04/01/2019

The FCC has placed three Amateur Radio-related Petitions for Rule Making (PRMs) on public notice and has invited comments.

Jerry Oxendine, K4KWH, of Gastonia, North Carolina, wants the FCC to clarify that state and localities should have no authority to regulate Amateur Radio with respect to enacting "distracted driving" statutes. In his Petition for Rule Making, now designated as RM-11833[1], Oxendine contends that such statutes violate FCC rules on scope and operation of equipment by licensees; violate the intent of the FCC and Congress with respect to Amateur Radio's role in disasters, and hinders emergency operations using mobile equipment.

"There is no evidence that the operation of two-way radio has but an insignificant impact on 'distracted driving,'" Oxendine stated.

Such distracted driving statutes usurp the authority of the FCC to regulate Amateur Radio, as well as Citizens Band and Part 90 Land Mobile Service users, Oxendine said in his Petition.

Edward C. Borghi, KB2E, of Farmington, New York, has submitted a Petition, now designated as RM-11834[2], that would prohibit applicants from requesting a vanity call sign outside their call sign district. Exceptions would be made for call signs applied for under rules governing call signs previously held by family members.

"In some more populous areas, there are few of the most desirable vanity calls signs available - the 2 and 6 regions for example," Borghi said. "I see no reason for a licensee to have to compete with out-of-area people for the few 1 x 2 or 2 x 1 or catchy 2 x 3 call signs available in their area of residence," Borghi told the FCC.

Jeffrey Bail, NT1K, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, has submitted a very similar Petition, now designated as RM-11835[3], asking that the FCC give residential preference in competing applications to applicants whose listed FCC address is within the same district/region as the applied call sign. He cites limited availability and increased demand for 1 x 2 and 2 x 1 call signs.

"There are many times a call sign has been awarded to an individual/club who resides outside of the call sign district when there are other people who applied for the same call sign that reside within the district," he said in his brief petition.


[1] https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10329888625819/RM-11833.pdf
[2] https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10719800320721/FCC%20rules%20change%20vanity%20call.docx
[3] https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1092512801279/FCCVanityPetition.pdf

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