Re: broadcast encryption

The idea behind allocating frequencies for amateur use is that hams could
engage in a hobby with no commercial use which provides an infrastructure
for emergency public service communications. To prevent any commercial use
of those frequencies, to facilitate enforcement of the rules, and to
facilitate the participation by anyone who obtains the proper knowledge and
equipment, it is illegal to transmit in a way that "obscures the meaning"
of the transmission to people who would want to listen in. So, for example,
morse code and ASCII are the only exceptable digital codes, and various
modulation techniques are standardized as the technologies are developed.

In any case, the amateur frequencies are specifically reserved for
non-private communications and are subject to restrictions that have
nothing to do with the terms under which other commercial frequencies are
licensed. Those frequencies may be licensed for uses that include private
communications of some sort. And, since the regulations are based on the
principal that broadcast spectrum is a fixed, limited resource, none of
this applies to communications carriers who do not operate by broadcasting
over the air.

 -- sidney <sidney@apple.com>

> The idea behind allocating frequencies for amateur use is that hams could
> engage in a hobby with no commercial use which provides an infrastructure
> for emergency public service communications. To prevent any commercial use
> of those frequencies, to facilitate enforcement of the rules, and to
> facilitate the participation by anyone who obtains the proper knowledge and
> equipment, it is illegal to transmit in a way that "obscures the meaning"
> of the transmission to people who would want to listen in. So, for example,
> morse code and ASCII are the only exceptable digital codes, and various
> modulation techniques are standardized as the technologies are developed.

Actually, data compression doesn't fall under this restriction, because the
primary intent is not to obscure the meaning - it is to facilitate more
efficient of the spectrum.

If you want to apply for an STA (which I hear the FCC is pretty liberal about)
you can do pretty much what you want to do.  If memory serves, this is how
ASCII packet was developed and also spread spectrum.
-- 
Ed Carp, N7EKG    	ecarp@netcom.com, Ed.Carp@linux.org

"What's the sense of trying hard to find your dreams without someone to share
it with, tell me, what does it mean?"        -- Whitney Houston, "Run To You"