And as we discussed as a concern earlier in the week, even the FCC statement conflates our part 97 amateur service with all the other part 95 personal radio services. The statement reinforces the idea that the public sees all those personal radios as Ham radios. What’s worse, it suggests that all amateur radio use would automatically be by licensed hams operating those radios illegally. I suspect most users in any incident will be non-licensed operators or if licensed otherwise (any radio service) will not be announcing any proper call sign and therefore operating as unlicensed. Not much we can do except educate the public consumer of such generalized or partially misleading information, even though such statements may have been innocently issued to the public.

Bob Famiglio, K3RF

Vice Director - ARRL Atlantic Division

610-359-7300

www.QRZ.com/db/K3RF

From: arrl-odv On Behalf Of n2cop@ec.rr.com
Sent: Sunday, January 17, 2021 10:54 AM
To: 'ODV' <arrl-odv@arrl.org>
Subject: [arrl-odv:31734] FCC Issues Statement Against Illegal Use of Ham Radio

The FCC released this statement Sunday morning. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-17/lin-manuel-miranda-joins-list-of-entertainers-inaugural-update?utm_source=google&utm_medium=bd&cmpId=google

The board was wise in developing and having a similar statement already prepared.

FCC Warns About Use of Ham Radio to Commit Crimes (10:23 a.m.)

Licensed amateur and personal radio services shouldn’t be used to coordinate criminal acts, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau warned after reports that some people were looking to radios as an alternative to social media platforms, which are being monitored by law enforcement following the deadly Jan. 6 raid on the U.S. Capitol.

“The Bureau reminds amateur licensees that they are prohibited from transmitting ‘communications intended to facilitate a criminal act’ or ‘messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning,” the agency said in a statement Sunday.

The licensees, which would include Citizens Band radios, Family Radio Service walkie-talkies, and General Mobile Radio Service, would face fines, seizure of their equipment and possible criminal prosecution.

73 de Bill Morine, N2COP

Vice Director – Roanoke Division

Representing ARRL members in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia

www.arrl-roanoke.org

Facebook Page: ARRL Roanoke Division

ARRL – The National Association for Amateur Radio