[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6688-6689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3275]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 90

[WT Docket No. 02-55; DA 03-163]


Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band; 
Consolidating the 800 MHz Industrial/Land Transportation and Business 
Pool Channels Order Extending Time for Filing of Comments

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comments and reply comments due 
dates.

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SUMMARY: This document addresses the Request for Extension of Time 
(Request) filed by the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet 
Association (CTIA). The Request sought additional time to respond to 
the public notice that sought comment on ``Supplemental Comments of the 
Consensus Parties'' filed in the 800 MHz Public Safety Interference 
Proceeding--WT Docket No. 02-55. The Bureau extended the comment and 
reply comment due dates. Extending the comment and reply comment period 
permits for a more thorough review of the proposal advanced in the 
``Supplemental Comments of the Consensus Parties'' and affords 
additional time to prepare comments and reply comments. Such comments 
will enhance the record of WT Docket 02-55 and lead to an improvement 
in public safety operations in the 800 MHz band and will reduce 
interference experienced by 800 MHz public safety operators.

DATES: Comments are due on or before February 10, 2003 and Reply 
Comments are due on or before February 25, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission 445, 12th Street, SW., TW-
A325, Washington, D.C. 20554. See Supplementary Information for filing 
instructions

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Franklin, Esq., or Michael J. 
Wilhelm, Esq., Policy and Rules Branch, Public Safety and Private 
Wireless Division at (202) 418-0680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order 
Extending Time for Filing of Comments, DA 03-163, adopted on January 
16, 2003, and released on January 16, 2003. The full text of this 
document is available for inspection and copying during normal business 
hours in the FCC Reference Center, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20554. The complete text may be purchased from the Commission's copy 
contractor, Qualex International, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, 
Washington, DC 20554. The full text may also be downloaded at: 
www.fcc.gov. Alternative formats are available to persons with 
disabilities by contacting Brian Millin at (202) 418-7426 or TTY (202) 
418-7365 or at [email protected].
    On December 24, 2002, the ``Consensus Parties'' filed supplemental 
comments further explaining the particulars of their proposal 
addressing interference experienced by 800 MHz public safety systems. 
On January 3, 2003, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau sought 
comment on the Consensus Parties supplemental comments. On January 13, 
2002, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) 
filed a Request for Extension of Time (Request) in the captioned 
proceeding, asking that the current date set for the filing of 
comments, February 3, 2003, and the date set for filing of reply 
comments, February 18, 2003, be extended by four weeks; i.e. that the 
date for submitting comments be changed to March 3, 2003, and the date 
for submitting reply comments be changed to March 18, 2003. We also 
note that Cinergy Corporation, Entergy Corporation and Entergy 
Services, Inc., Consumers Energy Company and Southern Communications 
Company each submitted pleadings supporting CTIA's request.
    It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are not 
routinely granted. Here, CTIA requests additional time to thoroughly 
review the plan presented in the supplemental comments thereby to 
provide a more complete record in this docket. CTIA also asserts that 
it needs additional time to permit consultation with its members and 
expert personnel. It submits that time is not of the essence in this 
proceeding because the proposed band reconfiguration would take several 
years to implement. We disagree. On March 15, 2002, the Commission 
released the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), [67 FR 16351, April 
5, 2002], associated with this docket. In the NPRM, the Commission 
stated that it intended to move swiftly to achieve its

[[Page 6689]]

objective--improving the spectrum environment for public safety 
operations in the 800 MHz Band. However, finding some merit in the 
arguments advanced by CTIA and in the supporting pleadings, we believe 
that a modest extension of time `` one week `` may serve to compile a 
more complete record. Therefore, we hereby extend the comment date to 
February 10, 2003 and extend the reply comment date to February 25, 
2003.
    Accordingly, it is Ordered that CTIA's Motion for Extension of Time 
is Granted to the extent expressed herein and is Denied in all other 
respects, and that the time for filing comments in the captioned 
proceeding is Extended until February 10, 2003 and the time for filing 
reply comments in the captioned proceeding is Extended until February 
25, 2003.

Federal Communications Commission.
D'wana R. Terry,
Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 03-3275 Filed 2-6-03; 3:02 pm]
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