[Ham-News] FCC Orders Amateur Rule Changes

[ham-news at mailman.qth.net]

FCC Orders Amateur Rule Changes to Conform with WRC-03

NEWINGTON,  CT, Jan 19, 2006--The FCC has ordered 
several rule revisions to implement  changes 
agreed to at the international level during World  
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03). 
Acting Wireless  Telecommunications Bureau Chief 
Catherine W. Seidel signed the  
<http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-79A1.pdf>Order,  
released today. The changes affect §97.111, 
Authorized transmissions;  §97.113, Prohibited 
transmissions; §97.115, Third party 
communications,  and §97.117, International communications.

"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 said in its  
order. "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 rule changes will become  effective upon 
publication in The Federal Register. 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 
consideration of comments to rule changes it's  
proposed to §97.111(a)(2) in WT Docket 
04-140--the so-called "Omnibus"  proceeding that 
covers a wide range of rule changes and 
proposals. The  Commission has proposed amending 
that rule section 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 whose  government has not made 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  Radio Regulations.