[NLRS] Morse on The Move out...? Looks like it now...

[Scott L.]

Not to start an argument, but for those that havent already read it i =
thought they might like to.  Just in case im putting on my flame proof =
vest, HI HI!

73,

Scott, KB0NLY


No Morse Code Controversy at WRC-03
NEWINGTON, CT, Jun 24, 2003--Whatever else happens at World =
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03), there's no mystery about =
the delegates' direction regarding the Morse code requirement. Morse =
code proficiency will disappear as a treaty obligation for =
high-frequency access when the International Telecommunication Union =
(ITU)-sponsored gathering under way in Geneva concludes early next =
month.=20

"One matter on which there appears to be no disagreement is the Morse =
requirement," said International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Secretary =
(and ARRL CEO) David Sumner, K1ZZ, in a report on the second week of =
activity at WRC-03. "It is clear that the outcome will be to leave it to =
administrations' discretion whether or not to have a Morse receiving and =
sending requirement. No administration participating in the sub-working =
group spoke in favor of retaining the Morse code treaty requirement."=20

Sumner reports that the wording to modify Article 25.5 of the =
international Radio Regulations on June 24 cleared Working Group 4C, =
which is dealing with this and other proposals relating to Article 25. =
It says, "Administrations shall determine whether or not a person =
seeking a license to operate an amateur station shall prove the ability =
to send and receive texts in Morse code signals."=20

Sumner said it's possible but unlikely that the text would be tinkered =
with further at the committee level or even in the Plenary, which =
considers items for adoption. Sumner said delegates continue to wrangle =
over other aspects of Article 25, which defines Amateur Radio operation. =


Adoption of the Article 25.5 modification would not mean the immediate =
disappearance of the Morse requirement to operate on the amateur bands =
below 30 MHz. Each administration, including the FCC if it chooses to do =
so, would decide whether to drop the requirement from its domestic =
regulations. Some countries have indicated a desire to retain a Morse =
code requirement, even though it would no longer be an international =
treaty obligation.=20

At this point in WRC-03, which began June 9 at the Geneva International =
Conference Center adjacent to ITU Headquarters, work on the various =
telecommunications topics has progressed on the microscopic level in =
sub-working groups, which this week are funneling their reports to =
larger working groups assigned to tackle various pieces of the huge =
WRC-03 agenda. More than 2600 delegates and other participants are =
attending the four-week conference, chaired by Dr Veena Rawat of Canada. =
For WRC-03, the IARU has fielded its largest team of observers at an ITU =
conference in more than a decade.=20

There's less consensus on efforts to secure a "harmonized" 300-kHz-wide =
amateur allocation at 7 MHz. Assigned to Sub-Working Group 4C1, Sumner =
said initial discussions "were spirited and reflected sharp differences =
of opinion" between those advocating realignment and those favoring no =
change out of deference to the disruption that any realignment would =
cause broadcasting services now occupying 7.1 to 7.3 MHz in Regions 1 =
and 3, and the fixed services above 7.3 MHz that would be affected by an =
upward shift in broadcasting. Amateurs in the US and the rest of Region =
2 enjoy a 300-kHz allocation from 7.0 to 7.3 MHz, but hams in the rest =
of the world, Regions 1 and 3, have only 7.0 to 7.1 MHz.=20


Sumner says a drafting group that "distilled the disparate views" =
emerged with four alternatives, some of which pose potentially lengthy =
waits to complete the harmonization process. "The largest group favored =
realignment in two stages," he explained. That group included the US, =
CEPT, CITEL and the African Telecommunications Union. The two steps =
would expand the band in Regions 1 and 3 by 100 kHz in 2007 and add the =
remaining 100 kHz in 2015. However, other sticky details remained to be =
worked out among the proponents of this general approach.=20

A second group--Australia, India and a regional group that includes the =
Russian Federation--offered a more modest realignment, with another 50 =
kHz for amateurs in Regions 1 and 3 in 2018 and another 50 kHz not =
phasing in until 2033. "A 30-year implementation period seemed rather =
excessive to nearly everyone," Sumner said, "and some members of the =
group indicated a willingness to negotiate a shorter period."=20

Japan and Korea held to their proposal for an additional 100 kHz for =
amateurs in Regions 1 and 3 in one stage in 2015, while the Arab group =
and Iran, along with a number of other administrations, insisted on no =
change to the current situation.=20

"We still have a long way to go and little time to get there," Sumner =
said. After further distilling, the sub-working group today passed three =
options up to Working Group 4C this week. If agreement cannot be reached =
at the Working Group level by Friday, the issue will be passed to =
Committee 4 and ultimately to the Plenary. Sumner has emphasized that =
despite agreements on the working group level, ultimate decisions happen =
in the Plenary, where items need to pass two readings for adoption. =
Major agenda items are not expected to come before the Plenary until the =
final week of the conference.=20

In other Amateur Radio-related items, revisions to Article 19 of the =
Radio Regulations to provide more flexibility for administrations to =
assign amateur call signs were among the first to make their way through =
an initial reading in the Plenary. Administrations would be able to =
assign amateur stations call signs with suffixes containing up to four =
characters--the last of which would be a letter. The prefix would be the =
national identifier and a single numeral (the "call district" in some =
countries) specified in the Radio Regulations. For special events, the =
revision provides for even more than four characters for temporary use.=20

The issue of an allocation for satellite-borne synthetic aperture radars =
(SARs) in the 70-cm band (432-438 MHz) also appears well on the way to =
resolution. "While it appears very likely that there will be an =
allocation, it will be secondary," Sumner's report explains. It also =
will be subject to limitations spelled out in an ITU Recommendation =
(ITU-R SA.1260-1), designed to protect the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite =
services, among others. "The IARU has maintained its opposition, but the =
tide is running against us," Sumner said, adding that if the allocation =
is secondary and the limits in SA.1260-1 are mandatory, the interference =
potential should not be that great.=20

Two other agenda items with a potential to have significant impact are =
the drafting of an agenda for the next WRC, scheduled for 2007 and the =
revision of footnotes to the Table of Frequency Allocations. A member of =
the IARU core team has been assigned to follow each of these five items, =
but the greatest focus is on 7 MHz, Sumner said.


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