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 Previous: The K7VVV Solar Update |  Next: ARRL to Offer HF Digital Communications Course |
NEWINGTON, CT, Apr 12, 2002--The FCC now has cleared the longstanding vanity call sign application backlog that had built up as a result of mail problems last October. The Commission issued another 328 vanity call signs this week. That completed the processing of applications received at the FCC's Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, office through March 25--right at the typical 18-day vanity application waiting period.
"We are back on track for vanity processing," an FCC Private Wireless Division Licensing and Technical Analysis Branch staff member told ARRL. While not ruling out any problems down the road, she indicated that everything was working fine now, and that the FCC would resume its normal nightly vanity runs.
ARRL VEC Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, congratulated the FCC's licensing staff on the accomplishment. "It's been a long time coming," he said. "A great deal of effort on the part of the FCC personnel in Gettysburg and some on the part of ARRL went into making this happen.
Among the latest happy customers was ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, who traded in her government-issue KB1HYD for K1MMH, reflecting her initials.
At its peak, the vanity backlog was estimated at more than 2000 applications. The FCC resumed routine vanity processing in early March. With the exception of a four-day hiatus to deal with a processing anomaly later that month, the FCC has been slowly but surely whittling away the application stack. The processing of routine Amateur Service applications was unaffected by the vanity problems.
The vanity holdup began after some two weeks of paper vanity applications sent off last October for anthrax decontamination were not returned to Gettysburg. Since FCC policy continues to give equal priority to paper and electronic vanity applications, vanity processing was halted when the paper applications didn't come back.
FCC staffers--with help from the ARRL--used payment information to contact those who had filed and have them submit new applications. Last month, the FCC began receiving the applications that had been missing.
Comments are due April 23 on an FCC proposal to raise the regulatory fee it charges vanity call sign applicants from $12 to $14.50 for the 10-year license term. Reply comments on the proposal are due May 3. If approved, the new, higher fee likely would go into effect in September. The FCC proposed the new fee in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (MD Docket No. 02-64) released March 27 to set Fiscal Year 2002 fees. The FCC has estimated that 8000 applicants would apply for vanity call signs in FY2001. The vanity fee is paid at the time of application for a new, renewal or reinstated vanity license.
Amateurs with pending applications may take advantage of the FCC Call Center's toll free number, 888-CALL FCC (888-225-5322) or may initiate an application search via the Universal Licensing System (ULS). Information on the amateur vanity call sign system is available on the FCC's Vanity Call Sign page.
| Previous: The K7VVV Solar Update | Next: ARRL to Offer HF Digital Communications Course |
