Well the FCC is at it again, last year they proposed to take away our frequencies in the 3.4ghz band and part of the 5.8-5.9ghz band with the plan to sell the 3.4ghz spectrum at auction and make millions of dollars.
Now the FCC proposes Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio license application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed this week.
Included in the FCC’s fee proposal are applications for new licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees.
Included in the FCC’s fee proposal are applications for new licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees.
MD Docket 20-270
What do you think?
Should we accept the filing fees?
Should we inform our members and encourage our members to oppose this docket and respond to this NPRM in opposition?
Let me reiterate that this is NOT the FCC's doing; they are doing what Congress mandated 2½ years ago. To fix this will require an "act of Congress."
If you don't like the idea of application fees DO NOT contact the FCC. Instead, contact the people responsible for this requirement: Your Representative and Senators. They are the ones to blame.
Now, the only thing up for debate with the FCC is the amount of money to be charged for amateur radio applications
This indicates that the application fees are the FCC's proposal to meet the the act of congress requirements. Are there alternative ways to meet the requirements? if so, we could post comments on the NPRM for the FCC to consider these other options instead.
I did not read all the details, but why couldn't the FCC continue to exclude Amateur Radio in their implementation of application fees? If the Act only spells out a high level approach, "cost-based system of assessment", surely the FCC has some leeway.
Note the FCC has taken much leeway at odds with other congressional acts and dismay of other Federal Departments recently. They assigned adjacent GPS freq to the dismay of the DOD. The 5GHz NPRM is taking away secure vehicle freq space from DOT and giving to unlicensed wifi. Probably $B have been spent to develop the secure vehicle technology this NPRM will impact or break, and existing DOT allocation was supported in other congressional acts -- law suits expected. The DOT is primary in this 5GHz space, with our part 97 the secondary allocation today. We are now at risk of the FCC extending unlicensed wifi from ch 169 up a few more channels.
Joe AE6XE