FCC Considering Proposal For Encrypted Ham Radio

What follows is an overview of the relevant technology and rules, as well as some of the arguments for and against, and some of my notes.

It is prohibited in the US, with one exception. One is allowed to encrypt commands to an amateur satellite (Send from the ground to the satellite). Aside from that, encryption is prohibited.

From the terms and conditions spelt out by OFCOM (pdf), the UK communications regulator.

Alternately, in the license guidelines:

FCC Considering Proposal For Encrypted Ham Radio

from the technocrat-perspective dept.

Bruce Perens writes

FCC is currently processing a request for rule-making, RM-11699 (PDF), that would allow the use of Amateur frequencies in the U.S. for private, digitally-encrypted messages. Encryption is a potential disaster for ham radio because it defeats its self-policing nature. If hams can't decode messages, they can't identify if the communication even belongs on ham radio. A potentially worse problem is that encryption destroys the harmless nature of Amateur radio.There's no reason for governments to believe that encrypted communications are harmless. See hams.com/encryption/ for more information.

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7022424684

http://hams.com/encryption/

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/br68r11/br68.htm

https://services.ofcom.org.uk/amateur-terms.pdf