The FCC has acted to drop the Morse code requirement for all Amateur Radio license classes. The Commission adopted, but hasn’t yet released, the long-awaited Report and Order (R&O) in WT Docket 05-235, the “Morse code” proceeding.

The FCC’s action **appears to put all Technician licensees on an equal footing: Once the Report and Order goes into effect, holders of Technician class licenses will have equivalent HF privileges, whether or not they’ve passed the 5 WPM Element 1 Morse examination.** The FCC said the R&O in the Morse code docket would eliminate a disparity in the operating privileges for the Technician and Technician Plus class licensees.

It wasn’t clear when the Report and Order would go into effect.

[Read](http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/12/15/104/?nc=1 “Read the Story”) (ARRL)