FCC Seeks Comment on Changes to Amateur Radio Service Rules

or “the rate at which the carrier waveform amplitude, frequency, and/or phase is varied to transmit information -- applicable to data emissions in certain amateur bands,” said an NPRM the FCC released Thursday. “We believe that this rule change will allow amateur service licensees to use modern digital emissions, thereby better fulfilling the purposes of the amateur service and enhancing its usefulness.” The baud rate limits were approved 36 years ago, the FCC said. ARRL argues the FCC should “remove all of the symbol rate limits, and add a bandwidth limitation for RTTY [radioteletype] and data emissions in the medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) bands (i.e., below 30 MHz) of 2.8 kilohertz,” the NPRM said. “We tentatively agree that a baud rate restriction has become unnecessary due to advances in modulation techniques, and no longer serves a useful purpose,” the FCC said. “Our rules do not impose a symbol rate limit on data emissions in any other amateur bands or in any other radio service.” The change also could promote experimentation, “innovation, more efficient use of the radio spectrum currently allocated to the amateur service, and the ability of the amateur service to support public safety efforts in the event of an emergency,” the FCC said. Comment deadlines will be set when the NPRM is published in the Federal Register.