Broaden the Regulatory Fee Payer Burden, Satcom Operators Say

Experimental license holders and broadband internet service providers need to pay FCC regulatory fees, Kepler, SES and Telesat told FCC officials, per a docket 21-190 ex parte filing posted Tuesday. The filing recapped meetings with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and staff from multiple agency offices and bureaus. The satellite operators also urged regulatory fees for equipment authorization holders and database administrators that charge fees to enable unlicensed operations. Those who benefit from Office of Engineering and Technology regulatory work should pay fees to support those activities, they said. The current fee structure puts a big burden on satellite operators that could undercut investment and hurt innovation, they said. OneWeb wasn't part of the meetings but backs the fee stance, they said.