[Contest] FW: [CW] FCC ELIMINATING MORSE CODE EXAM REQUIREMENTS

[John Klim, N3KHK]

 FYI

 

SEE E-Mail below.

 

Mr. John R. Klim II

N3KHK

QSL VIA: BUR, LotW

ARRL LM-0008416263, AMSAT  LM-2187,  QRPARCI  #10392,  FISTS  # 5015,  MQFD
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10-X Life Member  # 68135,  Springbok Chapter  # 1874,  Chesapeake Bay
Chapter  # 549

 

-----Original Message-----

From: cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:cw-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of Ed Tanton

Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 8:45 PM

To: CW Reflector; noga; SEDXC Reflector

Subject: [CW] FCC ELIMINATING MORSE CODE EXAM REQUIREMENTS

 

Text straight from FCC's website...

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                   NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

December 15, 

2006 

Chelsea Fallon:  (202) 418-7991

 

FCC MODIFIES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE RULES,

ELIMINATING MORSE CODE EXAM REQUIREMENTS AND

ADDRESSING ARRL PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

 

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 at fcc.gov.

 

WT Docket Nos. 04-140 and 05-235.

 

- FCC -

 

News and other information about the Federal Communications Commission

is available at <http://www.fcc.gov/>www.fcc.gov.

 

 

Ed Tanton

 

website: http://www.n4xy.com

 

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