The FCC has reaffirmed its previous decision to fine drone maker HobbyKing $2.8 million for marketing non-compliant RF equipment and for failing to respond to FCC orders in the course of its investigation, which was instigated by the ARRL. According to the ARRL Letter, the League filed a complaint with the FCC in 2017 when its lab confirmed that the company's unmanned aircraft were not FCC-certified and operated on a variety of frequencies allocated to other services, including the 1300-MHz ham band, as well as GPS and air-traffic-control frequencies.
According to the Letter, HobbyKing first denied selling its transmitters to U.S. customers, then said it was never informed of the FCC's authorization requirements and that replying to the Commission's enforcement inquiries would violate its Fifth Amendment rights. In a Memorandum Opinion and Order issued on June 17, the FCC didn't buy any of it, denying the company's Petition for Reconsideration because it "fail(ed) to present new information warranting reconsideration."
