[BCVHFA] ARLB008 FCC WRC-03 amateur rule changes now in effect

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ARLB008 FCC WRC-03 amateur rule changes now in effect

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ARRL Bulletin 8  ARLB008
 From ARRL Headquarters  Newington CT  May 3, 2006
To all radio amateurs

SB QST ARL ARLB008
ARLB008 FCC WRC-03 amateur rule changes now in effect

Several FCC Part 97 Amateur Radio rule revisions to implement changes 
agreed to at the international level during World Radiocommunication 
Conference 2003 (WRC-03) now are in effect. The FCC Order, released 
in January, affects 97.111, Authorized transmissions; 97.113, 
Prohibited transmissions; 97.115, Third party communications, and 
97.117, International communications. The Federal Register published 
the changes May 3.

''These amendments will ensure that the Commission's Amateur Radio 
Service rules conform to Article 25 of the international Radio 
Regulations adopted at the 2003 World Radiocommunication Conference, 
and will further the Commission's ongoing efforts to streamline its 
Amateur Service Rules,'' the FCC Order said. ''The overall effect of 
this action is to update the Part 97 Amateur Radio Service rules in 
the Code of Federal  Regulations to conform to now-effective 
international agreements.''

The FCC Order revises:

* 97.111(a)(1) to permit ''transmissions necessary to exchange 
messages with other stations in the Amateur Service, except those in 
any country whose administration has notified the ITU that it objects 
to such communications. The FCC will issue public notices of current 
arrangements for international  communications.'' The old language 
permitted communication among amateur stations in different countries 
''except those in any country whose administration has given notice 
that it objects to such communications.'' The FCC said the change 
does not prejudice its proposal to amend 97.111(a)(2) to clarify that 
amateur stations may, at all times and on all authorized channels, 
transmit communications necessary to meet essential needs and to 
facilitate relief actions.

* 97.115(a)(2) to facilitate the transmission of international 
communications on behalf of third parties in emergency or 
disaster-relief situations, whether or not a third-party agreement is 
in place between the US and the countries involved. The revision now 
permits communication with any non-US station ''when transmitting 
emergency or disaster relief communications'' as well as with any 
non-US station ''whose administration has made arrangements with the 
United States to allow amateur stations to be used for transmitting 
international communications on behalf of third parties.'' The 
revised rule further provides that no station may transmit 
third-party traffic other than emergency or disaster relief 
communications to a station in a country lacking a third-party 
arrangement. Still excepted from the prohibition is any third party 
eligible to be the control operator of an amateur station.

* 97.113(a)(4) to prohibit amateur stations exchanging messages with 
amateur stations in other countries from making transmissions that 
are encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except for 
control signals exchanged between Earth command stations and space 
stations in the Amateur-Satellite service, something Part 97 already 
provides for. The old rule referred to the use of ''codes and 
ciphers.'' The same rule also already prohibits transmitting music, 
communications intended to facilitate a criminal act, obscene or 
indecent words or language and false or deceptive messages, signals 
or identification.

* 97.117 to state that amateur stations may transmit communications 
incidental to the purposes of the Amateur Service and to remarks of a 
personal character.

The FCC also revised 97.3 and 97.309 to update the definition of 
International Morse code and of various digital codes in the amateur 
rules to reflect changes in the international Radio Regulations.
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