40-meter band

For many years, the portion of the band from 7.100–7.300 MHz was allocated to short wave broadcast stations outside the Americas, and was not available to radio amateurs outside of ITU Region 2.

At the World Radio Conference WRC-03 in 2003, it was agreed that the broadcast stations would move out of the section 7.100–7.200 MHz on 29 March 2009 and that portion would become a worldwide exclusive amateur allocation afterwards.

With its unique combination of intracontinental and intercontinental communications possibilities, 40-meters is considered a key band in building a winning HF contesting score during any part of the sunspot cycle.

In higher latitudes, daytime intercontinental communication is also possible during the short days of winter, for example a good path often opens between Japan and northern Europe in the hours leading up to European midday from late November through late January, with a long path opening to the west coast of the United States and Canada after midday[citation needed].

In recent years amateurs in east and southeast Asia have also suffered severe interference from illegal users.