Morse requirement, license restructuring remain on FCC's radar

The ARRL does not anticipate the FCC will offer up any proposals on the Morse requirement and further restructuring of the Amateur Radio licensing system until sometime in mid-2005, possibly sooner.

The FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau continues to review thousands of comments it received on 18 petitions for rule making - including one from the ARRL.

The various petitions called for eliminating or altering the Morse code requirement and changing other sections of the Amateur Service Part 97 rules, including further restructuring of the amateur licensing system.

In addition to agreeing on other changes affecting Amateur Radio, World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03), left the choice to require Morse proficiency for HF access up to individual countries, and several already have dropped Morse code as an examination requirement. That has not yet happened in the US.

Before the FCC adopts any changes in the Morse requirement and the license structure, it must complete its comment review, issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) reflecting its interpretation of consensus within the
amateur community based on comments received and invite further comments on the NPRM. The FCC then will review those comments before issuing a Report and Order that spells out any final rules. The ARRL does not anticipate any changes in the Morse requirement or in other Amateur Radio
licensing requirements before 2006, possibly later.

While this rule making process is under way, no changes have been made in the Amateur Radio Service rules. The 5 WPM Morse code requirement (Element 1) to gain HF privileges in the US remains in place, and no proposed
automatic upgrades or other rule changes have been put into effect. The ARRL has posted answers to frequently asked questions on its own restructuring proposals.

Source: ARRL Letter - courtesy of The American Radio Relay League

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