[Elecraft] code test abolished - cross post from cw ml

[Craig Rairdin]

> Therefore, the FCC, in today's action, afforded 
> Technician and Technician Plus licensees 
> identical operating privileges.

Yes, but which priviledges?

Craig
NZ0R

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Ward Willats
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 8:29 PM
To: Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] code test abolished - cross post from cw ml


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.



http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-269012A1.pdf





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