Guidelines for sending Internet E-mail messages over Amateur Radio.

The messages must be of a non-commercial nature.  That is, no direct business may be conducted via these messages.

There is a limit to the size and content-type of the messages.  All messages must be TEXT based with no attachments to the message.  Messages should be limited to a maximum of 11,000 characters each.

There are certain countries which have receprical "3rd Party" traffic agreements with the USA.  This does not apply to the Internet leg of traffic sent and received.   It only applies to the radio portion between one operator to another (See FCC Ruling).

Third Party Traffic Defined:

1. Third-party traffic is defined by the FCC as Amateur Radio communication under the supervision of or by the control operator at an Amateur Radio station to another Amateur Radio station on behalf of anyone other than the control operator.   It may be domestic or international. Notice that 3rd party traffic is concerned about communications over Amateur Radio ONLY.

2. For US Amateurs, International 3rd party traffic is prohibited, except for the following exceptions:

        a. Where the US has a specific 3rd party Agreement with another country.

        b. Where the 3rd party is a licensed amateur eligible to be the control operator of a station.

        c. In cases of emergency involving immediate threat to  lives and property.

3. Whether the traffic came in or went out on Internet/Email is totally and absolutely irrelevant.   Our FCC 3rd Party traffic rules are specifically concerned with communications by Amateur radio, ONLY.   For example, if a message is sent to ANYONE  ANYWHERE from Kansas to Michigan over Amateur radio and the Michigan  station then mailed the message on a diskette or via a printout, it would NOT be considered 3rd Party traffic.  That Michigan ham can send mail message via the U.S mail service anywhere legally, regardless of its origin.   This is also true of the Internet.   However, if he was in a  non-legal 3rd Party country and sent it over the radio to Kansas or Michigan, THAT is illegal 3rd party traffic.

4. An Amateur Radio WinLink user should NOT place a "NEXUS" message on a BBS in those countries which do not have a 3rd Party Agreement  with the U.S. simply because they would violate THEIR rules by  forwarding such traffic.  

5. U.S. stations may NOT send 3rd Party  traffic over radio directly to other countries, except as provided above.

6. If either the sender or recipient of 3rd party traffic is a dully licensed  radio-amateur, the traffic is allowed in all cases.   For U.S. Amateurs that  is one of the three exceptions to the rule.

"Third party communications: Section 97.115 of the Commission's Rules,
47 C.F.R. 97.115, authorizes an amateur regulated by the FCC to transmit a
message from its control operator (first party) to another amateur station
control operator (second party) on behalf of another person (third party).
No amateur station, however, shall transmit messages for a third party to
any station within the jurisdiction of any foreign government whose
administration has not made arrangements with the United States to allow
amateur stations to be used for transmitting international communications
on behalf of third parties.

The following countries have made the necessary arrangements with the
United States to permit an amateur station regulated by the FCC to exchange
messages for a third party with amateur stations in:   Antigua and Barbuda,
Argentina, Australia, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada,
Chile, Colombia, Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros, Costa Rica, Cuba,
Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, The Gambia, Ghana,
Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan,
Liberia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Federated States of
Micronesia, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, St. Christopher
and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone,
Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom (special event stations with
call sign prefix GB followed by a number other than 3), Uruguay, and
Venezuela.    The United Nations also has arrangements with the United States
to permit an amateur station regulated by the FCC to exchange messages for a
third party with amateur stations 4U1ITU in Geneva, Switzerland, and 4U1VIC
in Vienna, Austria.

No amateur station regulated by the FCC shall transmit messages for a
third party to any amateur station located within the jurisdiction of any
foreign government not listed above. This prohibition does not apply to a
message for any third party who is eligible to be the control operator of
the station.

Anmerkung: Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland steht nicht auf der Liste der Vertragspartner mit den USA