>From http://news.cq-amateur-radio.com/news.htm :
FLASH! FCC Adopts License Restructuring
Posted: 1999-12-30 11:34:55.617
More than a year after it first proposed reducing the number of amateur
license classes and asked hams for input on code speed requirements, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) handed down its restructuring
decision on the final business day of 1999. Here is a summary of
changes, which are effective as of April 15, 2000: * There will be only
three license classes, Technician, General, and Amateur Extra, with a
single written exam element for each grade of license. * There will be
only one code exam -- at 5 words per minute (wpm) -- for licenses with
HF privileges (General and Extra). * No new Novice, Tech-Plus, or
Advanced Class licenses will be issued after April 14. However, hams who
now hold these licenses will retain all of their current operating
privileges, and will be able to modify &/or renew their licenses
indefinitely. Tech-Plus hams will be renewed as Technicians, but will
retain their HF operating privileges. * There will be no "refarming" of
the ham bands as proposed by the ARRL. This means that current Novice
and Advanced Class subbands will remain as they are, so there will be no
expansion of frequency privileges for any ham without passing an upgrade
exam or showing credit for all necessary exam elements (more on this
later). There will also be no changes in the callsign groups. * There
will be no automatic upgrades, even for hams who qualify based on past
credit. Even if no additional exams are required, a ham will have to
apply for an upgrade at a VE (Volunteer Examination) session. * There
will be only three written exam elements, one for each new class of
license. Decisions on structuring the new exam elements will be made by
the Volunteer Examiner Coordinators' Question Pool Committee (QPC),
which will be given even greater authority in designing and
administering amateur exams. * The much-abused disability waiver for 13-
and 20-wpm code tests is eliminated (since there will no longer be any
13- or 20-wpm code tests) * The changes will take effect on April 15,
2000. This will give the QPC time to create new exams, and will give
publishers time to get new license manuals into print before the new
structure is put into place. In addition, it will give tens of thousands
of hams with partial credit toward one of the new license classes the
opportunity to pass the remaining element(s) before the new tests begin,
possibly requiring re-examination on certain topics. The full text of
the Report and Order will be posted here as soon as we get it.
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