New 23cm Bandplan Set for Approval at IARU Region 1 Conference — With a Catch for Moonbounce Operators

A revised 23cm bandplan is set to be debated at the IARU Region 1 General Conference in Vienna this month, with a small but significant footnote that moonbounce operators should note. The proposal reshapes the upper part of the band and links EME activity to ECC Decision (25)01, a regulation already influencing 23cm access across much of Europe. UK stations remain largely unaffected, but cross‑border EME contacts may be constrained by limits applied in other CEPT countries.

The 27th IARU Region 1 conference runs from 19–23 September at the Park Hotel, Schönbrunn in Vienna, and among the many VHF/UHF/SHF papers is a proposed update covering 1296–1300 MHz. The working documents can be found on the IARU Conference Documents Page For the 23cm band plan working group report, select the VHF Committee (C5) Documents.

If a national regulator chooses to adopt ECC Decision (25)01, (and many now have), it places strict limits on how amateur stations may operate across the 1258–1300 MHz portion of the 23cm band. Several sections would become so heavily restricted that normal amateur use would be impractical or effectively impossible. As a result, the existing bandplan needs to be updated to reflect these new constraints and provide a workable structure for the parts of the band that remain usable.

The general shape of the band remains familiar, but the upper 1.35 MHz is reorganised with more explicit sub‑band definitions. The draft sets 1299.000–1299.650MHz aside for CW, SSB and narrow databand data modes with beacons having the 1299.650-1299.850MHz segment.

The moonbounce footnote

The EME portion can be translated as moving up 3MHz, from 1296.xxx to 1299.xxx, however the segment carries a short but important note “(i)” — advising operators to check ECC Decision (25)01 and their national licence terms before transmitting. That reference ties the bandplan directly to the regulatory changes already affecting 23cm access in much of Europe.

ECC(25)01 was adopted by CEPT in June 2025 to protect the Galileo navigation system, which overlaps the amateur allocation from 1258–1300MHz. It introduces operational limits, including very low EIRP caps for certain wideband amateur‑satellite emissions, and CEPT members were encouraged to implement it by 27 December 2025. Twenty‑four administrations have indicated they intend to apply the decision, with transition periods of up to three years.

For UK amateurs, the RSGB has confirmed that Ofcom will identify the Galileo‑related frequencies but will not impose ECC(25)01’s technical restrictions on amateur licensees. UK 23cm operation therefore remains largely unchanged. The complication arises when working stations in countries that are applying the decision: an EME contact may be limited by power or frequency constraints at the far end of the path, even though no such limits apply in the UK. It’s worth checking the other station’s conditions before arranging a sked.

Looking ahead

All conference papers, including the full bandplan proposal, are available on the IARU Region 1 conference website. The meeting also includes a wide range of VHF/UHF/SHF submissions, including an RSGB paper on UHF spectrum pressure from satellite‑to‑mobile systems. Whether the 23cm proposal is adopted as written should be clear once the conference closes on 23 September. Operators active on 1296MHz — particularly those working EME paths into continental Europe — will want to review the outcome and any subsequent national updates.