California is reportedly severing ties to ham radio repeater owners statewide after unilaterally declaring the infrastructure "obsolete," according to Thursday reports.
OffGridSurvival reported Thursday that the move is "jeopardizing the lives of millions of Californians," who depend on repeaters to operate during emergencies. It's also a way of life for many seniors who grew up with the hobby when it was one of only a few ways to communicate with other ham operators near and far.
Last month, repeater operators were sent emails telling them the State would no longer allow them to operate repeaters on public land without paying substantial rental fees. In the letter sent by CAL FIRE, the state claims Ham operators no longer provide a benefit to the state or public safety. They claimed that "constantly changing technological advances" has made Ham radio obsolete during an emergency, reports OffGridSurvival.
The bad news comes at the same time power lords, PG&E, cut power to millions of customers over wind related wildfire concerns.
Disgruntled operator everywhere sounded off on Twitter:
Comment: This has the flavor of an hysterical reaction to something slightly more mundane. It's hard to say from the information available, but taking ham radio away from enthusiasts is akin to trying to take guns away from gun enthusiasts. It remains to be seen whether or not this materializes into something or fizzles out.