[OKDXA] FCC Rules Action

[Jeff Martin]

ARRL Hails FCC Action to Remove Symbol Rate Restrictions
11/13/2023
ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that earlier 
today, the FCC Commissioners unanimously voted to amend the Amateur 
Radio Service rules to replace the baud rate limit on the Amateur HF 
bands with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit to permit greater flexibility in 
data communications.

“The Federal Communications Commission today adopted new rules to 
incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by 
removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the 
flexibility to use modern digital emissions,” announced FCC.

“Specifically, we remove limitations on the symbol rate (also known as 
baud rate) -- the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, 
frequency, and/or phase is varied to transmit information -- applicable 
to data emissions in certain amateur bands,” concluded the FCC Report 
and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, adopted November 
13, 2023. “The amateur radio community can play a vital role in 
emergency response communications, but is often unnecessarily hindered 
by the baud rate limitations in the rules.”

Consistent with ARRL’s request, the amended rules will replace the 
current HF restrictions with a 2.8 kHz bandwidth limit. “We agree with 
ARRL that a 2.8 kilohertz bandwidth limitation will allow for additional 
emissions currently prohibited under the baud rate limitations while 
providing sufficient protections in the shared RTTY/data subbands,” 
concluded the FCC Report and Order.

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, hailed the FCC’s action to remove 
the symbol rate restrictions. Roderick stated that “this action will 
measurably facilitate the public service communications that amateurs 
step up to provide, especially at times of natural disasters and other 
emergencies such as during the hurricane season. Digital technology 
continues to evolve, and removing the outmoded data restrictions 
restores the incentive for radio amateurs to continue to experiment and 
develop more spectrum-efficient protocols and methods while the 2.8 kHz 
bandwidth limit will help protect the shared nature of our bands. We 
thank Congresswoman [Debbie] Lesko (AZ-08) for her efforts on behalf of 
all Amateurs to get these restrictions removed.”

In a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the FCC proposes to 
eliminate similar restrictions where they apply in other bands. “We 
propose to remove the baud rate limitation in the 2200 meter band and 
630 meter band … and in the very high frequency (VHF) bands and the 
ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands. Additionally, we seek comment on the 
appropriate bandwidth limitation for the 2200 meter band, the 630 meter 
band, and the VHF/UHF bands.” ARRL has previously expressed its support 
for eliminating the symbol rate limits in favor of bandwidth limits 
where they apply on the VHF and UHF bands but suggested that the 
bandwidth limits themselves be reviewed in light of today’s technology 
and tomorrow’s possibilities. Similarly, when eliminating the baud 
limits on the 2200 and 630-meter bands, consideration should be given to 
what, if any, bandwidth limits are appropriate.

The FCC will announce a period for public comment on the additional 
proposed changes based upon publication of the FNPRM in the Federal 
Register.