Ham Legislation Alert

In light of the number of ham radio operators in the cable industry, we’d like to call attention to an announcement from Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington, NY) regarding his reintroduction of the "Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Consistency Act." According to the congressman’s office, this legislation would ensure that amateur radio operators are available for emergency communications in all sections of the country. In some areas, restrictions against antennas prevent operators from using their licenses. "Amateur radio provides a vital public safety communications service to the public at no cost to taxpayers," said Israel in a statement. "So-called ‘hams’ provide emergency communications when regular channels are disrupted or disabled. State and local governments, as well as disaster relief agencies, could not possibly afford to replace the services that radio amateurs dependably provide for free."