SB QST @ ARL $ARLB021   
   ARLB021 FCC Says "No" to Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses   
      
   ZCZC AG21   
   QST de W1AW   
   ARRL Bulletin 21  ARLB021   
   > From ARRL Headquarters   
   Newington CT  June 24, 2016   
   To all radio amateurs   
      
   SB QST ARL ARLB021   
   ARLB021 FCC Says "No" to Lifetime Amateur Radio Licenses   
      
   The FCC has denied the petition of an Arizona radio amateur, who had   
   petitioned for lifetime Amateur Radio licenses. Mark F. Krotz, N7MK, of Mesa,   
   had filed his Petition for Rule Making (RM 11760) with the FCC last November,   
   and the FCC invited public comments in February. Krotz wanted the FCC to   
   revise Part 97.25 of its rules to indicate that Amateur Radio licenses are   
   granted for the holder's lifetime, instead of for the current 10-year term.   
   Hundreds of radio amateurs commented on the petition, but the FCC was not   
   swayed by those favoring the idea.   
      
   "Based on our review of the record, we are not persuaded that the petition   
   discloses sufficient grounds for the requested rule change," the FCC said in a   
   June 21 Order. "Krotz's primary argument is that extending the term of amateur   
   licenses to the lifetime of the holder would reduce the Commission's   
   administrative and personnel costs, but it is not clear to us that the   
   proposal actually would enhance administrative efficiency." That's because the   
   vast majority of license renewals are submitted online and processed   
   automatically by the Universal Licensing System (ULS), "with minimal staff   
   involvement," the Order said.   
      
   The Order can be found on the web in PDF format at, http://trans   
   tion.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2016/db0622/DA-16-707A1.pdf .   
      
   The FCC said it had further reduced its overhead by no longer routinely   
   mailing out paper licenses. "[I]f license terms were extended to the holder's   
   lifetime, we likely would receive more cancellations on account of the   
   licensee's death, which are labor-intensive, because staff must carefully   
   verify the deceased's identity and licenses in order to guard against   
   erroneous cancellations," the FCC said in its Order, signed by Wireless   
   Telecommunications Bureau Deputy Mobility Division Chief Scot Stone.   
      
   Krotz argued that the General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL) already   
   is issued on a lifetime basis, but the FCC said that's not a comparable   
   situation, because an Amateur Radio license is both an operator's license and   
   a station license, "and there is no Commission precedent for issuing a   
   lifetime station license."   
      
   In 2014 the FCC granted lifetime credit for examination elements 3 and 4, but   
   applicants seeking relicensing under that provision still must pass   
   examination element 2. The FCC pointed out in its Order that this was done to   
   address the concerns of commenters that a licensee who had not renewed also   
   may not have maintained or expanded his or her knowledge and skills.   
      
   NNNN   
   /EX   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
   Always Mount a Scratch Monkey   
      
   ... Do I really need to say it?..... {Grabbing tagline and stuffing in bag}   
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