encryption and Ham Radio

[Jonathan Rochkind <jrochkin@cs.oberlin.edu>]

A while ago I thought about getting a Ham Radio license for doing TCP/IP over the airwaves. I never got around to learning the details, but I know that it is
possible, and that many Hams in big cities have detailed digital nets running
over the airwaves, using TCP/IP, or other protocols. There are even some
gateways onto the internet. 
 
When I was investigating getting a license, it came to my attention that FCC
rules prohibit encrypting any digital data you send over the airwaves in this
way. I don't know exactly how far this prohibition reaches, but I know
you can lose your ham license for sending encrypted data over the digital
ham network. 
 
I haven't actually seen any mention of this by the EFF and other groups like
that, where I'd expect it. Or on cypherpunks, for that matter. Maybe it's
because no one knows about it. So I'm telling you. I think that this is a 
pretty terrible state of affairs, because ham radio TCP/IP provides a low
cost (if really low bandwith) permanent connection to the internet, and
currently anyone who accesses the internet this way is _prohibited_ from using
encryption. Bad. 
[Oh, they are also prohibited form broadcasting "bad" words in digital form.
Which causes endless problems for people with usenet gateways onto these 
digital ham nets. They need automated software robots searching out all posts
for Carlins 7 bad words, and deleting them.]