• FAQ

    Once Brexit enters into force, i.e. on 1 January 2021, the European roaming rules will no longer apply to the United Kingdom.

    This means that when making a call, sending SMS messages or surfing the Internet from the United Kingdom (to an EU country), consumer prices may be much higher than today given that operators will be allowed to apply a roaming surcharge.

  • FAQ

    No, a PLB is related to a person not to a vessel.

    However, you have to register your PLB on the website https://www.406registration.com/

  • FAQ

    A form is available; please follow the instructions correctly, particularly the requests for documents that are necessary to process your application.

    The authorisation is free.

    Complete applications are processed in the chronological order of their arrival.

    Contacting us is unnecessary; if your file is incomplete, we will ask you to provide us with the missing elements. As soon as you file is processed, you will receive the authorisation via ordinary mail.

    Ground stations also need to be covered by an authorisation

  • FAQ

    We do not issue ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) codes: these are four-letter codes for geographic classification which are assigned to each airport around the world.

    International Civil Aviation Organization codes

  • FAQ

    Firstly this 

    You can decide to have your number ported immediately or to have it done on a date you agree upon with the new operator.  

    Setting a date can be important if you are still bound by a contract or if there are instalments left on a device. Without an agreement on the porting date you risk having to pay a termination fee to your old operator. 

    One working day  

    Following a visit to your new operator’s store or website or before the porting date set, the new operator checks with the old operator whether everything is technically ready to port the number.  

    After the technical validation the number porting takes one working day at the most.  

    What if there is a delay?  

    If the porting exceeds one working day compared to the date set, you are entitled to a compensation of 3 euros per day of delay. Sometimes the amount is set to 5 euros per day of delay. 

    Always ask your new operator for this compensation. Even though you know or suspect that the problem lies with the old operator.  

    Do this within 6 months following the number porting. 

    In the case of prepaid cards a compensation can be given in the form of extra call credit.  

  • FAQ

    Congratulations! You will receive your certificate via ordinary mail.

  • FAQ

    Radio amateur clubs registered with BIPT (in order of payment) can apply for a special call sign to mark an event under the following terms and restrictions:

    • The event is associated with the club’s life (special anniversary…);
    • The club participates in an event (e.g. open house in a school or a radio amateur club has a stand);
    • The event has to do with radio (e.g. Marconi’s birthday);
    • A club is not allowed to ask more than two special call signs per calendar year;
    • The special call sign cannot be used during contests;
    • For the anniversary of the club or association, the call sign can be granted for a maximum period of one year;
    • The call signs can have all the prefixes (ON, OP, OQ, OR, OS, OT);
    • They are made of a prefix, a figure, and a series of characters ending with a letter;
    • Call signs using the ON prefix (or the special prefix assigned to all the radio amateurs - see below) can not have a single digit if they have a suffix of 1, 2 or 3 letters;
    • The special call signs cannot be used in the club members’ homes.

    Recognised associations (UBA, VRA, UFRC) can ask a special prefix on the occasion of a particular event and for all the radio amateurs. In that case any radio amateur who wishes to do so can replace the ON in his/her call sign by the special prefix. This authorisation does not apply to short call signs.

    The tariffs for these special call signs are mentioned in the Annex 1 of the Royal Decree of 18 December 2009 on private radio communications and user rights for fixed networks and trunk networks. 

  • FAQ

    Whoever unexpectedly acquires a station, without being personally authorised to possess or use it, has, from the moment he/she comes into possession of the station, a maximum period of sixty days to apply for a holder’s and operator’s authorisation for that radio station, or only one possession authorisation.

  • FAQ

    For a 5th category station, the operator uses the call sign related to his/her operator’s certificate or the authorisation of the operated station.

    The call sign is transmitted following a method which is adapted to the type of emission. If this is not possible, the call sign is transmitted vocally or in telegraphy. In telephony mode, the call sign is pronounced clearly and, if necessary, spelled using the international alphabet. In telegraphy mode, the call sign is communicated in Morse code at the transmission speed used during the contact.

    The call sign is transmitted at least once at the beginning and the end of each emission. When the emission is made of several short messages, the series of emissions is considered as one emission. In the context of an emission or a series of emissions, the call sign is repeated at least every five minutes.

  • FAQ

    No, the radio station can only be used to convey information on technical research and related subjects in plain language. It is thus forbidden to tell your life story or to use encrypted or coded messages. However, after authorisation of the Institute, the holder of an authorisation for an automated station or for a remote-controlled station can use encrypted messages for the management of his/her station.

    In case of exercises organised by a Belgian emergency service, the holder of an operator’s certificate of the 5th category can, with prior approval of the Institute, communicate on subjects related to these exercises.

    Upon request from the relevant authorities responsible for crisis management, the holder of a 5th category certificate can help Belgian emergency services by deploying his/her 5th category stations in order to compensate for the failure of electronic communications. In this context only, the radio amateur can: transmit encrypted or coded messages, use any station of the 5th category, with the approval of the holder of the authorisation of the station concerned; and communicate regarding subjects related to the activities of the emergency services.

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