It has been pointed out that, although Ham Radio frequencies are often used for communication with small, experimental spacecraft, that such operation strictly prohibits transmission of encrypted data, for proprietary use by a single “third party” recipient. (Encryption of communications related to control of the satellite or spacecraft are specifically allowed, without the third party involvement.) Since the delivery of encrypted image data for proprietary use is exactly what is required for the Google Lunar X PRIZE, none of the required communication can be sent on these frequencies.

Remuneration is also strictly prohibited for communications services. This can be a gray area, as when volunteers provide communications assistance which increases the safety of a mountaineering effort that has some participants working for hire. I won't attempt to address the gray area of Prize Money associated with specific communications accomplishments. It seems clear that all the preliminary systems development, including space qualification of the wideband radio link necessary for GLXP communications, can be conducted under the “Ham Radio” umbrella. But the competition flight itself is an entirely different matter!

The radio communications bands are crowded, with protected “Spectrum” being sold for large sums of money. Almost certainly, an expensive contract with such a rights holder will have to be negotiated. It is possible that such a rights holder will donate the required communications bandwidth to GLXP competitors – and, since the Moon is not yet a very active place for radio communication, this is unlikely to interfere with the spectrum rights holder's other operations. But until such an arrangement exists, the specification of a communications frequency can't be done, and any attempt to design and built usable GLXP communications equipment will probably be wasted and need to be done over.