FCC Examining Lifetime Licenses for Amateur Radio Operators
The FCC is getting dozens of comments from amateur radio operators on a proposal that the agency give them lifetime, rather than 10-year, licenses, under Part 97 of agency rules. Amateur radio operator Mark Krotz, of Mesa, Arizona, requested the…
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change in a November petition, on which the commission sought comment. “The FCC processes about 70,000 renewals per year (10 percent of 700,000), or about 5,830 per month, or nearly 300 per workday,” Krotz wrote. “Depending on the amount of human interaction required, this could be quite costly.” The 10-year license renewal requirement creates “a huge regulatory paper mill with questionable benefits,” he said. ARRL, formerly known as the American Radio Relay League, told members in a release how to file comments. James Smith of Atascadero, California, said his main concern is the impact on vanity call signs. “Good call signs would never expire,” he wrote. But most amateur radio operators appeared to support Krotz. “This would save me the hassle of having to mail in a renewal form every ten years, and would also I believe save the FCC administrative costs,” said Pat Kilcoyne, of Rockville, Maryland, who identifies himself as a licensee. The comments were posted by the FCC Wednesday in RM-11760.