If you hold a Technician class license, you already know the frustration. You’ve got access to every VHF and UHF band in the book, plus a small sliver of HF, but the good stuff stays locked behind the General class upgrade. For years, ARRL has been trying to change that, and the petition behind it, RM-11828, is still sitting in front of the FCC.
What ARRL Actually Wants
The proposal isn’t a full HF free-for-all. ARRL is asking the FCC to give Technician licensees:
- Limited phone (voice) privileges on small segments of 80, 40, and 15 meters
- RTTY and digital mode privileges across those same bands, plus 10 meters
- No change to the existing 200 watt PEP power cap on HF
The idea is to let Technicians actually experience HF operating (rag chewing, digital modes like FT8, emergency communications) instead of being stuck on VHF/UHF repeaters until they decide to study for General.
Where This Has Been
ARRL first filed this petition back in 2018, and the FCC opened it up for public comment in 2019 under docket RM-11828. Reaction was mixed. Plenty of hams welcomed the idea as a way to boost retention among Technician licensees (who make up more than half of all US amateur operators) and get new folks hooked on the hobby faster. Others argued it undercuts the incentive structure that’s driven amateur radio licensing for decades: pass a harder test, earn more spectrum. Some critics also worried about congestion on already busy digital HF segments.
After the initial comment period, the petition went quiet for a while. That changed in 2025, when ARRL folded a renewed push for Technician HF privileges into its comments on the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” deregulatory initiative (GN Docket 25-133), the sweeping rule-cleanup effort launched by FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. ARRL used that opening to remind the Commission that RM-11828 has been sitting untouched since 2018 and to push for action alongside other longstanding requests, like adjusting the 80/75 meter phone and digital sub-band boundaries.
Where Things Stand Now
As of mid-2026, the FCC hasn’t formally acted on RM-11828. The Delete, Delete, Delete docket has mostly focused on stripping out obsolete rules (think analog cable receiver requirements and telegraph-era regulations) rather than granting new privileges, so it’s not clear whether Technician HF enhancement will ride along with that effort or get decided separately. If you want to weigh in, comments can still be filed through the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System using the RM-11828 proceeding number.
Why It Matters
Whichever side of the debate you land on, the stakes are real. Roughly 385,000 people hold Technician licenses in the US, and attrition among them is a known problem for the hobby. Giving new hams a taste of HF without requiring an immediate upgrade could hook more people long-term, or it could water down the incentive to advance. Either way, it’s worth watching, especially if you’re a Technician who’s been eyeing those HF bands and wondering when your ticket might finally open the door.