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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Re: Ham radio & USENET
Message-ID: <8523@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Aug-87 13:56:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.8523
Posted: Mon Aug 31 13:56:17 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 31-Aug-87 13:56:17 EDT
References: <275@ndmath.UUCP>, <14303@topaz.rutgers.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 16

> ... You can't use HAM RADIO for USENET.
> First.  Ham Radio must be explicitly non-commercial.  Second,
> there is this thing called "THIRD PARTY TRAFFIC."  Unregulated
> third-party traffic is explicly prohibitted...

Anyone who thinks these restrictions are Bad Things should consider that
in their absence, the ham bands would quickly cease to exist.  The commercial
folks would promptly move in and crowd the hams out.  Like it or lump it,
radio spectrum space is scarce and valuable, and there just isn't any way of
getting it for free.  Those parts of it that are available free of charge, to
people like the hams (whose spectrum allocations are justified by their major
contributions to radio technology, by the way, not by "historical right"),
*must* have strings (of some kind) attached if they are to be preserved for
such uses.  Even the Public Digital Radio Service proposals are going to
have to do something to keep the big boys from moving in.
-- 
"There's a lot more to do in space   |  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
than sending people to Mars." --Bova | {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,utai}!utzoo!henry