[Alexandria Radio Club Reflector] FCC releases proposal for new filing fee structure - LPFM/NCE remains exempt - new fees for ham radio | REC Networks

[KA4GFY]

The FCC is run by lawyers, not people who really understand the technical aspects of communications.

The real issue here (coming from a CPA), is that the real cost to FCC and Federal government of processing amateur radio licenses (and GMRS) is negligible.  The heavy lifting of examining and processing amateur license applications is borne by the Volunteer Exam teams and the Volunteer Exam Coordinators. 

VECs are only allowed to charge up to $15, so how can FCC justify charging $50 for an amateur license?  It's simply a money grab.

Based on the the recent amateur license count I saw an Eham, there are a little more than 764,000 amateurs in the US.  At $50 each time we get a new license, renew, modify, vanity call, etc that works out to more than $38 million.  That's about 10% of FCC's annual appropriation in the Federal budget.     

I am sure ARRL will have something to say about this.  

73,

Rich, KA4GFY

> On August 27, 2020 at 9:33 PM "Don (KI4D)" < don.ki4d at gmail.com mailto:don.ki4d at gmail.com > wrote:
> 
> 
>     Hams need to remind the FCC that one of the reasons they organized the
>     amateur service for support to the public in emergencies.
> 
>     73
> 
>     Don, KI4D
> 
>     https://recnet.com/node/3182
> 
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