LPRA’s Impact: Past, Present and Future

Brian M Back, LPRA Director:

The LPRA is a trade body that remains as important today as it was at its founding in the 1990s. Established as the Low Power Radio Association, the LPRA was one of the leading voices that influenced governments, first in the UK and then around the world, to deregulate parts of the radio spectrum. This laid the groundwork for what we now call Short Range Devices, used in everything from barcode scanners and key fobs to medical implants and radio telemetry systems.

I’ve been involved with the LPRA since the beginning. I started as a member, then joined the Council, and now serve as a Director. Throughout my working life in the world of radio, across the businesses I’ve owned, managed, or been associated with, I’ve found LPRA membership and its lobbying outcomes to be invaluable.

Without the LPRA acting as the voice of businesses large and small, many of the wireless technologies we now take for granted might never have made it to market. In fact, even the cellular industry has benefited from Short Range Device technologies like Bluetooth, which owe their existence in part to the spectrum access the LPRA helped unlock.

Today, the LPRA continues to play a vital role. It works to protect access to spectrum, identify new opportunities, and ensure that the legislation governing its use is fair, balanced and open. These efforts are essential to avoid a future where innovation is held back by red tape, interference or monopolisation.

I would strongly encourage any business, large or small, working with wireless technologies to join the LPRA and be part of shaping what comes next.

Brian M Back