[mike_d]

Think of Ham like Usenet or posting to a forum. You are in the public square talking for all to hear.

If you want something more akin to private email, that is possible you just need a difference license. https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-divis...

I have frequency allocations (well technically a radio shop manages them for us) and use AES128 encryption with no issues.

[lrvick]

So by this license only businesses are allowed to have private communications, not individuals?

[throw0101a]

> So by this license only businesses are allowed to have private communications, not individuals?

The first words on that pages are "Individuals or entities desiring to […]".

You, as an individual, can get a license. It's probably just more common for legal persons [1] to go through the effort rather than natural persons [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_person

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_person

[lrvick]

That is something, I suppose, though every person I want to communicate with would need one which is a real pain.

Still, will explore this.

If anyone has any tips for encrypted voice comms using this path I would welcome it

[mike_d]

Hypothetically you could get a license just for yourself, but only you'd be able to use it which might get kinda lonely. Using a LLC is much more practical as the entity can own the radios and assign them to authorized users acting on behalf of the company.

Forming a corporate entity and paying the frequency coordination fees are going to be minimal in comparison to the hardware costs to communicate at a distance (encrypted or clear) reliably.

[withinboredom]

Businesses are the only legal way to “group” people together and hold them accountable. Since you are purchasing a license for some spectrum, they need a way to hold that group accountable. A common business arrangement is to create a “co-op” to work together, usually owned equally by the members. For example, there are a couple of developer co-ops around here to get discounts on IDEs and resources by appearing as a large org. Almost like what you’d expect from a union, but most clearly not a union.