Details of Petition:

“In most countries around the world AM, FM and SSB are legal modes for use on CB radio. The frequencies used are the same as UK legal CEPT channels. There are already many hundreds of CB radio users who are using illegal equipement in the UK, which is capable of being used to transmit in these modes. It would make perfect sense for UK to de-regulate CB radio and bring it inline with other countries world wide. There is little or no reported interference problems with ANY other radio frequency users. Europe and the USA do not have massive interference issues so why should the UK? Surely this is now only a paper exercise to make these radios legal for use in the UK? Please sign this petition in order for you to make you point known to the UK government. Many Thanks David.”
 

Government’s response

Management of the radio spectrum in the UK is the responsibility of the Office of Communications (Ofcom), the independent regulator.  Ofcom recognises the interest in Citizens’ Band (CB) radio, which has been exempt from the need for a licence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (and before it, the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949) since 8 December 2006. 

Exemption is in line with the Authorisations Directive, which encourages Member States to exempt uses of radio if the risk of harmful interference is sufficiently low.  The technical characteristics permitted for CB in the UK were designed to minimise the risk of harmful interference, so permitting exemption.  However, the use of Single Side Band (SSB) or, indeed, AM CB, would create an unacceptably high risk of harmful interference to other radio users and to TV reception.  It can also result in ‘breakthrough’ on Hi-Fi equipment.  The trade off of its exemption from the need for a licence is that CB must not cause interference to other authorised uses of radio and does not enjoy protection.  This is particularly important, as CB operates as a secondary service in bands where the MOD is the primary user.

We know that some countries allow SSB, having adopted the European standard for AM/SSB CB radio.  However, others, including the UK, have not adopted this standard, as it is for individual administrations to decide whether or not to allow the use of AM/SSB CB.  The UK is particularly congested in its use of radio frequencies and this has the effect of increasing the risk of interference between services.  We consider that the risk of interference is too great to allow the use of AM/SSB CB radio in the UK.