The Commission released a Public Notice announcing that its automated filing and payment system (“Fee Filer”) is open for FY 2016 regulatory fee payments. The Commission released the Assessment of Regulatory Fees for FY 2016 Report and Order on September 2, 2016, which adopted a schedule of fees to assess and collect $384,012,497 in regulatory fees. Regulatory fees for FY 2016 will not become effective until the rulemaking is published in the Federal Register, but regulatees at their own discretion can submit payments at any time before the effective date. Fees must be filed no later than 11:59 pm ET on September 27, 2016.
The Commission included a fact sheet for holders of licenses in commercial wireless services, outlining the following:
- CMRS providers (CMRS cellular licensees, CMRS mobile service licensees, and CMRS messaging licensees) owe regulatory fees for each license held as of October 1, 2015, even if a license expired after October 1, 2015. In instances where a license or authorization is transferred or assigned after October 1, 2015, the fee must be paid by the party that is the licensee or holder of the authorization on the fee due date.
- CMRS Mobile Services fees are assessed at $0.20 per telephone number/unit.
- CMRS providers must retain the business records that were used to calculate their fee payment for a period of two years from the date of regulatory fee payment.
- Regulatory fees for BRS are assessed on a per license basis ($725), whereas regulatory fees for LMDS are assessed on a per call sign basis ($725).
- De Minimis: Regulatees whose total FY 2016 annual regulatory fee liability, including all categories of fees for which payment is due, is $500 or less are exempt from payment of FY 2016 regulatory fees.
Additional industry-specific guidance is available here: http://www.fcc.gov/regfees.
Information and instructions for electronic filing is available here.
Please contact us with any questions.