iGates pass APRS packets between radio and the internet, and digipeaters relay them over radio. Both are usually left running unattended, which brings in specific class licence conditions. This guide sets out what's confirmed and is honest about what isn't.
1What's confirmed: unattended operation
Section 13(4) of the class licence says: "A person must not cause an amateur station to be operated without a person being at the location of the station, unless: (a) the station is operated using: (i) an automatic mode; or (ii) a computer controlled mode; and (b) the station is fitted with a timer that causes automatic shutdown of the station if a malfunction causes an unintended transmission that lasts longer than 10 minutes."
There's no qualification-level restriction on unattended or automatic operation; the same rules apply at every level. Control signals to an unattended station may be encoded.
2What's confirmed: internet connection
Any station connected to the internet must have "measures in place to ensure that it cannot be operated by unlicensed persons" (ACMA: Operating procedures).
3A receive-only iGate
A receive-only iGate listens on 145.175 MHz and forwards what it hears to the internet. It doesn't retransmit on RF, so it's ordinary class-licence operation. If it transmits at all, for example its own beacon, and runs unattended, it must still meet section 13(4).
4Digipeaters and transmitting iGates: not settled
The class licence says a class licensee must not operate a station "that is, or as, an amateur repeater station". Repeaters need an assigned licence.
The legal position isn't spelled out. The words "digipeater" and "iGate" don't appear in the class licence, the licence conditions determination or ACMA's call sign policy, and ACMA's site has no guidance on them. "Amateur repeater station" is defined in a separate determination, and one reading of the Interpretation Determination 2025 definition ("a station established at a fixed location for: (a) the reception of radio signals from an amateur station; and (b) the automatic retransmission of those signals") could catch a fixed RF digipeater. It hasn't been confirmed that this is the determination the class licence refers to, and there's no ACMA ruling either way. Whether a transmitting (internet-to-RF) iGate is caught is also unclear.
Before running unattended RF retransmission, check with ACMA and coordinate with your state APRS coordinator. This guide doesn't say digipeaters are legal or illegal under the class licence.
5Good practice
Whatever you run, gate only valid local packets, keep hops to a minimum, fit the 10-minute malfunction timer for unattended operation and secure any internet connection.