YouTube Transcript:
CB Radio in Australia is Changing... What You Need to Know

There are some changes coming to CB
radio here in Australia. The ACMA have
floated some changes in a new
consultation paper just released today
and we're going to go through those in
this video. So, as I mentioned, this
consultation paper literally came out
today uh the 2nd of June 2025 and it
goes through some of the things that
they are doing to change the CB radio
space. Now, this document there are
links in the description below to it. uh
goes through some information. There's
about 12 pages worth of some of the
changes that they propose. However, if
we start off here with the background,
the background basically is that the
radio communications citizen band radio
stations class license of 2015 is due to
sunset on the 1st of October 2025. So,
these sunset uh every 10 years after
they first registered. So, they're
basically going back through and seeing
what they need to change, what's
working, what's not working, and going
through what they should uh, you know,
review going back into the next uh
version, which is going to be the 2025
uh CB class license. So, there's um some
bits that they want to repeal from the
CB class license and also remake it. Uh,
but there's also some additional matters
which we'll go into a little bit later
on. So first of all uh a little bit of
background about what the CB class
license does. It basically means that
the anyone can operate a CB radio in
Australia either on the HF27 meg or on
the UHF 470 megband. So anyone can buy a
CB radio and operate it within the
technical parameters uh that are
basically what are assigned to CB radio.
So again, if you're more interested
about what CB actually is, then there's
a link below too to um explain what CB
radio is about. The changes to the CB
class license. So these are a couple of
rather big ones that have uh that
they're proposing. The first one is
frequency modulation for use in the HF
band. So on the 27meg band. So uh in the
past, we've only been able to use single
sideband or AM amplitude modulation in
the HF band. Now recently in the Europe
and the US they actually removed those
restrictions and you can use FM on those
uh on 27 MHz. So I think this is sort of
aligning with what's been going on uh
elsewhere in the world to be able to
allow FM um to be able to use on 27
megs. FM is a lot clearer. Um it sounds
a lot better when there's a strong
signal. Um there's plenty of channels to
be able to uh support it. We also use FM
on 29 megs on in the amateur service as
well. So you know uh it's all uh it's
all you know sort of aligning with
what's happening elsewhere in the world.
Basically uh they're asking or they're
proposing sorry that we consider it
appropriate to provide domestic CB radio
operators with this additional
flexibility of being able to operate on
the FM band. And that could open up some
great things for those who are
interested in working DX. So working
across to the states. they probably have
been hearing FM stations or to Europe FM
stations and they can't actually
communicate back because it hasn't been
authorized here in Australia. So I think
that this is a good change to allow that
and um opens up some more um
experimentation and some more CBS to be
able to uh be used here on uh FM. The
next change is initiating contact on HF
channel 11 and 16 and UHF channel 11.
Now I when I read this I actually didn't
realize that this was a thing. So
basically they proposed to remove the
requirement that a person operating a CB
radio must initiate contact on three
specific channels. This is because we
recognize that the use of CB radios has
changed since we made the CB class
license in 2015. So uh basically the uh
original um requirement was that you
would have to call on a call channel.
So, channel 11, channel 16 or UHF
channel 11 and then migrate off that
channel onto another channel. Obviously,
that doesn't really happen. Um, no one
really does that. They don't really call
on a call channel and then move off.
It's sort of just pick a channel and
just use it. I think that that's a
sensible thing to actually um remove. So
um basically the example they use here
again we understand that some CB
radioistas now arrange regular group
discussions using specific channels
which is essentially if you're going out
say into the outback uh you're a
traveling partners uh in another vehicle
you just pick a channel and you talk on
that channel you don't actually make a
call on one of these call channels and
then move because that wouldn't really
make a lot of sense. So basically
they've just removed that require
requirement which is uh which makes a
lot of sense. consent of an inspector
about altering a CB radio. We propose to
remove the provision that empowered an
inspector to give written consent to the
alteration of a CB radio for the
purposes of testing. We do not consider
that there are any circumstances in
which a person would need to alter their
CB radio for the purpose of testing it.
So, uh I guess that there was I didn't
again this is another one I didn't even
realize that there was a provision to be
able to ask an inspector to be able to
alter your CB for testing. Um, so you
know, um, we won't we won't touch on
what happens in CB radio and high power
amplifiers and all that sort of stuff,
but basically they're removing that
requirement because they don't see that
you're ever going to be able to need to
test your radio after you've altered it.
I don't know. This one is a very
interesting one and could be a little
bit contentious, but it kind of makes
sense when you read through it. So, we
might read through this in its entirety.
So, the prohibitation on certain onair
conduct. So they proposed to remove the
condition of operation on the CB radio
either in a way that would be likely to
cause a person to be seriously alarmed
or affronted or for the purposes of
harassing a person. Now that on by
itself sounds like that it could be a
problem. They're like, "Oh, they're just
wiping their hands clean of it." But it
will make more sense as we read further
down. So this was included in the class
license over 30 years ago. So they were
wondering whether they should retain
this condition. Now the radio
communications act of 1992 is about the
management of spectrum. So they have
examined whether this condition um about
behavior supports that objective and
they've formed the view that it does not
and that other Commonwealth, state and
territory laws better prevent and
prohibit this behavior. Uh we received a
we receive a limited number of
complaints and inquiries each year about
conduct alleged to have contravened this
condition. For example, between July
2023 and October 24, we received four
inquiries and 14 complaints. The
inquiries were about inappropriate
language and name calling, whilst most
complaints are about alleged harassment
and verbal abuse directed to the
complainant. In several cases, we
received competing complaints from both
parties to a single exchange. So, it
sounds more like that they're not
interesting in being a policeman on the
radio bands. If there is harassment or
there is bad language or there is other
um stuff that's happening, they say that
where we consider that the alleged
conduct is serious, we will refer the
complainant to the relevant police
force. We consider that the relevant
police force is the appropriate body to
deal with such allegations. So, um
basically that's what they're looking um
to to change. So uh there's some other
information there as well um speaking
about these conditions that you can see
there on the screen um that you can take
your time to to read through. So um they
propose not including that condition in
the CB class license of
2025. Uh directions given by inspectors
and other persons. Section 9 of the CB
class license empowers an inspector or
certain other persons to give a
direction to a CB radio operator in circ
certain circumstances. While we have
retained these conditions, we propose
additional including information about
the matters that an inspector or person
should consider before giving such a
direction. We also propose to provide
for merits review for such a
decision. Uh this one, a CB radio
connected to a telecommunications
network. So, the current CB license
includes a condition that requires a CB
radio connected to a telecommunications
network to comply with one of two
legislative legislative instruments. The
telecommunications labeling notice for
customer equipment and customer cabling
instrument 2015 or the radio
communications compliance labeling
devices notice 2014. Now, the purpose of
the condition was to protect a
telecommunications network where a CB
radio was connected. Now quite rightly
they've said here that the they consider
this to be unnecessary. This is because
with modern telecommunication networks
CB radio will connect with the network
using an interface such as a mobile
phone or a personal computer reducing
the potential for damage to the network.
Moreover, the uh that 2014 compliance
labeling notice is no longer in force.
Um, so if we go a little bit further
down, they recognize that VOIPE, uh,
voice over internet protocol
applications have become popular tools
used by some members of the CB radio
community. The applications enable
devices such as smartphones to operate
on CB radio channels. On downloading a
VOIPE application on their smartphone
and connecting to the smartphone to a CB
radio, a CB radio operator can use their
smartphone as a walkie-talkie. As we do
not consider that the connection of a
VOIPE application to a CB radio presents
any risk to the telecommunications
network, we propose to include a
specific condition in the CB class
license 2025 to authorize this type of
operation. So this is very interesting
because in the past um they've probably
become a little bit hesitant people have
probably become a little bit hesitant to
uh you know connect CB radio to say the
internet and to be able to uh either
operate or to be able to use a VOIPE
application such as the example that
they've used. Now I actually tried to
find some information about this and I
might uh not have found it. uh you might
be able to let me know in the comments
below. But one of a couple of
applications that I thought about was
repeater linking. Now I couldn't find
anything that was in specifically toward
CB repeater linking. So does this mean
now that you can use applications such
as Allstar in a private network running
to connect CB radio repeaters together
or even CB stations together? Maybe uh
simplex hotspots like we've seen in
amateur radio. I'm not quite sure. it
kind of reads that way. So maybe a
little bit of clarification about that.
Um, obviously they're saying that you
can connect a VOIPE application to your
CB radio and use your phone. So that's
essentially the same as what an All-Star
Link network does is you can actually
connect your phone directly to that um
Allstar Link node and talk via an app.
So very interesting that they have
allowed that um or they've called it out
here anyway. Um, so there's a couple of
um things there that might open up some
uh some good things for um for CB radio
operators. So very interesting indeed.
So there's some other formatting and
draft changes here that they've made.
Basically just changing minor um things
in relation to uh some references of
what they call things um removing some
definitions and all this sort of thing
that are a little bit obsolete. Uh
further down however these are other
matters that they are not reflected in
the class license for 2025 but they're
asking about them to raise um
stakeholder views um the public to ask
what your thoughts are on this. So the
first one is emergency communications on
HF channel 9 and UHF's channel 5 and 35.
So they wish to undertake how the CB
radio community industry emergency
services agencies and interested
stakeholders view the prohibitation
prohibit prohibit that word on operating
on HF channel 9 and UHF channels 5 and
35 except in an emergency. So these are
the things that they want to know
uh from the pers from the perspectives
of the bodies that monitor them, the
people who may use or have used them or
emergency services agencies. Do
stakeholders consider that all three
channels should remain as me emergency
channels or should we retain the HF only
where access to mobile phone services
and triple0 may be more limited. We
would also like to receive any
historical evidence from the monitoring
bodies about the number and types of
emergency calls made on the three
channels. This includes information
about the actions that were taken in
response to the calls. They're seeking
this information because there's been a
significant shift in consumer behavior
and considerable technological
development since those channels were
initially reserved for emergency use.
The proliferation of mobile phones means
that calling triple0 to ask for
assistance from emergency services
organizations with qualified dispatches
is now commonplace. Given these changes,
we consider it appropriate to obtain the
public's views on these channels. One of
the things that does stick out to me is
that this particular line talking about
the prolifer proliferation of mobile
phones meaning that calling triple0 to
ask for assistance from emergency
services is now
commonplace. One of the things that I
think we become a little bit too reliant
on is the mobile phone network. There
are areas especially even here where I
live in Tasmania where there is lots of
areas where there is just no mobile
phone coverage. And I know of specific
instances where repeaters, CB repeaters
have been put in to cover areas uh that
aren't covered by mobile phone coverage.
And the people who are in that area
specifically use the CB repeater or rely
on the CB service to uh make sure that
they if there is an emergency or they
need to contact someone that they can
do. So that's interesting that due to
the way um you know consumer behavior
has changed. Yes, they just pick up the
phone and call triple0, but there may be
times where they can't do that. So, one
of the things that is interesting is
that they're saying, should we just
remove these channels from the uh you
know, should we limit it to those three
channels? Should they remain emergency
channels or should we retain the HFON
channel? So I guess one thing is that's
interesting that if you do remove say
the UHF channel which a lot of people
have UHFCB radios all of a sudden if
someone calls for an emergency what
channel do they call on they could be on
any one of number of 80 channels you
just wouldn't know which channel they're
supposed to be on if there is someone
listening on channel 5 and you know that
channel 5 and channel 35 are the
emergency channels then it's more likely
that someone's going to be able to call.
So, I just worried that there might be
some cases where someone goes to call in
an emergency, they may not necessarily
know that the changes have been made or
that no one's listening and they um
can't call triple0ero on their phone.
So, that's just my view. Um others
people might have a different view. Uh
the second thing that they also want to
know about is channel arrangements for
data transmissions which is uh they're
considering converting the UHF's channel
22 and 23 um to narrow band channels and
they're also considering authorizing
data transmission for these purposes on
three reserve channels 61 62 and 63.
This would provide more spectrum for
these specific purposes. Uh to inform
our future approach in this area, we'd
like to obtain further information about
the current use of CB radios for these
purposes.
Um so as far as channels 22 and 23 they
want to know uh about specific examples
of how they are using channel 22 and 23
and um some other information there and
also channels 61 62 and 63. So the ACMA
are inviting the public and all
stakeholders who are interested in the
CB radio service to make a submission.
The details are there on the screen, but
I'll also put a link in the description
below to the ACMA's website. They prefer
an online submission to uh these
changes. Let me know what you think in
the comments below to some of the
proposals. And very interesting times
for CB radio in Australia.