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 Previous: Nevada Governor Signs Amateur Antenna Bill |  Next: Amateur Radio Club of the Ozarks -- ARCO |
NEWINGTON, CT, May 24, 2001--The FCC says the ball is in the court of the Amateur Service to determine the course of future Amateur Radio regulation. Speaking at the Dayton Hamvention FCC forum, Bill Cross, W3TN, of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, said that the days of Commission-imposed regulation are past.
"Detailed regulation of the nitty gritty of communication services, including the Amateur Service, is not in the picture," Cross said. "Rather, the FCC is shifting to strong and effective enforcement of truly necessary regulations." The FCC, he said, now plans to look to the amateur community to reach consensus on any new regulations it thinks it wants and needs.
"I hope that those of you who are thinking about asking us to carve up a band by fiat will think again," he told the packed forum. "You really are asking us to tie your hands regarding your use of your spectrum."
The net effect, Cross said, would be to ask the federal government to put the specific operating interests of certain licensees or groups of licensees, ahead of other licensees. "You really should think hard as to whether you want or need federal rules 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to apply everywhere the FCC regulates communications," he said. Cross noted that, in any event, US regulations do not apply to operators in other countries.
 The FCC's Bill Cross answers a question from the audience as FCC Special Counsel for Amateur Radio Enforcement Riley Hollingsworth listens. Hollingsworth also addressed the FCC forum at Dayton. [ARRL Photo] |
Cross said that before the FCC initiates any rulemaking proceedings in the Amateur Service to change privileges it wants to see proposals involving the implementation of "new and more modern communications technologies," such as digital. In addition, he said, any future proposal "must include all licensees, and it must include all bands," and--most important--the amateur community must reach a consensus on the topic.
"What we don't want--and we don't have the resources to do--is multiple proceedings that address piecemeal changes in operating privileges for only certain classes of licensees or certain bands," Cross declared. "You, collectively, need to reach agreement on how you want to use your spectrum."
Cross said hams would not want him to recommend to the FCC what their operating privileges should be, but he'll do it if he has to.
"If you force me to recommend a band plan to be imposed on you, I can and will. I assure you, you will not like it, and it will not meet your needs."
Cross said he expected the issue of restructuring operator privileges to come up "in a couple of years" at the outside. "Changes in operating privileges for the different classes of operator licenses are inevitable," he said.
| Previous: Nevada Governor Signs Amateur Antenna Bill | Next: Amateur Radio Club of the Ozarks -- ARCO |
