. Candidates must fill in their index and Identification Card number (I.C) on both question sheet and answer sheet.
5. Failure to attend the Amateur Radio Examination will be considered as a withdrawal and payment for the examination fee is not refundable.
6. Mobile phone and any other type of communication devices brought by the candidate must be switch off.
7. If there is any candidate who do not obliged any rules and regulations, further action will be taken to the candidate.
8. Only BLUE or BLACK PEN is allow to be use on the answer sheet. Use of electronic calculator is allowed.
9. Each candidate is only given One Question Paper and One Answer Sheet.
10. Candidate can only do calculation on the question paper.
11. The date of the examination result will be announced during the examination.
12. Question and Answer sheet must be returned to examiner.
13. Candidate must pass both section A and section B. Failure in one of the sections is assumed to fail in that examination paper.

7. Amateur radio past year examination paper

Amateur Radio past year examination paper is available for download via Amateur Radio Past Year Examination Paper.

8. Amateur radio license fee

After the applicants pass their amateur radio examination, the applicant can apply for a standard class license. Applicants are required to bring necessary document stated below:

1. Valid result slip of Amateur Radio Examination.
2. Receipt of radio equipment payment from authorized local dealer OR.
3. If the applicant imports radio equipment from overseas, AITI requires the Detention receipt or Notice of seizure issued by Royal Brunei Customs & Excise, Ministry of Finance, Brunei Darussalam. Applicant is subject to payment of type approval and import permit fee of the radio equipment.

Payment for amateur radio license is charge based on per equipment basis.

The charges are stated in the table below:-

Other payments are shown as below:-

         Type Approval   - B$50.00 a unit (B$300.00 for next unit)     
                
         Import Permit     - B$20.00 per unit (valid for 2 weeks)

9. Accreditation for Amateur Radio Practical Examiner

For more information, please view at this page.

10. Callsign

Callsign are use to identify the operator or station during any and all radio communication.

In Brunei Darussalam, the callsign for Amateur Radio starts with V8. Further details on the callsign can be found in the Guidelines For Amateur Radio Callsign.

Callsign have to be said in English language. This procedure is required to avoid confusion.

All Amateur radio operators must transmit their callsign from the beginning of the conversation.

11. Amateur Radio Frequency Band

The table below shows a list of frequency bands use for Amateur radio in Brunei.

Amateur Radio user may use the stated frequency band according to their license and radio equipment.

*Band Plan and Spot Frequencies for UHF Amateur Radio Band 430 – 440MHz (on secondary basis)

12. Operating Signals

Phonetic alphabet & number
When using telephony, words and callsigns may be misunderstood because of phonetic similarity. To overcome this difficulty, the phonetic alphabet has been introduced. Emphasis should be placed on the syllable which is shown in capital letters.

Phonetic alphabet

Phonetic numbers

Morse Code - Letters

Morse Code - Figures

Morse Code - Procedural Signals

Spacing and Length of Signals
• A dash is equal to 3 dots.
• The space between the signals forming the same letter is equal to 1 dot.
• The space between 2 letters is equal to 3 dots.
• The space between 2 words is equal to 7 dots.

Q codes
Operators often use the 'Q' code as a form of abbreviation. 'Q' signals can be in the form of a question or response and often use suffixes to convey additional information. For example:

Below is an example on how Q code works and how to use it.

Question - QTH? (What is your location?)

Answer - QTH Subok (My location is Subok.)

Commonly uses 'Q' signals:

Testing and monitoring
Before any call or test transmission, an amateur operator should monitor the frequency on which the transmission will occur to ensure that a transmission will not cause interference to other stations. For the same reason, where separate transmit and receive frequencies are involved, the operator should also monitor the receive frequency before transmission. Test transmissions should indicate that they are for this purpose.

13. Emergency procedures

Distress signals
Use of the distress signal indicates that a ship, aircraft or person requires immediate assistance. The radiotelegraphy distress signal consists of the group (SOS), transmitted as a single character. The radiotelephony distress signal consists of the word 'MAYDAY'.

Distress call and message
The distress call consists of:

a) The distress signal sent three times;

b) the words 'THIS IS' or 'DE'; and

c) the callsign or other identification of the station in distress, sent three times.

The distress message consists of:

a) the distress signal SOS (radiotelegraphy) or MAYDAY (radiotelephony);

b) the name, or other identification, of the station in distress;

c) particulars of its position;

d) the nature of the distress and the kind of assistance required; and

e) any other information which might be of assistance.

Obligation to accept distress traffic
A distress call or message has absolute priority over all other transmissions and may be heard on any frequency. Amateur radio operators should be prepared to accept such traffic at all times.

When a distress call is heard, you must:

a) immediately cease all transmissions;

b) continue to listen on the frequency; and

c) record full details of the distress message (the information should be recorded in writing and, if possible, by tape recorder).

If a distress message is received, defer acknowledgement for a short interval to see if the message has been received by a station better placed to render assistance. If the distress message is not acknowledged within a reasonable time, the amateur operator is obliged to assist.

Notifying appropriate authority

After acknowledging or attempting to acknowledge receipt of the distress message, you should immediately forward details of the distress situation to:

a) for land based distress situations - the nearest Police Station;

b) for air based distress situations, the DCA and

c) for sea based distress situations, the Coast Guard.

You should resume listening and keep the respective authority informed of any developments. Any assistance practicable should be given until cessation of distress traffic is announced (by means of the operating signals 'QUM' in radiotelegraphy or 'SEELONCE FEENEE' in radiotelephony), or until you are advised that assistance is no longer required.

Urgency signals

In cases where the use of the distress signal is not fully justified, the 'URGENCY' signal may be used. In Morse radiotelegraphy, the urgency signal consists of three repetitions of the group 'XXX' , sent with the letters of each group and the successive groups clearly separated from each other. It shall be transmitted before the call.

In radiotelephony, the urgency signal consists of the group of words 'PAN PAN' , each word of the group pronounced as the French word 'panne'. The urgency signal shall be repeated three times before the call.

The urgency signal has priority over all other transmissions except distress. All stations hearing an urgency signal should:

a) ensure that they do not cause interference to the transmission of the message that follows;

b) be prepared to assist if required.

In the event of natural disasters, normal communications systems may be overloaded, damaged, or completely disrupted, and the rapid establishment of communication to facilitate world-wide relief actions is essential. As the amateur bands are not bound by international plans or notification procedures, they are well adapted for short-term use in emergency situations. The amateur service, with its widespread distribution and demonstrated capacity to assist with the use of certain amateur frequencies, is vital in meeting this need until normal communications are restored.

Any communications shall be carried out only with the consent of the administration of the country in which the disaster has occurred. Relief communications provided from outside the country in which disaster has occurred shall not replace existing national or international amateur emergency networks. Close co-operation is desirable between amateur stations and the stations of other radio services which may find it necessary to use amateur frequencies in disaster communications. International relief communications shall avoid, as far as practicable, interference to the amateur service networks.

14. License termination

If, however an amateur radio operator wants to terminate his or her license before the expiry of his or her license, he or she must produce and sign a termination letter.

Condition that need to be stated in the letter:

• Reasons for termination of Amateur Radio license.
• Status of radio equipment.

Any licensee who failed to renew their licenses, the license will automatically be terminated without notice.

15. Regulation

Under Telecom's Order 2001,

Section 35:

Any person who establishes, installs, maintains, provides or operates a radiocommunication system or service or any radio-communication equipment in any place or on board any vessel, aircraft or in any vehicle in Brunei Darussalam without a license granted under section 5 or any regulations made under this Order shall be guilty of an offence.

Section 68:

Any person guilty of an offence under this Order or any regulations made there under for which no penalty is expressly provided shall, in addition of the forfeiture of any article seized, be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both.

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