Bush Orders Review of Radio Airwaves Use

[AC7RI]

From Newsday at http://www.newsday.com/news....adlines (http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-airwaves,0,4420088.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines)

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Bush Orders Review of Radio Airwaves Use

By DAVID HO
Associated Press Writer

June 5, 2003, 6:45 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- President Bush ordered a broad review Thursday of how government and industry can better use radio airwaves, which are growing congested by signals from cell phones, wireless gadgets and the military.

Bush directed the Commerce Department to lead the yearlong initiative and produce recommendations for legislation and other policy changes to promote more efficient use of airwaves.

The radio spectrum is a &quot;vital and limited national resource&quot; needed for economic growth, scientific research and homeland security, Bush said.

&quot;The existing legal and policy framework for spectrum management has not kept pace with the dramatic changes in technology,&quot; Bush said in a memo to federal agencies. &quot;We must unlock the economic value and entrepreneurial potential of U.S. spectrum assets while ensuring that sufficient spectrum is available to support critical government functions.&quot;

Bush said the way government now reviews every change in airwaves use is &quot;a process that is often slow and inflexible and can discourage the introduction of new technology.&quot;
[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
(snip for copyright)

Sounds like a good time to write your congressperson in regards to the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act.

[ai4ep]

well there goes the 11 meter band...first on the list !!

[kd5rpo]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">well there goes the 11 meter band...first on the list !![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

Sounds nice but I am sure the large trucking companies will lobby congress claiming that CB is a very important part in trucking safety and needed to insure that military and civilian good can be safely transported.

Who do we have on our side? Japanese radio companies?


KD5RPO

[kd5kfl]

But I was assured years ago that fiber optics and lasers would free up many mHz of the radio spectrum, and radio was headed for extinction.

Guy that told me that was also a Y2K authority, doom-and-gloom division.

[KA8NCR]

&quot;The existing legal and policy framework for spectrum management has not kept pace with the dramatic changes in technology,&quot; Bush said in a memo to federal agencies. &quot;We must unlock the economic value and entrepreneurial potential of U.S. spectrum assets while ensuring that sufficient spectrum is available to support critical government functions.&quot;


I ran this through the political translator, and it spit back &quot;we must analyze who uses the spectrum and determine which services we can kill and re-auction their frequencies, and which fixed services that can not be moved that we can tax.&quot;

I find it interesting that we're getting into the &quot;entrepreneural&quot; spirit here. Unfortunately, every time the helping hand of government has tried to give frequencies to those who might develop services (MMDS television licences come to mind), large telco and big business interests either soaked 'em up or immediately purchased those authorized to use the frequencies.

[N0WVA]

The way that statement was written, it sounded like the goverment claims the entire spectrum as thiers. I didnt read about any benefits for the public whatsoever. Doesnt really suprise me tho. I guess nothing really belongs to us American citizens. In one way or another, we are just renting it from unkle scam.

[kd5icr]

Here you go read this:

PRESIDENT HAYNIE TO TESTIFY FOR AMATEUR RADIO SPECTRUM PROTECTION ACT

ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP, will testify June 11 before the House
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Haynie will speak on
behalf of the Spectrum Protection Act 2003, HR 713, at the request of the
bill's sponsor, Rep Michael Bilirakis (R-FL). The measure would require
the FCC to provide &quot;equivalent replacement spectrum&quot; to Amateur Radio in
the event the Commission reallocates amateur spectrum.

&quot;Amateur Radio has been in the forefront of technological innovation since
the advent of wireless,&quot; Haynie said this week. &quot;It's in the best
interests of our nation that ham radio has spectrum to operate. At some
point in time, if we continue to lose spectrum, where is the spectrum
going to come from to enable continued experimentation and innovation? Or
for emergency communications?&quot;

Haynie this week received his formal invitation to appear before the
subcommittee. He'll get about 10 minutes to address the lawmakers. The 11
AM hearing at which Haynie will testify--&quot;The Spectrum Needs of Our
Nation's First Responders&quot;--will convene to address public safety spectrum
needs. Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) agreed earlier this year
with a request from Bilirakis to include an opportunity for a member of
the Amateur Radio community to testify. Upton also told Bilirakis that he
shares his interest in protecting Amateur Radio. The panel is a
subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee chaired by Rep
Billy Tauzin (R-LA).

Haynie says he's looking forward to the opportunity to state the League's
case. Upton's willingness to hear testimony on the bill is considered
critical to enhancing the measure's credibility, and it marks a major step
toward getting HR 713 through Congress this year.

The Senate version of the Amateur Radio Spectrum Protection Act, S
537--introduced by Michael Crapo (R-ID)--got a boost earlier this year
when Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Conrad Burns (R-MT)--the
expected architect of the Senate's spectrum management legislation--signed
on as a cosponsor. Burns' support suggests that the measure now has his
attention and could convince others to follow suit, although that hasn't
happened yet.

The Spectrum Protection Act would amend the Communications Act to require
the FCC to provide &quot;equivalent replacement spectrum&quot; to Amateur Radio and
the Amateur-Satellite Service in the event of a reallocation of primary
amateur allocations, any reduction in secondary amateur allocations, or
&quot;additional allocations within such bands&quot; that would substantially reduce
their utility to amateurs. The bills point out Amateur Radio's volunteer
role in providing emergency communication during disasters and
emergencies.

HR 713 has attracted 31 cosponsors while S 537 has three so far. Haynie
continues to encourage ARRL members to urge their senators and
representatives and to sign on as cosponsors. Cosponsorhip lends support
to legislation while it's in committee. &quot;Letters and e-mails are the key
to getting legislation passed,&quot; Haynie says. A sample letter is available
on the ARRL Web site &lt;http://www.arrl.org/govrelations/arspa.html&gt;. Those
writing their lawmakers are asked to copy their correspondence to the
League via e-mail &lt;specbill03@arrl.org&gt;.

The text of HR 713 and S 537 is available via the Thomas Web site
&lt;http://thomas.loc.gov/&gt;.

Thanks go to the ARRL as this belongs to them
73
KD5ICR (aka) Bill

[KD5UJZ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0WVA @ June 06 2003,14:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The way that statement was written, it sounded like the goverment claims the entire spectrum as thiers. I didnt read about any benefits for the public whatsoever. Doesnt really suprise me tho. I guess nothing really belongs to us American citizens. In one way or another, we are just renting it from unkle scam.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
He is ,umm, liberating the frequency spectrum. Yeah thats it. Freedom frequencies for everyone!!

[w9gb]

My day job has now met the hobby .. hmmm.
Initial &quot;unofficial&quot; analysis is that all spectrum users should be prepared to &quot;rent&quot; or &quot;lease&quot; frequencies.

The comparison I have heard is:
&quot;its just like renting office space or an automobile&quot;

Hang on, Pandora's box has just been open ..... because someone wanted to see what is inside.

gb

[AA7EJ7]

The only frequencies we actually need is 14200 + 50 kHz so we can say to the &quot;rare&quot; dx working on 14195 &quot; 59 and what is your callsign and your QSL manager?&quot;.
73 Vaclav AA7EJ

[ei5ja]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N0WVA @ June 06 2003,14:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">was written, it sounded like the goverment claims the enThe way that statement tire spectrum as their's. Doesnt really suprise me tho. I guess nothing really belongs to us American citizens. In one way or another, we are just renting it from unkle scam.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
What about the rest of us out here in range of all hf freqs. The frequencies belong to the amateur community worldwide. Neither Bush nor his minions can abbrogate to themselves the taking or bartering of radio frequencies without the active collusion of the rest of the world's government. So I think we can say that the frequencies are safe for a while yet.
73s
Ed. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[N0WVA]

The truth of the matter is in a free world, if I wanted to build a transmitter and start broadcasting, I should be able to do so, without spending meagabucks for a license. The FCC should only be used to allocate frequencies and make sure everyone stays where they are supposed to. The Idea of our spectrum being unobtainable by you and me is just plain attrocious. The more I think about it, the more it looks like our goverment is actually trying to kill off ham radio because its one of the last places a person can state their opinion on the airwaves.

[KB1GYQ]

&quot;Freedom&quot; is an illusion.