My hobby is amateur radio. Because of this, I often use amateur radio databases from the Federal Communications Commission Web Site during homework and class exercises. These databases contain a robust variety of data types and structures and contain a large volume of data about ordinary American citizens who just happen to be amateur radio operators like me. Some understanding of the FCC's role in managing the amateur radio service will help you understand the databases better. An explanation of the amateur radio service and the FCC's regulatory role follows.
Amateur radio is a fun, exciting, high-tech hobby.
A good example is the Northridge California Earthquake in 1994. That particular earthquake brought down all mobile, public communication networks in the surrounding area. Ham radio operators sprung into action to provide emergency communications until the phone company could repair severed cables and bring the network back on line. Hams stepped in to route messages between emergency equipment and personnel. To avoid regulatory battles with commercial broadcasters, the FCC requires all activities of amateur radio operators to be non-profit .