PART VI
STATION licence AND NETWORK Licence
Division 1 — Grant of fees for and withdrawal of radio frequency allocated to station licence and network licence
Grant of station licence and network licence
25.—(1)  The following network licences and station licences may be granted under section 5 of the Act:
(a)Network Licence;
(b)Ship Station Licence;
(c)Aircraft Station Licence;
(d)Amateur Station Licence;
(e)Experimental Station Licence;
(f)Localised Radio-communication Station Licence;
(g)General Radio-communication Station Licence;
(h)Satellite Communication Station Licence; and
(i)Special Purpose Station Licence.
(2)  A station licence or network licence authorises the licensee to operate the specified station or network in accordance with the Act, these Regulations and the conditions of the licence.
(3)  The Authority must not grant a station licence or network licence that authorises the operation of a station or network in any radio frequency band that is within a part of the radio frequency spectrum that the Authority has determined under regulation 6(1) to be allocated by the grant of spectrum rights unless the Authority is satisfied that the circumstances of the particular case justify the granting of the licence.
Fees
26.—(1)  The licence fees payable for station licences and network licences are specified in Part II of the First Schedule.
(2)  The application and processing fees for use of any radio frequency in the course of operating or using a station or network under a station licence or network licence are specified in Part III of the First Schedule.
(3)  The annual fees payable for use of any radio frequency in the course of operating or using a station or network under a station licence or network licence are specified in Part IV of the First Schedule.
(4)  The Authority may, in the interest of spectrum economy and after considering the re-usability of a radio frequency, the area of coverage involved and the period of use of an assigned radio frequency, reduce all or any of the following:
(a)licence fees payable under paragraph (1);
(b)application and processing fees payable under paragraph (2); or
(c)annual fees payable under paragraph (3).
(5)  For any multi-channel radio-communication equipment used for transmitting or receiving, the radio frequency fee payable shall be in accordance with the bandwidth of frequencies assigned as specified in Part IV of the First Schedule.
(6)  All fees shall be paid in advance and if any fee remains unpaid 7 days after the date on which a station licence or network licence should have been renewed, the following late payment fee shall be charged:
(a)where the station licence or network licence is renewed after 7 days but less than 15 days following the expiration of the previous licence, a sum of $10;
(b)where the station licence or network licence is renewed after 14 days but less than 31 days following the expiration of the previous licence, a sum of $20; or
(c)where the station licence or network licence is renewed after 30 days following the expiration of the previous licence, a sum of $50.
Power of Authority to change or withdraw radio frequency
27.  The Authority may, in its discretion and without paying compensation and upon giving such notice as it considers appropriate, change or withdraw any radio frequency allocated to the licensee under the station licence or network licence without assigning any reason therefor.
Division 2 — Types of Station Licence and Network Licence Network Licence
Network Licence
28.—(1)  The Authority may grant the following classes of Network Licences:
(a)Localised Private Network Licence;
(b)Wide-area Private Network Licence;
(c)Public Mobile Network Licence; and
(d)Fixed Wireless Network Licence.
(2)  The grant of a private network licence shall not, unless the Authority otherwise determines, authorise the licensee to provide, directly or indirectly, any telecommunication service to the general public.
(3)  A Network Licence shall only be granted in respect of a network that meets all technical standards and any other requirements which the Authority may, from time to time, stipulate.
(4)  The Authority may refuse to grant a Localised Private Network Licence or Wide‐area Private Network Licence if it is satisfied that —
(a)the licensee failed to meet the minimum channel loading criteria set by the Authority from time to time for the network; or
(b)the radio-communication service that is, or is intended to be, provided by or through the network may be adequately provided by or through a public telecommunication system or by any other means.
Ship Station Licence
Ship Station Licence
29.—(1)  A Ship Station Licence may be granted by the Authority if —
(a)the ship on which the station is to be carried (referred to in this regulation as the ship) has a valid internationally recognised Safety Radio certificate;
(b)the station is operated by an appropriate number and category of radio operators holding a Certificate of Competency granted under the Telecommunications (Certificates of Competency for Ship Station Operators) Regulations (Rg 1) or a competent foreign authority recognised by the Authority, except where the vessel is used solely or principally for pleasure purposes;
(c)the ship has an accounting authority acceptable to the Authority; and
(d)the ship complies with such other requirements as may be determined by the Authority from time to time.
(2)  A person who is unable to furnish all the information required by the Authority in the application form for a Ship Station Licence may, upon payment of the prescribed fee and upon satisfying such other requirements as may be determined by the Authority, be granted a Provisional Ship Station Licence which shall be valid for such period and subject to such conditions as may be determined by the Authority.
Restrictions on grant of Ship Station Licence
30.  A Ship Station Licence shall only be granted in respect of a ship, including its lifeboats, which is registered or licensed by the competent authority in Singapore.
Compliance with Radio Regulations, Authority’s requirements, etc.
31.  A Ship Station licensee shall —
(a)provide on board the ship all documents either considered necessary by the Authority or required under the Radio Regulations for the efficient operation of the station carried on board the ship; and
(b)comply with the working procedures set out in the Radio Regulations and with such other requirements as the Authority may determine.
Equipment not to cause interference
32.—(1)  A station on board any ship in the waters of Singapore shall be operated in such manner as not to impair or interfere with —
(a)any Armed Forces Communication; or
(b)the efficient and convenient working of any other station or network, or telecommunication system or service in Singapore authorised by the Authority under the Act or these Regulations.
(2)  A station on board any ship must not be used if the crew of the ship observes, or when the crew has been informed by the Authority, that the working of the station causes interference to radio-communication.
Restrictions on use of equipment while in territorial waters
33.—(1)  Subject to paragraph (2), no station on board a ship shall be used while the ship is within the territorial waters of Singapore.
(2)  A station on board a ship, whether licensed by the Authority or by a foreign competent authority, may be used while the ship is within the territorial waters of Singapore for the purposes of —
(a)safety of navigation, life or property or for any other purposes as may be authorised by the Authority; and
(b)communication on such radio frequency bands as may be specifically authorised by the Authority, subject to such conditions as may be determined by the Authority, where the use of the station does not cause interference to the working of any other station or network licensed under these Regulations.
Aircraft Station Licence
Restrictions on grant of Aircraft Station Licence
34.  An Aircraft Station Licence shall only be granted in respect of a station on a commercial or privately-owned aircraft registered in Singapore.
Duty of licensee in respect of equipment, Radio Regulations, etc.
35.—(1)  All equipment comprised in a station on board any aircraft must be approved by the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and a certificate to this effect shall accompany the application for the licence.
(2)  An Aircraft Station licensee shall observe the provisions of the Radio Regulations and any other local or interna­tional rules and regulations applicable to stations on board an aircraft.
Restrictions on use of aircraft station
36.  No station fitted in an aircraft shall be operated or used while such aircraft is at rest on land or on water in Singapore except —
(a)in exceptional cases or in time of emergency or distress;
(b)in exceptional circumstances if communication by means of a telecommunication line system is not available, for communication on matters relating to air navigation and services with the nearest aeronautical station, or, if communication with such station is impracticable, with any other station;
(c)for the purpose of carrying out experimental tests with the written approval of and subject to such conditions as may be determined by the Authority; or
(d)for the purpose of carrying out functional tests on frequencies other than on international distress frequencies to determine the serviceability of the station.
Amateur Station Licence
Amateur Station Licence
37.—(1)  The Authority may grant the following classes of Amateur Station Licences to qualified or approved persons interested in the operation of radio-communication equipment solely for pleasure and for the furtherance of radio-communication techniques and not for pecuniary gain:
(a)General Class;
(b)Restricted Class; and
(c)any other class of licence which the Authority considers appropriate.
(2)  Notwithstanding regulation 20, an Amateur Station Licence may only be granted to a natural person and shall not authorise the use of radio-communication equipment by the licensee’s employees.
Age restrictions
38.—(1)  An Amateur Station Licence shall not be granted to a person below the age of 16 years.
(2)  Any application for an Amateur Station Licence by an applicant below the age of 21 years shall be countersigned by the applicant’s parent, guardian or by any other person approved by the Authority.
(3)  It is a condition of every Amateur Station Licence that a licensee between the ages of 16 and 21 years may only operate or use any Amateur Station if supervised by a qualified person approved by the Authority who has agreed to supervise the licensee, and that qualified person shall ensure that the licensee observes and complies with all the duties and obligations specified in the licence and these Regulations.
Qualifications
39.—(1)  An applicant for an Amateur Station Licence shall, unless exempted by the Authority —
(a) have passed the Radio Amateur Examination set by the Authority; or
(b) be in possession of an Amateur Radio Certificate acceptable to the Authority.
(2)  The fees payable to sit for the Radio Amateur Examination referred to in paragraph (1) are specified in the Second Schedule.
General conditions
40.  An Amateur Station licensee shall observe the following conditions:
(a)the station shall only be operated at locations approved by the Authority;
(b)the station shall in all cases be operated by the licensee or by persons named in the licence;
(c)the station and all equipment used or intended to be used by the licensee shall be erected, fixed, placed and used, so as not to cause interference to radio-communications in Singapore;
(d)the licensee shall identify himself by the transmission of the callsign assigned to him by the Authority at the beginning and end of each transmission;
(e)any change in the approved location, equipment, mast or antenna system must be approved by the Authority prior to the change being made;
(f)the licensee shall obtain the approval of all relevant authorities before erecting any mast or antenna to be used in connection with the operation of the station; and
(g)the licensee shall —
(i)keep a running record of all transmission periods showing the date and time of each period of transmission and the radio frequency and type of emission employed;
(ii)preserve the record of each entry made for 12 months; and
(iii)make the record mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii) available for inspection at all reasonable times by an authorised officer.
Prohibition on use of encryption devices
41.  It is a condition of every Amateur Station Licence that the licensee may not make use of encryption devices or equipment in the operation or use of any station.
Restrictions on transmission
42.  It is a condition of every Amateur Station Licence that —
(a)messages transmitted through an Amateur Station shall be in plain language and shall relate solely to the licensee’s experiments or personal affairs (not being business affairs), or to the personal affairs of the person with whom the licensee is communicating;
(b)the Amateur Station shall not be used for transmitting news, advertisements, communications of a business or non-experimental character, messages for pecuniary reward or messages for or on behalf of a third party;
(c)except with the written permission of the Authority, no licensee of an Amateur Station shall call or transmit to any station other than an Amateur Station;
(d)messages may only be exchanged with another Amateur Station, except where prohibited by law; and
(e)transmission shall not commence without listening in on the radio frequency to be used in order to ascertain that no interference is likely to be caused to any other station which may be functioning.
Power of Authority to order transmission
43.  It is a condition of every Amateur Station Licence that the licensee shall, if required by the Authority by notice in writing, transmit any message provided by the Authority by means of his licensed Amateur Station.
Portable stations
44.  The Authority may approve an Amateur Station as a portable or mobile station, subject to such conditions as the Authority may impose.
Experimental Station Licence
Experimental Station Licence
45.  The Authority may grant an Experimental Station Licence —
(a)to such educational institutions, training establishments or qualified persons as the Authority may determine for the purpose of conducting research and development activities, experiments or demonstrations in radio-communication; or
(b)to licensed dealers in, or manufacturers or importers of, radio-communication equipment for the purpose of testing, demonstration or conducting research and development in radio-communication equipment.
Power limitations
46.  The Authority may limit the maximum power of a station in respect of which an Experimental Station Licence has been granted, having regard to the purpose for which the station has been authorised and the conditions under which it is to work.
Localised Radio-communication Station Licence
Localised Radio-communication Station Licence
47.  The Authority may grant a Localised Radio-communication Station Licence to approved applicants to use the following equipment:
(a)remote control devices;
(b)local area paging devices;
(c)wireless microphones;
(d)transceivers (CB Walkie Talkies);
(e)telemetry or alarm systems or both;
(f)wireless data or voice systems;
(g)cordless telephones; and
(h)any other radio-communication equipment as may be authorised by the Authority, from time to time.
Sharing of radio frequencies
48.—(1)  The radio frequencies allocated to any Localised Radio-communication Station may be shared by other users and the Authority shall not be responsible or liable for any interference arising from such use.
(2)  Licensees operating on shared radio frequencies shall accept any interference that may result from the legitimate operation of stations, including the operation of industrial, scientific and medical (I.S.M.) equipment, functioning in the I.S.M. Band.
General Radio-communication Station Licence
General Radio-communication Station Licence
49.  The Authority may grant a General Radio-communication Station Licence to approved applicants for the purpose of enabling them to transmit, receive or transmit and receive messages by means of radio-communication.
Common base station and shared radio frequencies
50.  It is a condition of every General Radio-communication Station Licence that the licensee shall, if required by the Authority in the interest of radio frequency spectrum economy or for any other reason, work with a common base station operated or licensed by the Authority or to share a radio frequency with other stations, subject to any condition which the Authority may impose.
Navigation or detection of objects
51.  The Authority may grant a General Radio-communication Station Licence to an approved applicant for the purpose of navigating or detecting objects by means of radio-communication.
Satellite Communication Station Licence
Satellite Communication Station Licence
52.  The Authority may grant the following classes of Satellite Communication Station Licences to enable the licensee to transmit, receive or transmit and receive messages by means of satellite communication for such purposes as may be authorised by the Authority:
(a)Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Licence;
(b)Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) Earth Station Licence;
(c)Earth Station Licence; and
(d)Portable Satellite Communication Terminal Licence.
Obligations of licensee
53.  It is a condition of every Satellite Communication Station Licence that the licensee —
(a)must seek the approval of the Authority for access to any space segment and shall comply with the relevant rules, regulations and procedures imposed by the satellite operator for station access, booking and fees;
(b)may only use or work within the radio frequencies or radio frequency bands approved by the Authority for his use; and
(c)must not, without the written approval of the Authority, use any satellite communication equipment in respect of which the Satellite Communication Station Licence has been issued to provide telecommunication services to the public.
Compliance with International Telecommunication Convention
54.  Unless exempted by the Authority, a Satellite Communication Station licensee shall at all times comply with the provisions of the International Telecommunication Convention and all regulations and recommendations annexed thereto or made thereunder as are applicable to Singapore.
Special Purpose Station Licence
Special Purpose Station Licence
55.—(1)  The Authority may grant a Special Purpose Station Licence for the installation and operation of any special purpose station.
(2)  For the purposes of paragraph (1), a “special purpose station” is a station not otherwise defined in these Regulations that is established exclusively for such purpose and upon such conditions as the Authority may specify.
Division 3 — Specific Provisions Applicable to Station Licence and Network Licence
Equipment in stations or networks
56.—(1)  The Authority may, in respect of any individual or class of station licence or network licence, specify the type of equipment that the licensee is authorised to use and, if applicable, the type of equipment to be comprised in the individual or class of station or network.
(2)  A station or network under a station licence or a network licence shall not be changed or modified in respect of any of the particulars mentioned in the station licence or network licence, including the radio-communication equipment comprised therein, the operating radio frequencies and the location at which the station or network is installed, except with the prior approval of the Authority.
Records
57.—(1)  A licensee of a network shall keep an up-to-date record of the radio-communication equipment comprised in the network.
(2)  The record referred to in paragraph (1) shall —
(a)contain such information;
(b)be kept in such form; and
(c)be submitted to the Authority at such intervals,
as the Authority may, from time to time, require.
(3)  The licensee shall, at all reasonable times, permit an authorised officer to inspect and make copies of any entry in the record.
Technical requirements
58.—(1)  Before a station licence or network licence is granted, the applicant shall satisfy the Authority that the station or network in respect of which the licence is to be granted conforms to such technical requirements as may be imposed by the Authority.
(2)  All equipment comprised in a station licence or network licence shall be approved by the Authority before use.
(3)  Every station or network in respect of which an application for a station licence or network licence has been made or for which a station licence or network licence has been granted may at any time be inspected and tested by an authorised officer.