Author Topic: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees  (Read 8796 times)

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Offline Wrightwood

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FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« on: Aug 29, 20, 08:54:36 AM »
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Offline ad astra

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #1 on: Aug 29, 20, 09:34:02 PM »
For many people $50 is a rather hefty fee, especially to renew a license with no changes. I can foresee a lot of the people we all brought into the hobby for emergency preparedness letting their license lapse after 10 years rather than renew at that cost. I wonder how others feel?

Offline Nolena

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #2 on: Aug 30, 20, 06:31:58 AM »
I believe that impediments should not be put in the way of people communicating. $50 could be an impediment. Financial status should not be a factor.

Offline ForestGal

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #3 on: Aug 30, 20, 09:46:22 AM »
I agree with both ad astra and Nolena.  $50 is not a "nominal" fee to many people, and would, in fact, likely prohibit some who are interested in obtaining licenses, from attempting to do so.  I obtained my Technician class license in 2008, not for use as a hobby, but for disaster preparedness.  I don't remember what the fee was to take the exam, but it wasn't very much, around $20?  It was the same when I upgraded to General class the following year, and only $7 to renew for 10 years.  The radio was an invaluable tool when we had to evacuate in 2009 and 2016 because of fires.  Being able to communicate and receive information during a disaster, when phone service might be unavailable, is crucial. 

Offline lwt42

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #4 on: Aug 30, 20, 11:37:22 AM »
According to the article, this is a proposal from the FCC, which has not reached the NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking).

The NPRM must be published in the Federal Register, and there will be a comment period.  I would encourage everyone who has an opinion to file comments with the Commission.

When I was first licensed, I had to pay a fee to the FCC for my license.  Novice licenses (which no longer exist) could be given my another ham, but I had to go to the FCC office to take the Technician test.  That changed in 1977, and I haven't had to pay the FCC since.

I can't find anything on the web that gives the pre-1977 fee structure.

The VE testing fee that most of you paid went to the organization that administered the testing session (VE team and VEC) and is set to cover costs (printing, preparation, etc.).

I also hold a GMRS license, which cost $70 for a ten year license.  My wife and I can use those when camping and there is no test.  We could have gone with shorter range FRS radios and saved the fee, I guess.

$50 for a ten year license is $5 per year.

Offline ForestGal

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #5 on: Aug 30, 20, 09:33:43 PM »
I agree with you also, lwt42.  Now that I think about it, I think it was something like $16 for each of the 2 exams I took.  I don't even know why I did the second one, I was just trying to prove something,  I've never used my license in that capacity.  But you are correct, $5/year isn't much to a lot of us, but $50 up front might be, to a potential newbie.  What is GMRS? 

Offline lwt42

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #6 on: Aug 31, 20, 11:05:59 AM »
I agree with you also, lwt42.  Now that I think about it, I think it was something like $16 for each of the 2 exams I took.  I don't even know why I did the second one, I was just trying to prove something,  I've never used my license in that capacity.  But you are correct, $5/year isn't much to a lot of us, but $50 up front might be, to a potential newbie.  What is GMRS?

There will be time to comment, the NPRM has not been published.  As far as I can tell, someone at the FCC accidentally opened up comments, and then turned it back off. 

Just to be clear, that $16 was not paid to the FCC.  It went to the W5YI-VEC, or the ARRL-VEC or any of a few dozen others, mostly to cover costs of creating, printing, administering, and reporting to the FCC.  VECs are not allowed to run at a profit.

We pay nothing for our licenses.  Compare that to the $19 billion paid to the FCC for commercial licenses in the 600 MHz region (eventually T-Mobile will have the best cell coverage because of this).  I don't think Amateur Radio can or should compete with commercial interests, just pointing out the contrasts.

For those who buy a Baofeng or similar and that's their only radio, it does about double the cost.  For those who go beyond FM and repeaters, spending a couple thousand on gear is common. 

Still, I want to see how the FCC justifies the $50/decade fee.  I'm not personally in favor, but I won't let my license go.

GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) is a 460 MHz service, using FM.  Operators are not required to have any technical expertise.  Repeaters are allowed.  It's mostly a business service.  It's a step up from FRS (Family Radio Service), which does not require a license or allow repeaters.  They've got plenty of range if my wife is fishing and I'm back at the campsite.

Offline lwt42

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #7 on: Aug 31, 20, 11:57:36 AM »
I found this post giving the history of Amateur Radio License fees at QRZ.com:

Quote
The FCC proposal to require license fees has started several threads in various forums, along with the usual lack of historical perspective.

So, here's a short history of US Amateur Radio License fees (not VE test fees). The following is based on QST articles from the time periods listed.

In all cases, the ARRL strongly opposed the fees. Sometimes the opposition was effective, sometimes it wasn't.

In 1933, the FRC (predecessor of the FCC) proposed a fee of $5 ($100.17 in 2019 dollars) for amateur operator licenses. In those days operator license terms were 3 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In 1954, the FCC proposed a fee of $3 ($28.93 in 2019 dollars) for amateur licenses. In those days, and until the early 1980s, license terms were 5 years. This proposal was strongly opposed and was not enacted.

In the early 1960s the FCC again proposed fees for amateur licenses, and this time the proposal was enacted despite the opposition. The original effective date of January 1, 1964 was delayed a few months by a legal challenge, but by mid-March, 1964 the following fees were enacted:

New or renewed license: $4 ($33.45 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $2 ($16.72)
Special callsign: $20 ($167.25)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective August 1, 1970, the FCC raised the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $9 ($60.09 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $4 ($26.71)
Special callsign: $25 ($166.92)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Effective March 1, 1975, the FCC lowered the above fees for amateur licenses to the following:

New or renewed license: $4 ($19.27 in 2019 dollars)
Modified license: $3 ($14.46)
Duplicate license: $2 ($9.64)
Special callsign: $25 ($120.46)

Novice and RACES licenses remained free.

Finally, effective January 1, 1977, FCC dropped all fees for amateur licenses. From then until now, all US amateur licenses have been free.

VE testing fees are set by the VECs, and go to pay the costs of conducting the test sessions - space rental, duplication, postage, etc. The FCC sets a maximum fee, but VECs can set the fees lower, or waive them entirely.

Modern vanity-call fees have varied over time - someone else can write their history.

In the above schedule of fees, a "new or renewed license" included the fee for taking the tests, pass or fail, for a new license or a license upgrade. A "modified" license meant a change of address or name, but not a license upgrade.

Special callsigns in those days followed different rules than today, but there were specific cases where an amateur could get a callsign that wasn't sequentially issued. The special-callsign fee was a one-time charge.

All 2019-equivalent prices are from the Westegg Inflation Calculator:

https://westegg.com/inflation/

It is left to the reader to figure the per-year cost of the above fees.

73 de Jim, N2EY

Offline ForestGal

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Re: FCC Proposes to Reinstate Amateur Radio Service Fees
« Reply #8 on: Aug 31, 20, 09:18:49 PM »

Still, I want to see how the FCC justifies the $50/decade fee.  I'm not personally in favor, but I won't let my license go.


Thank you for the interesting article above about fee structure.  I won't let my license go either.  It seemed weird, a couple years ago, writing a check for $7.  But even $50 is worth it. considering the peace of mind it provides during emergencies.  I have the Kenwood tri-bander TH-F6 HT, and I purchased a Diamond SRH320A tri-band antenna, which is longer than the rubber duck that came with the radio, so more coverage I guess.  That's the only radio I have, and it's plenty for this unmechanical, un-techie soul.  I don't use it much.   KI6SLC
     

 

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