The International Telecommunication Union and Radio Amateurs Maria Rikitianskaia Università della Svizzera italiana Lugano, Switzerland Telecommunications in the Aftermath of World War 1: Civilian and Military Perspectives 10 August 2016 London

Had it not been for amateurs, wireless telegraphy as a great world-fact might not have existed at all. A great deal of the development and progress of wireless telegraphy is due to efforts of amateurs. Guglielmo Marconi, 1919

ITU Radio amateurs ... connecting the world International convention National legislations Radio amateurs

Research question & sources Why radio amateurs of the 1910s are not considered radio amateurs? Sources: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dokumentationsarchiv Funk in Vienna Radio amateurs’ journals, callbooks and other radio amateurs’ documents The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) - 1925 The International Broadcasting Union (IBU) - 1925

The ITU radio registry, 1915

1. Radio for radio’s sake Maurice Rambert, Geneva Jean Abelé, Antoing Dr. Luis Cirera de Terré, Barcelona Maurice Rambert, 1931

1929

2. Time signals

3. Meteorology Table of barometer reading, Wireless World, February 1916

Seismology & astronomy Padre Guido Alfani, Florence Albin Belar, Lubljana P. Vincart, Antwerp

4. Aviation Edmond Rothé – Nancy, France

Conclusions The ITU network didn’t change dramatically because of the war Radio amateurs had a gradual career growth They were experts not only in radio

Thank you for your attention!