Adoption of RM-11831 would negatively impact the "safety of life and protection of property" as well as most principles given in CFR part 97.1 that governs the Amateur Radio Service.  As an amateur radio operator and a volunteer member of the Seattle ACS I have relied on a variety of digital messaging modes to effectively convey health and safety traffic during public service events, and disaster drills and exercises.  I have difficulty imagining these essential modes being stripped away from the suite of tools that we as hams and emergency workers have found to work so effectively.  Effective use of such tools requires knowledge which is gained through practice. It's not that we can wait for a disaster to then begin relying on these tools in the hope of saving lives.

My interest in Amateur radio from a very young age sparked my interest in electronics and various forms of communication including acoustics in undersea, optical in glass fiber, and rf and microwave.  My academic studies leading to Masters of Science in Engineering has often found basis in the development of various forms of communication many of which used digital techniques.  Many of these techniques were developed by Amateur Radio operators that had similar interest in all aspects of the hobby especially digital.  As I was challenged throughout my entire career, the opportunity today to develop and test new digital communications techniques continues to spark that interest that keeps me fascinated in my hobby.  I also find use of these tools to be self rewarding as I see their successful implementation in a number various exercises.  Yes, I could go on and on, but maybe this little example during the 2016 Cascadia Rising exercise could demonstrate the usefulness of digital modes.  During the first of the several days of my involvement in the activation, I was assigned to the Seattle Dept of Transportation's (SDOT) Bridge Maintenance Facility.  As conventional channels of communication were simulated as inoperable, the engineers relied on me to convey their spreadsheet listing the status of the many bridges in Seattle to the SDOT officials in the main City Office Building.  The FLDIGI and FLAMP programs worked nicely to convey the spreadsheet detail with confidence in the accuracy because of error checking that is inherent in this program pair.  I have yet to be involved in requesting medical equipment, supplies, and services; but I can see the importance of accurately conveying the long and often unpronouncable names of various medications that refugees might need during and following a disaster.

In summary, I find that the digital communications technogology of today continues the spark of fascination that I discovered on first becoming an amateur radio operator in 1965.  Digital modes are an effective tool allowing us to carry out our justification of being a service to the community as specified in the Basis and purpose of the amateur service CFR 97.1.