Friday, April 12, 2019

Comments Sought on Several Amateur Petitions

In addition to the two licensing proposals outlined above, the FCC in late March and early April requested input on several other amateur-related petitions. 

One would require that digital modes used on the amateur bands be limited to those "whose technical characteristics have been documented publicly" and "can be monitored in [their] entirety by third parties with freely available, open-source software." A second petition asks the FCC to clarify that state and localities should have no authority to regulate amateur radio with respect to enacting "distracted driving" statutes. Two others seek to limit vanity call sign assignments – one would permit people to request vanity calls only in their "home" call area and the other would give preference to applicants living in the call area requested.