NEWS RELEASE

International Amateur Radio Union

P.O. Box 310905

Newington, CT 06131-0905 USA

FAX: +1 860 594 0259

E-Mail: iaru@iaru.org

23 March 2000

For immediate release

New Caledonia Admitted to IARU

Voting has been completed on a proposal to admit Association des Radio-Amateurs de Nouvelle-Caledonie (ARANC) as a member of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). ARANC has been notified of its admission effective 22 March 2000.

Association des Radio-Amateurs de Nouvelle-Caledonie was established on July 25, 1961. ARANC reports that there are 130 licensed radio amateurs in the country, of whom 50 are active on radio regularly while the others pursue related information technology hobbies. ARANC has 32 members, 25 of whom are licensed to transmit. The application for IARU membership was prompted in part by increased autonomy recently granted to New Caledonia by France, including the management of telecommunications and related licenses.

The official address of ARANC is P.O. Box 3956, Nouméa 98847, NEW-CALEDONIA.

The IARU, founded in 1925, is a worldwide federation of national amateur radio societies with members in 150 countries and separate territories.

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