Ofcom widens licence‑free radios from 29 April 2026
From 29 April 2026, new UK radio rules take effect. Ofcom’s Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026-made on 8 April and published on legislation.gov.uk-expand what you can operate without an individual licence, provided you follow strict technical limits.
Let’s treat this as a short lesson in spectrum policy. Licence‑exempt does not mean “do what you like”; it means “pre‑authorised if you meet the conditions”. Those conditions live in Ofcom’s Interface Requirements (IRs)-the technical rulebooks that set frequencies, power limits and other safeguards to protect everyone using the airwaves.
What’s new in plain English. Three additions stand out. First, certain autonomous maritime radio devices (AMRDs) can now use 160.9 MHz (VHF Channel 2006). Second, maritime training schools may run very low‑power coast‑station training equipment indoors without a licence. Third, fixed broadband links using 5.8 GHz (5725–5850 MHz) can be licence‑exempt if they use interference‑management features. Ofcom has also refreshed key IR documents so the legal references point to April 2026 editions.
AMRDs, for students and teachers: these are stand‑alone sea‑going beacons or markers that transmit independently of a ship or coast station. The new exemption is for “Group B” devices-those not used for the safety of navigation. They may operate on 160.9 MHz if they meet Ofcom’s IR 2113 technical rules, do not cause undue interference, and are mounted close to the water-no higher than one metre above sea level.
What this looks like in practice. If you’re designing a small buoy to mark fishing gear or a regatta turn point during a lesson, you can build to IR 2113, tune to 160.9 MHz, keep the antenna at the surface, and run at very low power. You don’t need a Ship Radio licence for that device. But if it interferes with other maritime communications, you must change the setup or switch it off-that responsibility always comes with licence‑exempt use.
Training schools get a simpler path. Colleges and academies can operate coastal‑station training rigs indoors under IR 2114, without applying for a separate licence each time. Indoors really does mean inside a roofed, enclosed room. The goal is to let learners practise real procedures while keeping signals contained and harmless to live services.
A quick classroom reminder. These training sets are for education, not for real‑world distress or navigation. Keep antennas and cabling fully inside the building, log the power settings your instructor specifies, and stick to the IR 2114 limits. If a setup drifts outdoors-even through an open window-you’re no longer within the exemption.
Fixed wireless at 5.8 GHz also opens up. If your link follows IR 2007 and uses features such as Transmit Power Control (automatically adjusting output) and Dynamic Frequency Selection (auto‑moving away from radar channels), or equivalent techniques with the same performance, you can operate licence‑free in 5725–5850 MHz. This suits campus bridges and community links, but only if they share fairly and avoid interference as the standard expects.
Behind the scenes, Ofcom has updated the titles and publication dates for two reference rulebooks: IR 2030 for short‑range devices and IR 2066 for high‑density fixed satellite service terminals. For most readers this is housekeeping, but it matters because regulations must cite the correct editions engineers work to.
If you’re teaching, model a simple “use check” with your class: are we in the UK? Are we on the exact permitted frequencies? Are we indoors if the rule says so? Are our antennas and power within the stated caps? Have we enabled the required interference‑avoidance features? A “no” to any of these suggests you need a licence or a different configuration.
Dates matter for exams and planning. The instrument was made on 8 April 2026 and comes into force on 29 April 2026. From that date, the three new exemptions apply across the UK, subject to each device meeting its IR conditions and the general “no undue interference” rule.
Where to read more. The legal text sits on legislation.gov.uk. The technical details live in Ofcom’s IRs: IR 2113 for AMRDs at 160.9 MHz, IR 2114 for indoor coastal‑station training, IR 2007 for 5.8 GHz links, plus IR 2030 (short‑range devices) and IR 2066 (high‑density satellite). For context, ETSI EN 302 502 explains the 5.8 GHz behaviours, and the ITU’s recent AMRD recommendation clarifies the device categories-useful background for class discussions on why regulators set these limits.