No subject

Newington CT June 25, 2013
To all radio amateurs=20

SB QST ARL ARLB015
ARLB015 Rules Change Sought to Permit Encryption of Sensitive Emergency =
Communications

The FCC is inviting public comments on a proposal from a Massachusetts =
ham to amend the Part 97 Amateur Service rules to permit the encryption =
of certain amateur communications during emergency operations or related =
training exercises. On June 7 the FCC accepted for filing a Petition for =
Rulemaking (RM-11699) from Don Rolph, AB1PH, and put it on public =
notice. It will remain open for comment until July 8. The petition for =
rulemaking can be found online at =
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=3D7022424684.

Rolph, of E Walpole, petitioned the Commission in March to suggest an =
additional exception to Part 97.113, which currently prohibits "messages =
encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning."

"As such, encryption cannot be effectively supported by the Amateur =
Service," Rolph told the FCC in his PRM, "and this restriction has =
impacted the relationship of Amateur Radio volunteers and served =
agencies and significantly limited the effectiveness of amateurs in =
supporting emergency communications." He pointed out that Part 97 =
already relaxes its encryption prohibitions with respect to satellite =
control link communications and model craft radio control.

Rolph cited rules already in place in Australia as a possible model for =
amending the rules in the US. The Australian Amateur Radio rules provide =
an exception for "intercommunications when participating in emergency =
services operations or related training exercises." He suggested =
modifying Part 97 "to capture the intent of the Australian regulations" =
to relieve what he called "this impediment of Amateur Radio support of =
emergency communications."=20

In his petition Rolph suggested excepting "intercommunications when =
participating in emergency services operations or related training =
exercises which may involve information covered by HIPAA or other =
sensitive data, such as logistical information concerning medical =
supplies, personnel movement, other relief supplies or any other data =
designated by Federal authorities managing relief or training efforts."

Commenters may use the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) to =
comment on RM-11699 online at
http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/display?z=3Dokdw6.
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