The ARRL board directed General Counsel Chris Imlay, W3KD, at its July meeting to prepare a Petition for Rule Making with the goal of eliminating the "symbol rate" restrictions on amateur HF digital communications.
Currently, FCC rules limit HF symbol rates - the number of
times per second that a change of state occurs, according to ARRL CEO Dave
Sumner, K1ZZ - to either 300 or 1200 bauds. New digital modes that use higher
symbol rates within standard RTTY and SSB bandwidths of 2.8 kHz are being
stymied by the rules, the League says, so it will petition the FCC to change
the rules to "encourage both flexibility and efficiency in the employment
of digital emissions by amateur stations."
