Eakinomics: Time to Jettison Legacy FCC Rules

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Eakinomics: Time to Jettison Legacy FCC Rules

You know, maybe it’s time to try again. The endless (and pointless) network-neutrality debate over regulation of the internet using Title I versus Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 convinced Eakinomics it was time to simply dump the 1934 Act and pass a modern law for internet regulation. Now, a similar issue arises regarding Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ownership rules for broadcast media.

As nicely exposited by former AAF policy expert Jeff Westling (now at the International Centre for Law & Economics, where we wish him well and a better back swing) and Aryan Mirchandani:

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has long set standards designed to prevent consolidation within the radio and broadcasting industry. These standards aim to promote competition, localism and diversity of viewpoints by ensuring that the power to inform the masses is not held by limited actors. Congress directed the FCC to reevaluate these standards every four years to determine if they continue to meet their intended aim. In September, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking continuing the latest quadrennial review.

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Australian Band Plan Gets Sweeping Review

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The last major changes to Australia's national band plan were put in place nearly a decade ago, prompting the Wireless Institute of Australia to launch a sweeping review of everything, proposing changes across almost all bands.

Regulatory changes and shifts in on-air activity are two of the major drivers behind a wide-ranging overhaul being considered for Australia's ham bands. The WIA's Technical Advisory Committee opened a community consultation on the 17th of October and is expecting hams who have made requests over the years to formally weigh in on these proposals until the deadline on the 12th December 2025.

The proposed changes accommodate growth in the use of new modes and new areas of interest, particularly those involving the use of digital technology. They include revising ATV segments based on widespread adoption of Digital ATV modes; a review of repeater sub-bands considering the growth of digital voice hotspots on 2m and 70cm. Band plan data for the Microwave bands between 24 and 134 GHz are also being reviewed.

On HF, the proposal will try to achieve better alignment of band plans, including 630 metres and 160 metres.

The WIA is seeking responses only from licensed hams and clubs based in Australia. Revisions are expected to be published by the end of the first quarter of next year.

Mountain Radio Challenge Tests Skills, Propagation

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Mountain Radio Challenge Tests Skills, Propagation

In Australia, CB radio enthusiasts and hams are taking to the mountains for an annual challenge.

What started as an experiment between two teenagers in Australia, testing the range of their walkie-talkies, later grew into a test of CB radios' range in young drivers' cars. The activity, which began formally in 1987, is known as the Mountain Radio Challenge, and it is a test of what a radio operator can accomplish using only line-of-sight communications.

This year's challenge is taking place on Saturday, the 29th of November. Instead of school kids on beaches, this growing challenge attracts CB radio operators on 27 MHz and amateur radio operators on the ham frequencies, many of whom are also activating SOTA summits.

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