Bolstering amateur radio?

The FCC is trumpeting this today: 

We’re bolstering amateur radio. We will vote on a proposal to incentivize innovation and experimentation in the amateur radio bands by removing outdated restrictions and providing licensees with the flexibility to use modern digital emissions.

 I'm interested but not overly convinced.  Frankly, I've been writing about government for too many years to not be skeptical about ANYTHING they cough up, particularly when they sound like they're trying to promote something we're supposed to think is a good thing.

First, this vote will supposedly occur at an "Open Meeting" of the FCC. An Open Meeting just a dog and pony show; streamed these days on their website, wherein they read prepared statements.  That's it. And it needs to be remembered  that the commission has had these proposals floating around in their DC offices for over a decade, now, so nobody can accuse the FCC of a knee-jerk action, here.

Now, , you'll recall the conversations we've been having as regards the stock traders wanting HF access with high power and increased bandwidth. As I said at the time that proposal came up, it looks to me that the commission didn't expect the volume of howling from individual Hams to be quite so loud as it was.

With that in mind, it seems likely to me that this is the commission's version of "giveback". If commercial interests can run wider bandwidth, they reason, why should Hams be restricted? At least I suspect that is what they're trying to sell. The dog and pony nature of their open meetings doesn't lend itself to public comment, in any event. If they're bringing something up at this meeting, they've already hashed out what they're doing and how it'll be presented.

That said, I don't put much stock in the Chicken Littles wailing and gnashing of teeth over "the end of Ham radio" and more than I think FT8, SSB, or the break from spark gappers signaled the end of Ham radio.  Then again, I never have. 

Will the new rules be to our advantage? IDK, but it does seem to me that the commission will be reluctant to hand us any setbacks at this point. Yeah, I know....but understand me, here.

It's my take that they likely got clobbered to a level they didn't expect in the comment period for the SMC proposal, about how Ham radio was getting the axe from the commission. I'm certain, the league saw some of that thinking in their correspondence as well. (which would explain why folks like KE0OG took to his channel to address the issue with the message "Calm down". ) 

 

 How else, after all, to explain the loud trumpets surrounding the announcement of this proposal, about how they're "Bolstering amateur radio"? That kind of fanfare surrounding this announcement from the commission is fairly unique, in my experience.Why would they feel the need to promote things that way,except to counter that perception that the commission was working to eliminate Ham radio? I've been writing about government and the actions they take for too many years not to be skeptical, at least and in truth, cynical, thinking that In reality, there's no reason for it otherwise

 

As to what we WILL get...I doubt we're going to see (Lat's say) C4FM on HF outside of 10m, because (By Yeasu's description) that's using 12.5KHz generating the 9600 baud rate the mode uses. And frankly, I have my doubts that we'll see other digital modulation modes show up below 10m, (At least for passing voice) because even at the meager bandwidth C4FM uses,there's a practical consideration for the end user.... it still sounds like a bad MP3. Sorry, it just does. 

 

I've seen arguments going on over speculation that the commission was going to widen HF bandwidth limits to accommodate things like that. One can easily understand why they have (apparently) chosen not to significantly change those limits: Fear of running into this kind of creature. (Snicker) I mean, even a shallow reading of his reax to eSSB has me wondering if the prospect of digi sigs of 12khz (or, more) would have his family calling for an ambulance.

Let's bottom line this, at this: Doing away with symbol rate limits is a good idea, long past it's due. They've been sitting on this one since what, 2004, I think.  

 

However: 

 

At least in the near term, it's my read that there will be no significant changes to Ham radio on HF, either legally or practically. There are still physical limits on what we can cram into 3k of analog space and I don't see the average Ham having enough data processing horsepower on his desk to even partially overcome that limitation. Hell, I build my own computers, and I don't have such computing power available, either. In short any innovation in this area will first show up in the short bands.  

I'll be watching of course.