Industry Groups Push Back on Regulatory Fee Expansion
The FCC doesn’t have the authority to expand the base of regulatory fee payors, said a host of trade groups in reply comments on the agency’s proposed 2025 regulatory fees. Replies were due Monday in docket 25-190. NAB and Telesat pushed for the FCC to expand the payor base in their comments filed earlier this month (see 2507080044).
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“There is no basis for creating new fee categories, and the commission should reject NAB and Telesat’s recycled regulatory fee proposals,” said the Wi-Fi Alliance. NCTA argued that “NAB’s proposal is beyond the Commission’s authority, contrary to the language of the statute, and bad policy.” CTIA countered NAB’s call for the FCC to hold roundtables with industry stakeholders on regulatory fee reform, which would “create a duplicative process” with the agency's annual notice and comment on proposed changes.
The Consumer Technology Association pushed back against the NAB proposal to expand fees to “Big Tech,” saying it's “too vague to be workable.” There's “no attempt to define 'Big Tech' -- a political catchphrase masquerading as policy.” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has also said “Big Tech” should pay regulatory fees (see 2108260050).
The Telecommunications Industry Association likewise argued against collecting fees from equipment manufacturers. “Congress has not clearly granted the Commission jurisdiction over general categories of equipment manufacturers, other than ensuring through the authorization process that [devices] must not interfere with licensed spectrum users.”
In a joint filing, broadcaster associations representing 49 states disagreed with the trade groups. In 30 years of technological change, the FCC has added only two new regulatory fee categories, the state groups said. “In the current and far different era in which the FCC is the Cyber Trust Mark agency reining over the Internet of Things, this myopic focus on licenses places the agency on the pathway to an underfunded future.” Iridium also said the FCC should “work to expand the base of fee payors to match the scope of regulatory activity.”