[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 137 (Wednesday, July 17, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 46950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-17994]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 25

[IB Docket No. 02-10, DA 02-806]


Procedures To Govern the Use of Earth Stations on Board Vessels 
in Bands Shared With Terrestrial Fixed Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On March 22, 2002, the Federal Communications Commission 
published a proposed rule document on the variety of issues related to 
the authorization of satellite earth stations on board vehicles (ESVs). 
In response to a request for an extension of time, on April 9, 2002, 
the Commission released an order granting an extension of time for 
filing comments and reply comments in this proceeding.

DATES: Comments were due on or before May 10, 2002. Reply comments were 
due on or before June 10, 2002.

ADDRESSES: All comments and reply comments should be addressed to: 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, 
DC 20554. All comments and reply comments will be available for public 
inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference 
Information Center, Room CY-A257, 445 Twelfth Street, SW., Washington, 
DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peggy Reitzel, Policy Division, 
International Bureau, (202) 418-1499.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. On April 5, 2002, Maritime Telecommunications Network, Inc. 
(MTN) filed a motion to extend the comment and reply comment filing 
deadlines in this proceeding. (see Notice of Inquiry in the Matter of 
Procedures to Govern the Use of Earth Stations on Board Vessels in 
Bands Shared with Terrestrial Fixed Service, IB Docket No. 02-10, 67 FR 
13399, March 22, 2002). MTN contends that the current pleading schedule 
coincides with the upcoming meeting of the ITU-R Working Group 4-9S in 
Geneva, at which studies regarding the regulatory, technical and 
operational aspects of ESVs are expected to be conducted. Because many 
of these same technical and operational issues are under consideration 
in this proceeding, MTN asserts that commenters would benefit from 
additional time to review the results of the ITU-R meeting prior to the 
filing of comments.
    2. Although we do not routinely grant extensions of time, see 47 
CFR 1.46(a), we believe that extending the pleading cycle in this case 
will serve the public interest. In the Notice of Inquiry, the 
Commission indicated that it would note further international 
developments concerning the ESV service as it considers issues that 
could arise in the potential licensing of ESVs on a domestic level. 
Therefore, it is appropriate to extend the comment and reply comment 
deadlines by 30 days to permit MTN and other members of the public to 
incorporate the results of the ITU-R meeting in their comments and 
reply comments so as to help the Commission address the complex issues 
raised in this proceeding.
    3. Pursuant to Sec. 1.46 of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 1.46, 
the request of Maritime Telecommunications Network Inc. is granted.
    4. The deadline for filing comments in this proceeding was extended 
to May 10, 2002.
    5. The deadline for filing reply comments in this proceeding was 
extended to June 10, 2002.

    Federal Communications Commission.
James Ball,
Chief, Policy Division, International Bureau.
[FR Doc. 02-17994 Filed 7-16-02; 8:45 am]
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