On June 15 the Federal Communications Commission released the notice of a rule prohibiting the "certification, manufacture, importation, sale, or continued use of 121.5 MHz ELTs." The rule would suddenly make aircraft that are in full compliance with the federal aviation regulations in violation of federal communications law.
14 CFR Part 91.207 currently requires aircraft to carry a fixed ELT, but does not specify either 121.5 or 406 MHz. The FCC's change to 47 CFR Part 87 would outlaw the use of the former-effectively forcing general aviation aircraft owners to buy the 406 MHz ELT. While the rule would go into effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, it has not yet been published in the register. AOPA is aggressively pursuing all options to have the FCC and FAA delay and re-evaluate the rule, highlighting the economic and operational impact to the more than 220,000 aircraft in the GA fleet, most of whom still carry the 121.5 MHz ELTs.
"The FCC is making a regulatory change that would impose an extra cost on GA operators, without properly communicating with the industry or understanding the implications of its action," said AOPA Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Rob Hackman. "There is no FAA requirement to replace 121.5 MHz units with 406 MHz technology. When two government agencies don't coordinate, GA can suffer."
You can read the rest of the story on AOPA's website.