As of Friday, August 23, the fee for applying for or renewing an amateur "vanity" call sign rose from $15.00 to $16.10 for a ten-year term. The fee varies each year as the FCC prepares its annual budget. What is unusual about this increase is that the Commission initially proposed only a 20-cent increase (to $15.20), but in the end decided on $16.10. There was no explanation for the change in the Report and Order setting the new fees.In addition, the ARRL reports that the FCC will now require that all regulatory fee payments be made electronically.