[TWIAR] FCC Eliminates code requirement completely

[Greg Williams]

I apologize if you get more than one, but it's such big news I wanted to 
include everyone on my address list.
Greg

FCC MODIFIES AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE RULES, ELIMINATING MORSE CODE EXAM 
REQUIREMENTS AND ADDRESSING ARRL PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

Washington, D.C.  Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 
adopted a Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration (Order) that 
modifies the rules for the Amateur Radio Service by revising the 
examination requirements for obtaining a General Class or Amateur Extra 
Class amateur radio operator license and revising the operating 
privileges for Technician Class licensees.  In addition, the Order 
resolves a petition filed by the American Radio Relay League, Inc. 
(ARRL) for partial reconsideration of an FCC Order on amateur service 
rules released on October 10, 2006.

The current amateur service operator license structure contains three 
classes of amateur radio operator licenses:  Technician Class, General 
Class, and Amateur Extra Class.  General Class and Amateur Extra Class 
licensees are permitted to operate in Amateur bands below 30 MHz, while 
the introductory Technician Class licensees are only permitted to 
operate in bands above 30 MHz.  Prior to today's action, the FCC, in 
accordance with international radio regulations, required applicants for 
General Class and Amateur Extra Class operator licenses to pass a five 
words-per-minute Morse code examination.  Today's Order eliminates that 
requirement for General and Amateur Extra licensees.  This change 
reflects revisions to international radio regulations made at the 
International Telecommunication Union's 2003 World Radio Conference 
(WRC-03), which authorized each country to determine  whether to require 
that individuals demonstrate Morse code proficiency in order to qualify 
for an amateur radio license with transmitting privileges on frequencies 
below 30 MHz.  This change eliminates an unnecessary regulatory burden 
that may discourage current amateur radio operators from advancing their 
skills and participating more fully in the benefits of amateur radio.

Today's Order also revises the operating privileges for Technician Class 
licensees by eliminating a disparity in the operating privileges for the 
Technician Class and Technician Plus Class licensees. Technician Class 
licensees are authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies 
above 30 MHz.  The Technician Plus Class license, which is an operator 
license class that existed prior the FCC's simplification of the amateur 
license structure in 1999 and was grandfathered after that time, 
authorized operating privileges on all amateur frequencies above 30 MHz, 
as well as frequency segments in four HF bands (below 30 MHz) after the 
successful completion of a Morse code examination.  With today's 
elimination of the Morse code exam requirements, the FCC concluded that 
the disparity between the operating privileges of Technician Class 
licensees and Technician Plus Class licensees should not be retained.  
Therefore, the FCC, in today's action, afforded Technician and 
Technician Plus licensees identical operating privileges.

Finally, today's Order resolved a petition filed by the ARRL for partial 
reconsideration of an FCC Order released on October 10, 2006 (FCC 
06-149).  In this Order, the FCC authorized amateur stations to transmit 
voice communications on additional frequencies in certain amateur 
service bands, including the 75 meter (m) band, which is authorized only 
for certain wideband voice and image communications. The ARRL argued 
that the 75 m band should not have been expanded below 3635 kHz, in 
order to protect automatically controlled digital stations operating in 
the 3620-3635 kHz portion of the 80 m band.  The FCC concluded that 
these stations can be protected by providing alternate spectrum in the 
3585-3600 kHz frequency segment.

Action by the Commission on December 15, 2006, by Report and Order and 
Order on Reconsideration.  Chairman Martin and Commissioners Copps, 
Adelstein, Tate, and McDowell.

-- 
Greg Williams
K4HSM
k4hsm at knology.net

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