WHAT'S COOKING AT THE FCC?

Information about goings on in Washington

DOCKET WT 10-119 – A complete review of all of the Rules and Regulations for all of the Personal Radio Services in Part 95.  Notice of Proposed Rule Making, June, 2010.  335 Comments filed (Yikes!) as of September, 2017.   AFTER MORE THAN 7 YEARS the FCC has finally taken action on this Docket.  All Part 95 Rules reorganized and rewritten, GMRS now in Subparts A & E.  General Mobile Radio Service left intact, including licensing.   2 watt hand-held portables with attached integral antennas now can operate under FRS Rules without a license.

            A.        Report & Order, with complete new Part 95 Rules.

 

MD DOCKET 14-92, 15-121 – The FCC first raised the possibility of eliminating the Regulatory Fee charge for a GMRS license back in 2008 (MD Docket 08-65).  The Reulatory Fee component was $5 per year, for a total of $25 for a 5-year GMRS license.  FCC Staff discussed this possibility with me during a visit to Washington in 2011.  Eliminating the GMRS Regulatory Fee was again raised in MD Docket 13-140, 14-92 and 15-121.  AFTER MORE THAN 7 YEARS the FCC finally made a decision on this and eliminated the Regulatory Fee component from the charge to apply for a GRMS license.  This reduced the total cost of a GMRS license from $90 to $65.  

            B.        Comments by P. Randall Knowles.

            C.        Reply Comments by P. Randall Knowles.

            D.         Report & Order.

            E.         Effective Date.

 

DOCKET WT 13-212 – Regarding a Request by Mobile Relay Associates for a Rule Waiver to authorize new trunked repeaters to operate in the guard bands immediately above and below GMRS using super narrowband digital emissions in selected cities.  Comment period closed, 17 filed as of December 15, 2013.

            F.         Request by Mobile Relay Associates.

G.         Comments filed by P. Randall Knowles.

            H.         Supplement to Comments filed by P. Randall Knowles.

            I.          Reply Comments filed by the Personal Radio Steering Group.

J.         Reply Comments filed by Mobile Relay Associates.

            K.         Reply Comments filed by P. Randall Knowles.

 

PENDING ISSUE  – Drastically reducing or eliminating the Application Fee (now $70) to apply for a GMRS license.   Act of Congress required.

            L.        Position Paper by P. Randall Knowles.


 

Questions or comments may be submitted to Randy@NSEA.com