integration discussion - amateur radio license

I would love a way to two-way verify an amateur radio callsign. In the US, radio licensing is handled by the FCC and published in the publicly-accessible FCC Universal Licensing System. Callsigns ARE mutable, but [all callsign changes are published](http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3614930) and the user's identity is attached to an immutable Federal Registration Number and License ID Number; using the FRN or LID, the change history can be traversed and an individual's current licensing status and callsign can be unambiguously determined. Now, how to publicly publish a proof-of-ownership statement...

If you are willing to look like an idiot, you can get the FCC to publish ordered random strings associated with your FRN by [submitting an online application to change your callsign](http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?id=amateur&job=cft&page=cft_get_call_sign). You may submit up to 25 choices, and while valid callsigns must follow formatting rules, it appears that [they will happily publish requests](http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/ApplicationSearch/applServiceSpecific.jsp?applID=9771271) that are [not valid callsigns](http://www.ae7q.com/query/list/Prediction.php?PREDICT=Invalid_Format).

The [American Radio Relay League](http://www.arrl.org) allows users to have profiles, but I don't think they are public. This looked promising:

> ARRL members can sign up for ARRL's e-mail forwarding service and have email sent to your ARRL address ("your-callsign@arrl.net") forwarded to the email account you specify. Join today!

...but unlike the FCC database records that require a once-every-ten-years $10 application fee, it requires paid annual ARRL membership dues and is less general.

I have added this idea to the verification suggestions thread in #518.

Any other ideas?

Start with the verification suggestions thread in #518 and review the FCC Universal Licensing System and ARRL references linked in this issue. The issue does not identify implementation files, entry points, or tests. Done would require a decided, publicly verifiable proof-of-ownership approach for amateur radio callsigns.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.