The Federal Communications CommissionAll NAQCC members recently received this email from Steve Szabo WB4OMM NAQCC President.

Since this ridiculous amateur radio license fee proposal impacts us all, it is well worth the time to respond to the FCC. Steve’s email includes a link to the read all about it ARRL page, and more importantly, the FCC response page as well as the information (other than your name email and address) you need to paste into the response. Of course you can use your own words but Steve’s response gets the point across. Read on and then take a minute to respond.

Good Morning Folks!

Important!!! This impacts – YOU! You might well want to file comments
against this NPRM.

The FCC filed a Notice for Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to start collecting a
$50 fee for Amateur Radio License Applications, Vanity Calls, Renewals and
for a copy of your license. Currently, these are free.

Here is an article from the ARRL that summarizes the changes:

http://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-proposes-to-reinstate-amateur-radio-service-fees

Comments are being accepted on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which proposes application fees for radio amateurs. Formal deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. Comments may be filed now, however, by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270.
The docket is already open for accepting comments, even though deadlines
have not yet been set.

Here is how to file your comments (copy and paste in your browser):

https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express

  • In the first box type, “20-270”, then select the “Amendment of the
    Schedule of Application Fees….”
  • Then fill out the remainder and submit. It won’t immediately show
    up, it has to be reviewed first..mine showed up this morning.

Here are the comments I submitted:

“I strenuously implore the FCC to drop this fee initiative for Amateur Radio License Applications and Renewals. Amateur Radio Operators provide VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY SERVICES. VOLUNTEER Examiners, SKYWARN, ARES, RACES, and CERT are all VOLUNTARY groups and services. Even the title, “AMATEUR” denotes VOLUNTEER service (non-paid). I see this fee as a huge barrier to youth (Boy and Girl Scouts, High School, Elementary Students) at a minimum; I see it as a, “slap in the face” to folks who provide volunteer community services. If you need funding, raise the fees of the commercial license holders who profit from the license. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.”

If you provide comments, make them your own…there are over 300 comments on the site against this NPRM as of today, but obviously the more the better. No nastiness, “just say no!”.

Thanks for reading! I hope you understand why I sent this out.

72/73!

Steve Szabo WB4OMM #5913

NAQCC President

73 de KE2YK