Scope and framing
This report treats “North America” as the three sovereign states most commonly referenced in
amateur radio coordination and cross-border operating: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
(If you want a country-by-country appendix covering Central America and the Caribbean as well,
the content and the print template can be extended.)
“Current state” is described using a blend of (1) participation indicators (licensing base and major event
participation), and (2) observable operating trends (mode mix, portable operations, emergency communications).
All quantitative figures are tied to the dated sources noted in the footnotes.
Regional activity indicators
1) A major annual operating “pulse”: ARRL Field Day
ARRL Field Day is widely treated as a North American “baseline” for hands-on activity because it simultaneously
exercises portable power, antenna deployment, operating discipline, and community outreach. The event description
emphasizes both emergency preparedness and public demonstration aspects.3
The final published results for Field Day 2025 provide a concrete participation snapshot for the season.2
While Field Day is ARRL-administered, participation is not limited to U.S. operators; Canadian stations routinely
participate, and cross-border contacts are a featured element of the operating environment.
2) Mode mix: voice, CW, and an accelerating digital layer
A practical way to summarize current operating is: phone + CW remain durable, while digital continues to add operating hours and
new participant pathways. ARRL’s mode overview explicitly flags FT8 as dominant for DX/award chasing in 2025, and
frames it as “watering holes” that are continuously active.4
In North America, this digital layer often coexists with traditional nets and repeaters—meaning many operators
maintain “voice-first” community activity while also using weak-signal digital modes for long-haul contacts,
propagation awareness, and awards.
3) Public service and emergency communications
ARES is a long-standing U.S. organizational model for volunteer emergency communications. The ARRL ARES Manual defines
ARES as licensed amateurs who register equipment/qualifications for public service communications when disasters occur,
and notes a layered national/section/district/local structure.5
At the operational level, emergency communications practice increasingly blends HF/VHF voice nets with digital traffic,
including message-form workflows and radio-email transport systems such as Winlink.6