‰ NOW 13 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JUNE 2015 QST PAGE 9 ‰ SHOW MORE INTENSE USAGE OF THE FREQUENCIES ALLOCATED TO US, SOME OF WHICH MAY BE UNDER THREAT FROM EVER EXPANDING COMMERCIAL AND CONSUMER SERVICES SEEKING TO EXPAND THEIR SHARE OF SPECTRUM. INCREASED ACTIVITY ALSO SIGNALS HIGHER POTENTIAL DEMAND FOR NEW PRODUCT TO MANUFACTURERS OF AMATEUR RADIO EQUIPMENT. THE ARRL VHF UHF MICROWAVE CONTEST PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO HELP FOSTER THE FOREGOING BENEFITS AND, ACCORDINGLY, SEEKS TO 1. INCREASE THE LEVEL AND BREADTH OF PARTICIPATION IN ARRL VHF AND UP CONTESTS AND 2. ƒ QST DE W1AW ‰ ENCOURAGE THE UTILIZATION OF OUR LESS USED AMATEUR RADIO BANDS. WITH THOSE OBJECTIVES IN MIND, THE MAIN THRUST OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEES INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS WAS TO ELIMINATE RULES THAT PREVENT CONTEST PARTICIPANTS FROM PUBLICIZING THEIR AVAILABILITY FOR CONTACTS AND USING VARIOUS WAYS TO FIND OUT WHO ELSE IS AVAILABLE. COMMENTS RECEIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSALS WERE SUPPORTIVE, SO IN JANUARY 2015 THE PSC ENDORSED THE AD HOC ‰ END OF 13 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ