iGA Launches Dedicated Call Signal for Participants in International Amateur Radio Club, FT8DMC
27 Aug 2019
As part of ongoing efforts to serve the amateur radio community in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the GCC, the Information & eGovernment Authority’s (iGA) Wireless Licensing, Frequency and Monitoring Directorate launched the region’s first dedicated amateur call sign (A91FTDMC) for members of international amateur radio club, FT8DMC. The call sign will be available from 10th to 24th August 2019 to commemorate the club’s anniversary.
iGA Wireless Licensing, Frequency and Monitoring Directorate Director, Hassan Mohammed Hassan said that launching the call sign reflects iGA’s support of activities that highlight Bahrain’s contributions to the radiocommunication field, and its efforts to support amateur radio and telecommunications in general.
He added that sponsoring or launching call signs through official channels, and using them to participate in international events, is one of the ways countries can promote and highlight themselves in the radiocommunication field. This, in turn, has a positive knock on effect on the development of these countries, because of the wide range of fields that are supported by amateur radio activities. In the case of Bahrain, these may include activities related to National Day, World Meteorological Day, World Post Day, World Amateur Radio Day, United Nations Public Service Day, Manama: Capital of Arab Culture, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 150th Anniversary, Sports Day, and the Iron Man competition, in which Bahrain is considered to be among the first to participate by using radio spectrum for amateur radio service. The Kingdom is also the first country in the world to celebrate GCC National Days by using this service.
The call sign A91FTDMC was assigned in coordination with FT8DMC Award Manager and GCC Representative, Fawaz Sulaibeekh (call sign A92AA). A number of specialist stations are expected to join in the club’s activities, with coverage to be broadcast under FTDMC, which commemorates its 2nd anniversary. Eight call signals have been launched or are about to be launched soon by the countries participating in the club’s activities.
The FT8 digital mode is one of the most recent in the world of amateur radio. The first international amateur radio club using the FT8 digital mode was founded in 2017. It was established with the objective of providing a meeting point and global platform for users of FT8 and similar modes, particularly for new users who are less experienced in the field. The club’s registered membership currently consists of more than 10,000 members from 134 countries.