About
Encryption and Amateur Radio
We try to make sense of this complicated subject that our own governing bodies are not clear about or may be ambiguous about. The subject in this blog at times highlight many countries.
Introduction
There's been some debate in the last ten years or so about encryption's purpose in ham radio. The part 97 rules prohibit "messages encoded for the purpose of obscuring their meaning, except as otherwise provided herein;".
Is Data Encryption Legal is the question, CQ magazine, August 2006 issue, Don Rotolo, N2IRZ, tries to make the case that if encryption is used to comply with another Part 97 rule, then the purpose of the encoding is not to obscure the meaning of the message, but to secure a repeater from unauthorized use, and so the encryption is incidental.
In the ARRL's response to RM-11699, states, "the ability to encrypt for the purpose of authentication of users in a data network, as discussed below, appears to be permissible, and the current Section 97.113(a)(4) has not been determined (to date) to inhibit HSMM/ wireless broadband experimentation in the Amateur Radio Service." The whole document is a pretty good read, and touches on a lot of related topics.
USA - http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/view?id=7520928844
CANADA - Radiocommunication Regulations - SOR/96-484. Section 47 deals with codes and ciphers:
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-96-484/FullText.html
https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-96-484/page-5.html
Amateur Radio AND Encryption
https://hamradioencryption.blogspot.com/
