So here’s the thing, folks. I see everyone getting anxious about the impact of the DJI ban on hobbyist drones.
First off, the law isn’t going to stop you from owning a DJI drone for regular use. The bill in question, called the Countering CCP Drones Act, adds DJI to the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, meaning DJI’s devices won’t get FCC certification for use with federal networks. This doesn’t mean personal use will be banned. Just like Huawei phones still work on WiFi, so will your drones, but they might face limitations with things like Remote ID.
For DJI camera drones, this mainly affects Remote ID, a federal regulation. And if you’re using DJI’s FPV system, keep in mind it only has FCC clearance for certain channels and modes, so to go beyond that, you’ll need a ham radio license.
Edit: Just to clarify, I was talking from the perspective of a hobbyist. If you’re a licensed DJI operator, this might affect you more.
If the FCC revokes authorizations, it could become illegal to operate because DJI drones use radio frequencies that require proper licensing. Sure, it might be hard to enforce, but it could still be illegal.