SB QST @ ARL $ARLB023
ARLB023 FCC Seeks to Change Amateur Radio Licensing Rules, Allow
Additional Emission Types

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QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 23  ARLB023
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  October 5, 2012
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB023
ARLB023 FCC Seeks to Change Amateur Radio Licensing Rules, Allow
Additional Emission Types

On October 2, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM) in WT Docket No. 12-121 that seeks to change the Amateur
Radio licensing rules, especially as they concern former licensees.
Acting upon an April 2011 Petition for Rulemaking filed by the
Anchorage VEC to give permanent credit to radio amateurs for
examination elements they have successfully passed, the FCC proposes
to revise Section 97.505 to require that Volunteer Examiners (VEs)
give examination credit to an applicant who can demonstrate that he
or she formerly held a particular class of license. In addition, the
Commission seeks to shorten the grace period during which an expired
amateur license may be renewed and to reduce the number of VEs
needed to administer an amateur license examination.

In response to a Petition for Rulemaking filed by the ARRL in March
2011, the FCC looks to amend the Amateur Service rules to allow
amateur stations to transmit additional emission types in order to
permit Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) in the Amateur Service.
But in doing so, it denied the League's request for a blanket waiver
pending the resolution of the rulemaking proceeding.

Comments on these proposed rules changes will be accepted until 60
days after the NPRM is published in the Federal Register (this can
take up to six weeks after release of the NPRM). Reply comments will
be accepted until 90 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Complete information can be found at,
http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-seeks-to-change-amateur-radio-licensing-rules-allow-additional-emission-types.
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