98.6% of Public Comments Opposed the FCC's Foreign-Drone Restrictions

Of 3,824 readable comments filed in FCC PS Docket No. 26-189, 3,770 (about 98.6%) opposed a proposal to restrict the import and sale of certain foreign-produced drones, according to a Pilot Institute analysis of the public record. Pilot Institute, a drone training organization, also filed its own opposing comments. Sixteen comments were classified as supporting the proposal as written.

The FCC had tentatively concluded that the proposed restrictions would not have substantial economic and supply-chain impact, reasoning the targeted equipment represents a minority of the non-federal drone market. The agency asked commenters whether the impacts would be "relatively minor and contained" and requested data on potential costs. Pilot Institute found that only one commenter who addressed that specific question agreed with the FCC's tentative conclusion.

The count includes operator voices as well as manufacturers: sheriff's deputies using thermal cameras on night searches, farmers spraying their own fields, and one-person mapping businesses, alongside a DJI filing contesting the proposal's "military-grade" framing. US drone makers, including Skydio (a $3.5 billion U.S. expansion commitment) and BRINC (a $125 million round led by Motorola), are publicly positioned to benefit from restrictions.

The comment period has closed. The FCC will now weigh the record before any further action.