FCC License Renewal

[Steveradio]

Well here we go again our business FCC License expires in August and the manager is already calling me if we should pay the notices they are getting.

The Universal Licensing & Federal Licensing Companies are early to send out reminder notices and make it look like to the untrained eye you should pay now.. We have 6 months before the license expires in August which plan to renew in the next month or two.

Its always a question from them every year. Has anyone else used them in the past and if so are you better off filing on your own or using them. Believe they do add fees to process we have a FB2 IG licenses.

Just curious on others thoughts who deal with licensing?

 

[Voyager]

You will get a notice from the FCC. That is the one you need to pay attention to. You will likely get it in the next few months. Best off to renew it online at the FCC website.

 

[jim202]

Well here we go again our business FCC License expires in August and the manager is already calling me if we should pay the notices they are getting.

The Universal Licensing & Federal Licensing Companies are early to send out reminder notices and make it look like to the untrained eye you should pay now.. We have 6 months before the license expires in August which plan to renew in the next month or two.

Its always a question from them every year. Has anyone else used them in the past and if so are you better off filing on your own or using them. Believe they do add fees to process we have a FB2 IG licenses.

Just curious on others thoughts who deal with licensing?

Most of these companies survive as leaches on the gullible people that don't know any better. These companies charge high service fees that any normal business license renewal can do them selves for far much less money.

Other than using the paper they send you to heat your room, they are better to stay away from.

 

[cabletech]

As some one who holds several license's, there are only two ways that I would tell any one on how to renew.

1) When you first applied for your license, your company used a group to do all the work for them.
That group is listed on the license or at least on the information page on the FCC data base.

Use that group and forget the others.

2) Go the FCC ULS and do your renewal on line. This takes about 10 days to complete and cost a whole lot less.

I just renewed one of mine thru the FCC ULS and it cost me +/- $150.00 and I had the new license in the data base in 48 hours and paper license within 10 days.

Had I used one of the licensing service's, it would have cost between $200 & $400 and several weeks.

You will need a online account which is fast and free.

Go here to get started https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

 

[rapidcharger]

I recommend doing it directly through the ULS online.
I've seen official looking junk mail that comes in from scammers that looked so much like correspondence from the FCC, even to use the FCC logo only it wasn't from the FCC. If you managed to utilize this forum, you are more than qualified to renew your business pool license on the ULS.

 

[ramal121]

Go the FCC ULS and do your renewal on line. This takes about 10 days to completehttps://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

I think you meant 10 minutes but did get a chuckle on that (or did you really mean 10 days).

It's the same as the clowns that will renew your car registration for you. Sure it will get done without worries and you pay for the privilege, but it's only slightly more difficult than falling off a chair to do it yourself.

 

[SteveC0625]

One other point. If you have a business license, then your organization already has an FRN (FCC Registration Number) which should be printed on your license. In order to do the renewal yourself, you will need the password associated with the FRN. If you don't have it, there is a password reset process in the ULS under the FRN or CORES section. You'll see it when you attempt to login with your FRN.

The reset process is mostly painless, but you'll have answer their questions to do it. It's been 4 years since I reset an FRN so I have forgotten precisely what the process was, but it's not difficult.

You can also search the ULS for your FRN if it is not printed on your license. It's all right there on the link that cabletech provided.

I would urge you to get the FRN and password straightened out now, long before the deadline for renewal. That way, when the renewal notice from the FCC arrives, you will be ready to renew without any last minute problems. The last renewal notice that came across my desk was issued on November 24th with a February 15th expiration. Presuming that the renewal notice gets delivered promptly to you by whomever in your company handles the mail, you'll have upwards of 75 days to get the renewal done.

*IF* it gets down to less than 60 days until expiration and you don't have that letter, you can log into your FRN account using the "manage your licenses" link and then locate and print out a copy of the renewal letter. Everything like that is available under the ADMIN tab of your license display on the ULS.

 

[Steveradio]

We are set with FRN number and everything else, We took care of one license already as once again thanks to my help other wise they would have been paying additional to these companies who send out notices. Told the secretary as stated above to just keep all mail regarding the license and dont do anything until say to!

Just amazing and curious how many do not know it can be done easily via ULS..

 

[Jasonyohon]

FCC ULS Browser Recommendations?

The ULS system is fairly easy. The only trouble is getting the right combo of Browser/OS and Java. I completed a form 601 recently switching around until I found something that worked.... but I am trying again at this moment and nothing is working.

Does anyone have a recommendation as to what Browser/version to use? I am convinced it's impossible to use a newly updated browser. FCC recommends Firefox 3.6+ and Java 1.6 !! Firefox is currently on 36 and Java is on 6. I cannot get anything to work with a modern browser. I was just trying FF 3.6 and it's not working. Might need to revert my Java version as well...

Just tried FF 19. The application applet loads but its blank. Maybe I am missing a step?

 

[902]

There are a number of things you can do with your license that do not require going through a licensing service. Those ones who send you the unsolicited ads with strong-arm wording border on fraud, but they are just north of the line and do manage to find enough unaware clients to be able to stay in business.

The window to go into ULS to renew your license is 90 days. You can go in and do a renewal-only, administrative updates, or add narrowband emissions of a similar modulation technique (you can't go from wideband analog to narrowband digital without going through the frequency coordination process, as the move to digital is not automatically approved). There is a fee if you are not fee-exempt. Like what has been mentioned, if you used those licensing services, you'd still pay the fee and the exorbitant rate for a semi-skilled person who knows the right buttons to push to send your application through exactly the same process you could have done for much, much less.

When you do renew, please make sure that all of the contact information is accurate and that you have good contact numbers on the license. These days, the FCC is phasing out paper licenses for many services. Postal mail also seems to be going out of favor as the correspondence mode of record, so keeping up on contacts is very important. You might want to have an email to a POSITION rather than to a particular person get those notifications. People come and go, retire, die, etc. Their mail gets thrown out or returned, and emails bounce. A position email stays in the organization regardless of whose behind occupies the seat today or tomorrow.

 

[902]

The ULS system is fairly easy. The only trouble is getting the right combo of Browser/OS and Java. I completed a form 601 recently switching around until I found something that worked.... but I am trying again at this moment and nothing is working.

Does anyone have a recommendation as to what Browser/version to use? I am convinced it's impossible to use a newly updated browser. FCC recommends Firefox 3.6+ and Java 1.6 !! Firefox is currently on 36 and Java is on 6. I cannot get anything to work with a modern browser. I was just trying FF 3.6 and it's not working. Might need to revert my Java version as well...

Just tried FF 19. The application applet loads but its blank. Maybe I am missing a step?

You might want to call 1-888-CALL-FCC and ask for the ULS web support technicians. I do believe you need the most up-to-date Java version. Some of the early applications I ran years ago were buggy if the right versions weren't used. That said, I haven't had any problems like that in at least 12 years. I use FF 36.0.1, and the latest versions of Chrome and MSIE, favoring FF from home, but having to use Chrome and MSIE at work. W3C compatibility should work. I also use Java version 7.

I renewed my GMRS license last week and have a business one that's coming up, so I know mine works.

 

[baltimorecs]

I use the latest Firefox and latest Java and have no issues with the java app for the 601. Computer is Windows 7 64 bit version.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cabletech]

I think you meant 10 minutes but did get a chuckle on that (or did you really mean 10 days).

10 min on line and 10 to be listed as renewed.

93 days ahead of expiration.

 

[Jasonyohon]

I just got off the phone with 1-888-CALL-FCC and confirmed Java 8 does NOT work with the ULS system. I just reverted to Java 7 and it it works fine now.

ULS works with Firefox 36.0.1 and Java 7

ULS DOES NOT WORK WITH JAVA 8!

 

[Mtnrider]

If anyone needs to remove wideband from there license, theres a site to do that from the FCC....and no fee to do it.

https://apps3.fcc.gov/wideband-removal/

 

[SteveC0625]

If anyone needs to remove wideband from there license, theres a site to do that from the FCC....and no fee to do it.

https://apps3.fcc.gov/wideband-removal/

Good point! I would also remind folks that they can not renew their licenses until wideband is removed. If you try to renew without removing WB, the system steers you to this link first.

 

[Steveradio]

Thanks for reminder will have to check make sure the license is narrow band.

 

[krokus]

If anyone needs to remove wideband from there license, theres a site to do that from the FCC....and no fee to do it.

https://apps3.fcc.gov/wideband-removal/

Odd. Everything I read, back at the wideband deadline time frame, said that the FCC was going to automatically remove wideband from licenses.

Sent via Tapatalk

 

[902]

Odd. Everything I read, back at the wideband deadline time frame, said that the FCC was going to automatically remove wideband from licenses.

Sent via Tapatalk

They easily could have, but did not. They remain on the license until the licensee removes them. They are not valid for use without a waiver in effect, though.

 

[ecps92]

Thanks, first time I had seen that web page link

Gotta love the FCC sharing info with the Licensee :roll:

Thanks for reminder will have to check make sure the license is narrow band.