ARRL has urged the FCC to waive its proposed $50 amateur radio application fee. The Commission proposal was made last month in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD 20-270. The proposal already has drawn more than 3,200 individual comments overwhelmingly opposed to the plan. The fees, directed by Congress and imposed on all FCC-regulated services, are to recover the FCC’s costs of handling and processing applications.
“Amateur radio applications were not listed when the Congress adopted its 1985 fee schedule for applications, and therefore amateur license applications were excluded from the collection of fees,” ARRL said on November 16 in its formal comments on the proposal. “Similarly, a decade later when regulatory fees were authorized, the Amateur Service was excluded, except for the costs associated with issuing vanity call signs.” The new statutory provisions are similar. Amateur radio license applications are not addressed in the application fees section and explicitly excluded from regulatory fees,” ARRL said, and there is “no evidence of any intent by Congress to change the exempt status of amateur applications and instead subject them to new fees.”
ARRL argued that the FCC has explicit authority to waive the fees if it would be in the public interest, and should do so for the Amateur Radio Service. Unlike other FCC services, the Amateur Radio Service is all volunteer and largely self-governing, with examination preparation, administration, and grading handled by volunteers, who submit licensing paperwork to the FCC, ARRL pointed out.
“Increasingly, the required information is uploaded to the Commission’s database, further freeing personnel from licensing paperwork as well as [from] day-to-day examination processes,” ARRL said. “The addition of an application fee will greatly increase the complexity and requirements for volunteer examiners.”
The Communications Act, ARRL noted, also permits the FCC to accept the volunteer services of individual radio amateurs and organizations in monitoring for rules violations. In 2019, ARRL and the FCC signed a memorandum of understanding to renew and enhance the ARRL’s Volunteer Monitor program, relieving the Commission of significant time-consuming aspects of enforcement.
These volunteer services lessen the regulatory burden — including the application burden — on the Commission’s resources and budget in ways that licensees in other services do not, ARRL said.
Amateur radio’s role in providing emergency and disaster communication, education, and other volunteer services also justifies exempting radio amateurs from FCC application fees. For example, ARRL noted, last year more than 31,000 participated as members of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), and local ARES teams reported taking part in more than 37,000 events, donating nearly 573,000 volunteer hours, providing a total value of more than $14.5 million.
Amateur radio also has motivated many students to develop critical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. ARRL noted that the Amateur Radio Service contributes to the advancement of the radio art, advances skills in communication and technology, and expands the existing reservoir of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts — all expressed bases and purposes of the Amateur Radio Service.
“Accomplishing these purposes entails working with young people, many of whom may have difficulty paying the proposed application fees of $50, $100, or $150,” ARRL said. “The $150 fee would be the cost of passing the examinations for the three amateur license levels in three examination sessions,” ARRL said. “Such multiple application fees to upgrade would dampen the incentive to study and demonstrate the greater proficiency needed to pass the examinations for the higher amateur classes.”
ARRL concluded that the FCC should exercise its authority to exempt amateur radio from application fees generally. If the FCC cannot see its way clear to waive fees for all amateur radio license applications, the fees should be waived for applicants age 26 years and younger. Such individuals, ARRL contended, have the most to contribute to the future of radio technology and other STEM-related activities and are the most likely to find the proposed application fees burdensome.
source:ARRL
Antenna
YouLoop HF loop antenna
HF loop antenna HF Portable & Flexible Receive Loop Antenna Covers HF frequencies (10 kHz to 30 MHz) Usable on VHF up to 300 MHz as a folded Dipol... Read more
TransWorld Basic Antenna
These two folding arm units are ready for connecting to the array box of your choice, and attaching to either the sturdy Quadrastand or Permanent Moun... Read more
Keep Antennas in the Clea
Dan Evander, KJ7YBK, lives in a duplex condo and wants to set up a dipole on his roof, but asks Dave for his thoughts on the matter before proceeding. Read more
Radiowavz Sentinel Expedition
“Hope (KM4IPF) talks about the Radiowavz Sentinel Expedition Hex Beam that she and her siblings have been using. They have come up with a few ti... Read more
Indoor SteppIR Yagis by AE9K
Indoor SteppIR Yagis by AE9K Read Full Article: SteepIr Antennas Web Site Read more
Review
Yaesu FTM-100DR Wires-X Portable Digital Node + Firmware Update
“You can now use your Yaesu FTM-100DR, FTM-400DR and the F2DR as a Wires-X hotspot (PDN) or IP radio without buying the HRI-200 or another C4FM... Read more
Sherwood Report on the #1 FTDX101D !
Sherwood Report “ANNOUNCEMENT – Friday May 10th, 2019: Sherwood Report on the FTDX101D We know that some have been waiting for the Sherwoo... Read more
BaofengTech BTECH 50X3 Triband Mobile Radio Review and Power Testing
BTECH UV-50X3 X-Series Mobile – 50 Watt Tri Band Radio 13.8V (15 Amp) Operating Voltage Source Required – Dual Receiver Radio (Dual RF), C... Read more
Equipment
Hilberling HPA-8000B-54 Power Amplifier
HPA-8000B-54 1kW Out Linear Amplifier 1.8 … 54 MHz Amateur Radio Bands 160 / 80 / 40 / 30 / 20 17 / 15 / 12 / 10 / 6 m All-Mode AM / FM / SSB /... Read more
Ultra Wide-band Coverage SDR Receiver MK3
Ultra Wide-band Coverage SDR Receiver MK3 • Full coverage reception form 100KHz to 2GHz SDR • Independent antenna inputs for Shortwave and VHF • USB c... Read more
K42C CW Keyboard/Reader Kit
The K42 is the Swiss Army knife of CW keyers, it will provide lots of CW operation and enjoyment. A CW keyboard interface, CW reader, iambic paddle ke... Read more
The new mAT-705 Auto ATU for the Icom IC-705
Specifically built for the new Icom IC-705, the mAT-705 is the latest compact and fully portable Micro-ATU owered by an internal 9V dry battery! The a... Read more
News
Use your Privileges Properly – Ham Radio
Due to some inquiry by Eric, KB0YDN, I decided to make this video discussing the incident of the Ham Firefighting Interference in Idaho Last year. Thi... Read more
ISM Packet Decoder Plugin For SDR Sharp – RTL 433
Here we take a look at the RTL433 Plugin for SDR Sharp, making it easy to decode ISM RF Packets. https://github.com/marco402/plugin-Rtl433-for-SdrShar... Read more
Increase in unidentified intruders
IARUMS newsletter IARU Monitoring System (IARUMS) Region 1 newsletter reports an increase in unidentified intruders in the amateur radio bands followi... Read more
I’m an Intern at ARRL Headquarters!
“I’m Jherica Goodgame, KI5HTA, and I’m a 2022 summer intern at ARRL HQ. Join me while I show you around some of my favorite parts of... Read more
Antenna on Sloping Ground – What happens?
“Various terrain and Antennas: You can make the slope work to your advantage. I know your next question already. Hang on. I’ll make a vide... Read more