Responding to reports that Congress is unlikely to pass any telecommunications legislation this
term, including the Amateur Radio Parity Act (ARPA/S.1534) now pending before
the Senate Commerce Committee, the ARRL said in FCC comments that the
Commission must "take the action on its own initiative that would be
called for by this legislation." According to the ARRL Letter, the comments – in response to a public notice seeking
input on the communications industry's response to last year's hurricanes - noted
amateur radio's role in providing communications in Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands and said action is needed to require homeowners associations (HOAs)
to permit effective outdoor antennas. "It is critical," the League
noted, "to have stations located at one's residence in order to regularly
participate in disaster preparedness training exercises and drills."
Commenting separately in the same proceeding in response
to the ARRL filing, attorney Jim Talens, N3JT, who has written here and
elsewhere about his serious concerns that the language of S.1534 will make it
more difficult, not less, for hams to put up antennas in HOA-regulated areas,
warned that the FCC "should not be deceived by ARRL into believing that
moving forward on ARPA will help American emergency preparedness." Talens
called on the FCC to adopt rules and procedures for amateur antennas in
HOA-regulated areas that more closely parallel rules already in effect under
the FCC's Over the Air Reception Devices (OTARD) rule for TV antennas and
satellite dishes.
The full text of both comments may be found on the FCC's
Electronic Comment Filing System website under ET Docket number 17-344.
