As Joel said, things must have happened very quickly late today at the FCC. I got back to the hotel room and found the breaking news on email just a couple of minutes before he did.
 
I've registered a couple of minor quibbles with Rick Lindquist about the wording of the Web story, but I'm glad he was able to get a story up so quickly on a Friday night.
 
The Public Notice is rather peculiarly worded, but it would appear that in addition to CW privileges on portions of 80, 40, and 15 meters, all Technicians also will have RTTY/data/CW privileges on that part of 10 meters. (Stripping all Technicians of their HF privileges also would be consistent with the wording of the Public Notice, but it's hard to imagine even this FCC doing that.)
 
Moving the automatic control subband to 3585-3600 kHz as the way to address our reconsideration petition exacerbates the situation below 3600, although it's consistent with the just-revised band plan. It strikes both Chris and me that there is nothing whatever in the record in 04-140 to support it, but this may only matter to those of who still harbor the quaint notion that the Administrative Procedure Act has some relevance in administrative law.
 
73,
Dave K1ZZ

From: Joel Harrison [mailto:w5zn@arrl.org]
Sent: Sat 12/16/2006 3:09 AM
To: arrl-odv
Subject: RE: [arrl-odv:14935] FCC Dumps Morse Code License Requirements & Turns Down Reconsideration Petition

As you already know, Kay, Rick, Dave, Chris and I have been in D.C. the past
two days for various meetings.

I'm quite pleased to finally see 05-235 being acted upon. That is good news.
It was out last remaining objective for 2006.

Early this morning, Chris received a call from Scott Stone at FCC. Scott
advised Chris that they were thinking about acting on our petition for recon
by simply moving the automated segment down below 3600 KHz. Chris explained
how that would further complicate the situation created by the extensive 80
meter phone band expansion.

Later today, Chris had a discussion with John Branscomb in Commissioner
Copps office, who called Chris to discuss 05-235 and also mentioned the
intent with regard to the automated sub-band. Chris again expressed the
further complication this would cause.

It appears that is what will happen. I'm not pleased with it but until we
can see if that is exactly what will happen we need to sit tight.

For the time being, though, the forthcoming release of 05-235 is pleasing.
In a quick read, it seems they may also be granting HF CW privileges that
currently exist for Tech Plus to Technician Class licensees.

More later as info becomes available. Things moved extremely fast very late
today.

73 Joel W5ZN
Washington D.C.






-----Original Message-----
From: dick@pobox.com [mailto:dick@pobox.com]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 8:07 PM
To: arrl-odv
Cc: w3kd@aol.com; dsumner@arrl.org
Subject: [arrl-odv:14935] FCC Dumps Morse Code License Requirements & Turns
Down Reconsideration Petition
Importance: High

15 DEC 2006 - 2000 CST

Late today, the FCC issued its R&O on WT 05-235 (elimination of Morse
Code licensing requirements and turned down our Petition for Partial
Reconsideration of WT 04-140.  The R&O is on the FCC web site at:

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-269012A1.pdf

- Dick Isely, W9GIG