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APGA Joins Letter to FCC on Unlicensed Band Use Fees

By Renée Lani posted 10-28-2021 01:41 PM

  
On October 21, APGA joined 14 other organizations in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing potential fees for connected products that utilize unlicensed communication bands, such as some meters or sensors for monitoring that APGA members may use.

In its notice of proposed rulemaking on assessment and collection of regulatory fees for fiscal year 2021, the FCC discusses the potential to change its approach pertaining to fees for spectrum use and product registration.  This has the potential to impact systems and products that APGA members may use that connect to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other internet connectivity.  Through the letter, the organizations argue that the imposition of fees on the use of unlicensed bands or devices that connect using these frequencies would slow the significant progress our country has seen in a variety of technical applications, ultimately harming consumers and weakening the members’ global leadership.

Co-signors of the letter have been reviewing the FCC docket to see whether proponents’ comments supporting such fees warrant a rebuttal letter.  APGA will continue to stay engaged with this issue as appropriate.  For those interested, a copy of the comment letter is available here.

For questions on this article, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at rlani@apga.org.

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