THE CUBA REVIEW 17 



Radio Regulations in Cuba 



Pending the passage of a law to cover the use of radiotelegraph in Cuba, a 

 presidential decree has been issued defining the various classes of non-governmental 

 radio stations and prescribing certain general rules for their operation. Up to the 

 present time there has been no law or regulation covering the construction or operation 

 of radio stations in Cuba. Previous to the opening of radiotelephony stations of the 

 Cuban Telephone Co. at Habana on October 10, 1922, the number of non-governmental 

 radio stations was so limited as to require no such regulation. Following the establish- 

 ment of a regular broadcasting program from that station, a number of amateur 

 sending stations have been built, and in Habana alone eight such sets are now in 

 operation. 



Details of New Regulation 

 Under the decree, effective February 14, non-governmental radio stations are 

 divided into five classes — A, B. C. D, and E — to each of which is assigned a wave 

 length and a maximum power. No sets of any of these classes will be used for 

 commercial purposes. Classification is as follows: 



Wave Maximum 



Class length power 



Meters Kilowatts 



A— Amateurs 200 14. 



B — Educational institutions; experimenters 225-275 J^ 



C — Colleges; State institutions in general 300-360 3^ 



D — State institutions only 400 M~l 



E — Meteorological stations only 485 3^-1 



All receiving sets are rated Class A regardless of t>-pe or size. 



Rules tor Registration 



All owners of stations coming within any of these five classes must register 

 with the director general of communication before March 16, 1923. After that 

 date no station may be used unless the proper permit has been issued by the ofiice 

 mentioned. The permits are for a term of one year in the case of classes A, B, 

 and C and for five years in the other two classes. Applicants must pass an elementary 

 examination, but it is not believed that this requirement will in any way hamper 

 the issuance of licenses. 



It is the policy of the Cuban Government to place as few restrictions as possible 

 in the way of development of radio in Cuba, to provide necessary safeguards against 

 claims to vested rights in specific wave lengths, and to prevent interference by amateurs 

 with services necessary to the state and to the pubHc. For these reasons the decree 

 further provides that the Government may, under specified circumstances, require 

 transmitting stations of any of the five classes to cease operation without claiming 

 indemnity from the Government. Transmitting stations of any class are made 

 subject to the regulations of the international radio convention signed in London in 

 1912. The decree also prohibits the transmitting of the international distress call 

 S. 0. S., either as a special signal or in the course of any general text. Penalties 

 are provided for the disclosure of any public or Government message intercepted by 

 any station. 



Technical Requirements 

 Only apparatus capable of transmitting a pure, continuous wave may be used, 

 and the frequency must be constant so as to avoid oscillation. There must be perfect 

 modulation in order that variations in the radio frequency current generated may 

 correspond exactly to those produced by the voice in the microphone circuit; damp 

 waves are prohibited. Construction of the antennae must be such that none of the 

 conductors will produce mechanical oscillation. — Acting Commercial Attache Paul L. 

 Edwards, Habana. 



