Final 2010 FCC Regulatory Fees Released

Following on the release of the 2010-11 TRS Fund contribution factor, the Commission today released its final regulatory fee schedule for FY 2010. The Commission adopted a telecommunications provider fee that is slightly lower than it proposed in April. The regulatory fee for telecommunications providers (including audio bridging providers) is $0.00349 per revenue dollar reported on the April 1, 2010 Form 499-A.

The Commission acknowledged that telecommunications providers pay 46% of all regulatory fees, which several carriers had argued is a disproportionately large percentage of the total amount collected by the FCC. (And I agree.) Recognizing these concerns, the Commission announced that it would be releasing a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to ​“rebalance” its regulatory fees in the future.

Regulatory fee payments will be due by the end of September and are subject to a 25% late payment penalty if not paid on time. As with last year, the FCC will not mail bills to telecommunications carriers. Carriers are required to check the FCC regulatory fee web page for payment information before the September due date.