[CW] FYI

[John Rippey]

I have submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission urging 
action without further delay on RM-10354 and RM-10413. RM-10354 is my 
petition, which has been pending for two years, that would broaden the HF 
privileges for entry-level licensees. It proposes more frequencies for CW, 
data and phone (17 and 12 meters). RM-10413, which has been pending for 18 
months, is the ARRL's "refarming" proposal which would give entry-level 
licensees quite a bit more frequency privileges for CW but does not 
specifically include data or phone.

FISTS failed to file comments on either one. Some FISTS members (and 
participants on this reflector) lambasted RM-10354, and may have done the 
same with RM-10413. (It appears that many of the commenters did not 
read/comprehend RM-10354, but that's another story.) Nevertheless, the time 
for FCC action is now, for two reasons: (1) the two petitions are easily 
reconciled and conflated, and (2) the ARRL's most recent submittal fully 
endorses the basic thrust of RM-10354 (without citing it) and specifically 
urges action on RM-10413. Thus, only scattered opposition remains.

Neither petition deals with the code/no-code issue or the content of the 
written examinations. Thus they provide an excellent opportunity for the 
FCC to move ahead with incentives for new radio amateurs while reserving 
consideration of the more contentious issues until later.

73,
John, W3ULS

73, John, W3ULS