[SFDXA] FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit PACTOR 4 for Emergency Communications

[Bill]

/From Tony N2MFT:/


    FCC Grants Temporary Waiver to Permit PACTOR 4 for Emergency
    Communications

08/27/2020

The FCC has granted an ARRL request for a 30-day waiver to facilitate 
relief communications in the wake of Hurricane Laura. The waiver 
temporarily permits amateur data transmissions at a higher symbol rate 
than currently permitted under the FCC’s rules. ARRL pointed out in its 
request that Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members would be 
working with federal, state, and local emergency management officials to 
assist with disaster relief and may use radio modems capable of both 
PACTOR 3 and PACTOR 4 emissions. The higher data rates PACTOR 4 offers 
are critical to sending hurricane relief communications, including lists 
of needed and distributed supplies.

Section 97.307(f) limits the symbol rate — also known as the baud rate — 
for HF amateur radioteletype (RTTY) and data transmissions to 300 bauds 
for frequencies below 28 MHz (except on 60 meters), and 1200 bauds in 
the 10 meter band. “The digital code used to encode the signal being 
transmitted must be one of the codes specified in section 97.309(a) of 
the Commission’s rules, but an amateur station transmitting a RTTY or 
data emission using one of the specified digital codes may use any 
technique whose technical characteristics have been publicly documented, 
such as CLOVER, G-TOR, or PACTOR,” the FCC pointed out in granting the 
request.

In 2016, in response to an ARRL petition for rulemaking, the Commission 
proposed to remove the symbol rate limitations, which it tentatively 
concluded had become unnecessary due to advances in modulation 
techniques and no longer served a useful purpose. That proceeding, WT 
Docket 16-239, is still pending.

ARRL sought the waiver for radio amateurs directly involved with 
hurricane relief on HF using PACTOR 4. PACTOR 4 permits relatively 
high-speed data transmission, and the FCC has granted temporary waivers 
in the past to permit the use of this protocol in similar events.

“ARRL stands ready to assist the area potentially impacted by Hurricane 
Laura to conduct disaster relief communications,” the FCC said. “We 
conclude that granting the requested waiver is in the public interest. 
Hurricane Laura has the potential to cause massive destruction states 
along the Gulf of Mexico, and communications services will likely be 
disrupted.”

The waiver is limited to PACTOR 3 and PACTOR 4 transmissions directly 
involved with HF hurricane relief communications.


http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-grants-temporary-waiver-to-permit-pactor-4-for-emergency-communications