Friday, October 11, 2019

FCC Says No to Three Hams' Petitions

The FCC has turned down three petitions for rule making filed by hams. According to the ARRL, two of them asked the Commission to limit vanity call options to those available in the call area in which the applicant lives. The third sought FCC pre-emption of state and local distracted driving laws as they apply to using amateur radio transceivers while driving.

On the call sign petitions, the FCC said it has considered the matter more than once in the past and continues to see no real problem that would justify regulatory changes. Regarding distracted driving laws, the Commission said it sees no conflict between those laws and its rules, and that a driver "can comply with these laws by using a hands-free attachment or by parking the vehicle prior to using a handheld device, both of which are contemplated by our rules regarding two-way radios.”