[real-eyes] Fw: [Handiham-list] Special Report from Handihams - FCC drops code - real-eyes

"Jose Lopez" <crunch1@xxxxxxxxx> · Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:02:44 -0600

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patrick Tice" <wa0tda@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Eletter" <handiham-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 9:02 AM
Subject: [Handiham-list] Special Report from Handihams - FCC drops code


>
> This is a special report from the Handiham Weekly E-Letter.
>
> The FCC has decided to drop all Morse code testing requirements for the
> Amateur Radio Service in the United States. This means that Technician and
> Technician Plus will have identical privileges, and there will be no code
> exam required for General and Extra Class. Presumably, those who now have
> General Class theory CSCE's will be allowed to upgrade to General. This
> change brings the United States into line with many other countries
> worldwide that have eliminated a Morse requirement. In addition, the FCC
> affirmed its recent expansion of phone privileges on the 75 meter band.
>
> The official FCC notice, which precedes an expected Report & Order, 
> follows
> here:
>
> Washington, D.C. – Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
> adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration (Order) that
> modifies the rules for the Amateur Radio Service by revising the 
> examination
> requirements for obtaining a General Class or Amateur Extra Class amateur
> radio operator license and revising the operating privileges for 
> Technician
> Class licensees. In addition, the Order resolves a petition filed by the
> American Radio Relay League, Inc. (ARRL) for partial reconsideration of an
> FCC Order on amateur service rules released on October 10, 2006.
>
> The current amateur service operator license structure contains three
> classes of amateur radio operator licenses: Technician Class, General 
> Class,
> and Amateur Extra Class. General Class and Amateur Extra Class licensees 
> are
> permitted to operate in Amateur bands below 30 MHz, while the introductory
> Technician Class licensees are only permitted to operate in bands above 30
> MHz. Prior to today’s action, the FCC, in accordance with international
> radio regulations, required applicants for General Class and Amateur Extra
> Class operator licenses to pass a five words-per-minute Morse code
> examination.
>
> Today’s Order eliminates that requirement for General and Amateur Extra
> licensees. This change reflects revisions to international radio 
> regulations
> made at the International Telecommunication Union’s 2003 World Radio
> Conference (WRC-03), which authorized each country to determine whether to
> require that individuals demonstrate Morse code proficiency in order to
> qualify for an amateur radio license with transmitting privileges on
> frequencies below 30 MHz.
>
> This change eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden that may 
> discourage
> current amateur radio operators from advancing their skills and
> participating more fully in the benefits of amateur radio.
>
> Today’s Order also revises the operating privileges for Technician Class
> licensees by eliminating a disparity in the operating privileges for the
> Technician Class and Technician Plus Class licensees. Technician Class
> licensees are authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies
> above 30 MHz. The Technician Plus Class license, which is an operator
> license class that existed prior the FCC’s simplification of the amateur
> license structure in 1999 and was grandfathered after that time, 
> authorized
> operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above 30 MHz, as well as
> frequency segments in four HF bands (below 30 MHz) after the successful
> completion of a Morse code examination. With today’s elimination of the
> Morse code exam requirements, the FCC concluded that the disparity between
> the operating privileges of Technician Class licensees and Technician Plus
> Class licensees should not be retained.
>
> Therefore, the FCC, in today’s action, afforded Technician and Technician
> Plus licensees identical operating privileges.
>
> Finally, today’s Order resolved a petition filed by the ARRL for partial
> reconsideration of an FCC Order released on October 10, 2006 (FCC 06-149).
> In this Order, the FCC authorized amateur stations to transmit voice
> communications on additional frequencies in certain amateur service bands,
> including the 75 meter (m) band, which is authorized only for certain
> wideband voice and image communications. The ARRL argued that the 75 m 
> band
> should not have been expanded below 3635 kHz, in order to protect
> automatically controlled digital stations operating in the 3620-3635 kHz
> portion of the 80 m band. The FCC concluded that these stations can be
> protected by providing alternate spectrum in the 3585-3600 kHz frequency
> segment.
>
> Action by the Commission on December 15, 2006, by Report and Order and 
> Order
> on Reconsideration. Chairman Martin and Commissioners Copps, Adelstein,
> Tate, and McDowell.
> For additional information, contact William Cross at (202) 418-0691 or
> William.Cross@xxxxxxxx
> WT Docket Nos. 04-140 and 05-235.
> – FCC –
> News and other information about the Federal Communications Commission is
> available at www.fcc.gov.
> Regards,
>
> Patrick Tice
> wa0tda@xxxxxxxx
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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