My comments on FCC-10-189A1 (WT 09-209)
Para 34 says:
34.
Decision.
We
decline to make additional call signs available to the sequential call
sign
system. As noted above, millions of call signs are presently available to
amateur stations. We believe,
therefore, that a sufficient number of call signs is available for an
amateur service licensee to obtain a
vanity call sign that is acceptable to him or her. Additionally, we note
that ARRL's requests would not
substantially increase the availability of call signs of the format,
i.e.,
one-by-two call signs
(i.e.
, call
signs
consisting of one
letter, followed by a numeral, followed by two letters), that experience
has shown to be
most desired by amateur radio operators.
This is a flawed response by the FCC. There are no other ways to
make more 1x2 callsigns available. We should document how many 1x2
callsigns are held by non-USA residents. It will only grow over
time. At some point it will matter to more people. We
should not underestimate the impact. Yes, it sounds xenophobic but
it isn't, unless we really want the USA to be the defacto licensing and
callsign authority for the world, and if we are willing to see the pool
of preferred callsigns available to US residents continue to
shrink.
But, I don't think we can prevail in a request for
reconsideration. On the other hand, I think we can raise the
issue and at least put something in the record indicating how widespread
the problem already is in some places (offshore USA regions).
-- Tom
=====
e-mail: k1ki@arrl.org ARRL New England Division
Director
http://www.arrl.org/
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone:
860-668-5444