HIGH FREQUENCY CO-ORDINATION CONFERENCE (HFCC)

HFCC, also known as High Frequency Co-ordination Conference is a group active in informal co-ordination of frequency channels used in shortwave broadcasting. The group co-ordinates transmission schedules of about 60 organizations from more than 30 countries. They represent about 75-80% of the global output of shortwave broadcasting. The main objective of the HFCC is to provide representation and services for the promotion of an efficient and economical use of the shortwave radio spectrum, and the improvement of radio reception of shortwave broadcast transmissions worldwide. Regular seasonal co-ordination meetings belong among the main activities that help to achieve the objectives of the HFCC.  Membership is open to all individuals and organizations that provide shortwave frequency management and planning. For more information, go to http://www.hfcc.org.

HFCC CHAIRMAN OLDRICH CIP
REMARKS AT OPENING SESSION OF CONFERENCE
AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 1, 2006, ATHENS, GREECE

We are grateful to the President of ERT, Mr. Panagopoulos and Mr. Antonis Andrikakis, Director General of Greek Radio, for inviting us to Athens.  Our HFCC/ASBU Conference has been very much honoured by the invitation to a city whose ancient past was one of the largest contributors to present-day civilization.  Geographically speaking, it is nearer to home for quite a number of us, but others had to cross again a number of time zones in order to be here.

We have become a recognised organisation in the radio communications field and a sector member of the International Telecommunication Union among other international and regional bodies like the EBU and other broadcasting unions.  After a number of decades, the very overloaded low frequency part of the spectrum for broadcasting now stands a chance of being enlarged during the World Radio Conference next year.  Parts of an important HFCC document that was approved by our last Plenary Meeting in China were incorporated into a number of ITU documents, including the text and report to the Conference Preparatory Meeting of administrations.  The proposals of our association which are frequently formulated by Geoff Spells -- who has now become a member of the Steering Board -- are not aimed at the requests for additional spectrum for broadcasting only, but express our effort to seek overall solutions for that agenda item.

With this idea in mind we agreed during the last conference in Hainan, China to raise awareness of the need for positive adjustments of the radio spectrum by addressing administrations, either by writing to them from us here, or through direct contacts from members.  Unfortunately, we received a handful of contact names and addresses only, but these actions are still very much needed.  Just before this conference we have decided to improve publicity to this issue by making the HFCC WRC07 document available in the public area of the website.

One of the principal objectives set forth in the articles of our association is to facilitate and improve global coordination of international broadcasting on shortwave.  Novelty improvements in coordination procedures are introduced almost every time we meet, and the present Athens conference is no exception.  As you have read in the "What's New" column of the website or in a reflector-distributed message, an almost real-time collision detection and an improved display of collision files has been introduced into our coordination.  Participants of the Athens conference will have at their disposal for the first time collision lists based on a calculated signal-to-interference ratio -- in addition to the lists produced by the old method of detection.

While our methods of coordination are becoming more and more accurate and sophisticated, the same old perennial concern remains: Are we going to keep on applying these exact methods to databases of frequency requirements that are all always accurate? The Steering Board agreed recently to devote more time to the issues related to monitoring here in Athens and to considering further initiatives.

The introduction of PLT or PLC using power lines, especially for the Internet, has been another burning issue for all users of the spectrum below 30 MHz.  The approval of the American FCC of the BPL system (that is "Broadband over Power Lines") has made disturbing news this month.

At the same time, work on a draft New Recommendation is just in progress in the ITU on protection against interference from the power-line sources.  This is another subject recommended to be discussed and explained during contacts with the administrations in our home countries.  They should support the approval of the Recommendation and take it into account when setting the national standards.

On the contrary, the solution of interference between AM and DRM transmissions reported and discussed in our meetings rests mainly on our shoulders.  It is quite important that all Frequency Management Organisations (and especially those who enter DRM requirements) are aware of the idea of trying to locate DRM transmissions in the same part of the band in clusters and adjacent to each other.  This has been suggested by our last Plenary and also in the conclusions of the Steering Board meetings.  [See http://www.hfcc.org/pro/DRM-AM_HFCC_Co-ordination.pdf]

But let us turn to our conference and to its preparation.  We have been in touch with the Greek colleagues for a number of weeks now, and I can say quite frankly that there would be no conference in Greece without the personal effort and dedication of our colleague and friend Sotiris Vorgias, ERT Engineer in the office of the Director General, and his colleague Babis Charalambopoulos from the Technical Department.  They have both worked hard on the conference preparations and -- as we all know -- have made an excellent Greek team during all coordination conferences in the past eight years.

Our Athens Conference Team has consisted almost exclusively of ladies.  We would like to thank especially Mrs. Sofia Tari from the Foreign Relations Department, Mrs. Lena Kartsonaki from ERA5 and also Anna and Monica who have been in touch with us during the registration and hotel booking procedures.  Their work in the high tourist season was not easy, and we are going to think about measures on how to make this work easier for future hosts.

The proverb I have chosen this time is from the Greek, and it relates directly to the start of our meeting:  "The beginning is the half of every action" it says, and I am sorry that I have not succeeded in learning its Greek version.  Anyway, after going through the lists of collisions calculated by the more exact method, maybe this is a bit over-optimistic.  And with this thought I am handing over the microphone.  Thank you!