The ARRL reports it was not successful
in its attempt to find common ground between proponents of Automatically
Controlled Digital Stations (ACDS) on HF – primarily users of the Winlink radio
e-mail protocol – and amateurs who want the frequencies available to those
stations limited to prevent possible interference. The FCC is currently
considering a Notice of Proposed Rule Making on the matter and the ARRL had
asked for a 2-month delay in the proceeding so it could try to find consensus
between the opposing viewpoints. A series of in-person meetings and
teleconferences followed, but despite reaching agreement on some of the issues,
neither group was willing to make a submission to the FCC based on their areas
of consensus.
According to the
ARRL Letter, League Washington Counsel
David Siddall, K3ZJ, both groups had an "all-or-nothing approach"
that precluded them from moving forward, even on areas in which they found
common ground. It will now be up to the FCC to sort it all out and make a decision.
