In 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitted the use of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) modes for amateur radio operators in the United States. This decision marked a significant advancement in digital communication for the amateur radio community. ASCII modes enabled the transmission of text data, facilitating more efficient and reliable communication compared to traditional Morse code and voice modes. The introduction of ASCII opened the door for various digital modes such as RTTY (Radio Teletype), Packet Radio, and eventually modern digital modes like PSK31 and FT8. This regulatory change fostered innovation and experimentation in digital communication technologies, greatly expanding the capabilities and versatility of amateur radio operators in the US.
