[QCWA] FCC Rule Changes

[Radioguy]

FCC WRC-03 Amateur Rule Changes Now in Effect

NEWINGTON, CT, May 3, 2006--Several FCC Part 97 
Amateur Radio rule revisions to implement changes 
agreed to at the international level during World 
Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) now 
are in effect. The FCC Order, released in 
January, affects §97.111, Authorized 
transmissions; §97.113, Prohibited transmissions; 
§97.115, Third party communications, and §97.117, 
International communications. The Federal 
Register published the changes May 3.

"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 Order said. 
"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 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.

According to the FCC, the WRC-03 Final Acts 
revised the international regulations that apply 
to the Amateur and the Amateur Satellite services 
and became effective July 5, 2003. The Part 97 
revisions that become effective this week now 
bring the FCC's Amateur Service rules into 
conformance with the international Radio Regulations.

(ARRL Web)