The FCC has issued a Public Notice reminding Part 90 licensees about the upcoming January 1, 2013 narrowbanding deadline. In addition, the PN also offers guidance for submitting requests for waiver of the narrowbanding deadline. Licensees that anticipate the need for additional time beyond the deadline must request a waiver and the Commission encourages licensees to file their waiver request preferably before the end of 2011. The PN includes a list of recommended content to be included in a waiver request. 

The PN also contains answers to some frequently asked questions about narrowbanding and addresses the fee exemption for licensees that file straight narrowbanding modification applications. 

Read the full Public Notice: http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0713/DA-1...

The Federal Communications Commission has announced that it will be implementing a new financial system in October 2010. To prepare for cutover to the new financial system, the Commission’s current financial system will shut down on September 30, 2010, the last day of the FCC's fiscal year. They anticipate that it will take until October 18, 2010 for the new financial system to become fully operational.

  During the conversion, or “blackout,” period, the Commission’s licensing systems will not have full access to up-to-date payment information. Applicants will not be able to view their current Red Light status (which indicates delinquent debt owed the FCC) or recent payment activity online during the conversion period. Likewise, Commission staff will have limited ability during the conversion period to access certain files and systems that track payments. The Commission further notes that time-sensitive filings may incur processing delays during the conversion period so applicants are urged to plan their licensing activities around the conversion period.   During the conversion period licensees and applicants will still be able to conduct the following activities: file applications electronically and make payment on-line, use the Commission's on-line Fee Filer system to pay their debts, mail applications and other documents and associated payments to the Commission's lockbox bank, file applications and filings with the Commission, and contact the Financial Operations Helpdesk. Lastly, licensing dismissal periods for confirming applications fee payments will be suspended during the conversion period.

The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has issued a Public Notice announcing the reinstatement of the freeze on the filing of new non-rebanding related 800 MHz applications along the U.S.-Canada border until the earlier of: 1.) April 14, 2011 or 2.) the date on which the Bureau determines that accepting non-rebanding applicatons in a specific NPSPAC region will have no negative impact on rebanding. The PN notes that the reinstatement of the freeze on non-rebanding applications is needed to preserve vacant channels for licensees operating along the U.S.-Canada border that are still retuning their systems. The reinstuted freeze is applicable to a limited number of NPSPAC regions including: New England, Michigan, Eastern and Western Upstate New York, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, and Washington.  It is also applicable to stations located within 70 miles of the borders of those NPSPAC regions.

The Land Mobile Communications Council (LMCC) has filed comments encouraging the FCC to adopt consistent rules addressing the Commission's license renewal and discontinuance of operation requirements. LMCC's comments stress the need for regulatory simplicity and commonality amongst similar wireless radio services regulated by the Commission including those subject to Parts 22, 90, and 101. LMCC endorsed an "affirmative certification" for site-based renewal filings in which the licensee would confirm that it continues to operate consistent with the terms of its authorization.  LMCC did not support a proposed "regulatory compliance demonstration" noting that it would impose an unnecessary burden on licensees and the Commission itself. The comments also voiced support for retention of the current one-year rule for discontinuance of operations for most site-based Part 90 licensees. LMCC's comments were filed in response to the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in WT Docket No. 10-112.  UTC is a long-standing member of LMCC and sits on its Board of Directors.

The FCC held a workshop on May 6th to discuss the development of its new Consolidated Licensing System (CLS). The CLS will become the vehicle by which all UTC members will access their license information. The purpose of the workshop was to explore legal and technical challenges the Commission is likely to encounter as it develops and deploys the agency-wide CLS.

The CLS is intended to replace all of the Commission’s current licensing systems used for the different services it regulates, among them the ULS, ASR, COALS, CDBS, ELS and IBFS. Participants in the roundtable workshop included representatives from the legal community, broadcast, wireless, and tower industries, amateur operators, and associations and frequency advisory committees including UTC. Read more »