ITU radio amateurs make contact via QO-100

ITU News

Amateur radio station 4U1ITU, the station of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), marked World Amateur Radio Day with celebratory messages on its link with QO-100 – the world’s first geostationary satellite for amateur radio.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin – personal call sign “KD2JTX” – signed on as 4U1ITU on 18 April and exchanged messages with fellow enthusiasts in Mauritius, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via the dedicated amateur QO-100 satellite station.

Speaking from the 4U1ITU desk in Geneva, Switzerland, she credited global radio amateurs with “bringing more young people aboard through this fascinating hobby, responding to all kinds of emergency situations, and helping people stay safe.”

Hani Raad, Vice President of Region 1 for the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), was first to respond, noting how amateur operators were strengthening emergency communications with new technologies and ongoing innovation. Raad, who is also President of Radio Amateurs of Lebanon, made the connection to 4U1ITU from Dubai, UAE.

From the Indian Ocean region off Africa’s eastern coast, the President of the Mauritius Island Amateur Radio Society, Jean Marc Momple, noted how crucial amateur radio networks are for small island developing states that are prone to cyclones and increasingly vulnerable to climate change.

H.E. Dr Ahmed Al-Mohannadi, Vice-President of Qatar Amateur Radio Society, encouraged young people around the world to join the amateur radio community.

Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau was also present for the 4U1ITU contact with QO-100.

Vital first responders

This year’s World Amateur Radio Day, acknowledging the growing intensity and impact of disasters worldwide, focused on “Human Security for All.”

“Amateur radio operators can be vital first responders during disasters,” said Joanne Wilson, Deputy Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau, speaking on behalf of Bureau Director Mario Maniewicz. “With only a low-power HF transceiver, a car battery, and a piece of wire for an antenna, a skilled operator can establish a communication link from almost any location, reaching out to affected communities and populations with much-needed lifesaving information.”

Radio amateurs connected spontaneously during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, checking on the welfare of people who were isolated and helping healthcare providers reach those in need.

More than 3 million amateur radio enthusiasts are active worldwide, and the number continues growing.

“We in the Radiocommunication Bureau are proud of our long association with ham radio operators,” Wilson noted. “We believe that amateur radio can – and is uniquely positioned to – address people-centred challenges. It can be a medium for promoting technical knowledge, practical skills, and innovative technology.”

Nick Sinanis (SV3SJ), heading ITU’s Amateur Radio Club, gave an overview of 4U1ITU’s key milestones and contacts, while station engineer Attila Matas (HB9IAJ) established the network for Bogdan-Martin – the first ITU Secretary-General to make a QO-100 contact.

QO-100, launched in 2018, is the first geostationary satellite carrying an amateur radio payload.

ITU’s 61-year-old amateur station has previously made direct contacts with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Watch the ITU Secretary General make radio contact.

Header image credit: ITU/D. Woldu