At 12:12 PM 12/29/2006, w3kd@aol.com wrote:

Coy, here's the skinny. This required some file box wading, but it is interesting. In January of 1994, ARRL filed a Petition for Rule Making, RM-8418, proposing a lifetime OPERATOR Amateur license.

Since it's been about 10 years since the last "try", has enough changed that it might be worth trying again? Several other countries now have lifetime licenses, for example. Does the FCC do anything like a lifetime license for any of the radio services? Is ten years the norm? Or would we end up with the same "license" as the CB service? The biggest issue for the FCC is obviously making sure they have current valid addresses for licensees and can remove from the database when they die. Both of those functions can be done by using government databases they have access to. If the Post Office can't find an address for someone, the FCC could suspend the license. It must cost the FCC $100k or so to deal with the 50k renewals every year. That ought to be a prime focus of any petition. What percent of the renewals and changes of address now happen through VECs now? (mostly our VEC) Anyhow, seems worth considering. -- 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