[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38334-38336]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-16338]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[DA 03-1974]


Private Land Mobile Radio License Renewal Only Process

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document the Federal Communications Commission's 
(FCC's) Public Safety and Private Wireless Division of the Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau clarifies the process for renewing private 
land mobile radio (PLMR) licenses. It has come to the FCC staff's 
attention that there is some confusion among PLMR licensees regarding 
license renewal. This is intended to facilitate ease and familiarity of 
the PLMR license renewal process for FCC customers.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Concerning the PLMR renewal process, 
persons may contact the FCC's Licensing and Technical Analysis Branch 
at (717) 338-2646. For general information about the ULS, including 
answers to frequently asked questions regarding submitting 
applications, finding the status of pending applications, and searching 
the ULS database, the FCC recommends first consulting the ULS Web page 
at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls. Also, persons may contact ULS/Auctions 
Hotline at 1-888-CALLFCC (225-5322), choose option 2 or (717) 
338-2888 for questions about application matters. E-mail questions may 
be sent to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the FCC's Public 
Notice, DA 03-1974, released on June 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 FCC'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].
    1. Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) licenses are granted for a 
specific period of time. Licensees must file a renewal application with 
the FCC prior to license expiration to continue to operate under their 
licenses after the specified expiration date. It is very important that 
licensees follow the correct procedure in renewing their licenses. 
Otherwise, they risk losing the license(s).
    2. To assist PLMR licensees in renewing their licenses, the FCC's 
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) sends out a renewal notice 
approximately ninety days before the license expiration date to remind 
licensees of the pending expiration. This renewal reminder, however, is 
merely a courtesy and non-receipt of this notice by the licensee is not 
sufficient justification for the licensee's failure to file a timely 
renewal application with the FCC. Under the FCC's licensing procedures, 
licensees are fully responsible for knowing the term of their licenses 
and for filing a timely renewal application. Even licensees engaged in 
public safety activities are expected to comply with the renewal filing 
requirements.
    3. It has come to the FCC's attention that there is some confusion 
among PLMR licensees regarding license renewal. Accordingly, the Bureau 
has taken several steps to minimize this confusion. First, it has 
modified the renewal reminder notice in an effort to make it clearer 
which FCC Form needs to be submitted for renewal purposes. Second, the 
Bureau has modified the manual filing instructions on the FCC's 
Universal Licensing System (ULS) Web page to make it easier for 
licensees to understand how to renew a PLMR license manually. Finally, 
the Bureau outlines the specific procedures governing the PLMR renewal 
process for manually-filed applications. Specifically, this public 
notice discusses such topics as when and where to file renewal 
applications, defects that will result in the dismissal of a renewal 
application, and what to do in the event a licensee fails to timely 
file a renewal. We anticipate that these actions will facilitate ease 
and familiarity of the PLMR license renewal process for FCC customers.

Manual Renewal Only Process

    4. When to File (i.e., Filing Window). An application to renew a 
PLMR license

[[Page 38335]]

must be properly filed with the FCC no later than the expiration date 
of the authorization and no sooner than ninety days prior to the 
expiration.
    5. Renewal Form. For manually-filed PLMR license renewal 
applications (paper filings by mail), entities must use FCC Form 601. 
The form is available at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html or by calling 
our toll free forms number (1-800-418-3676). To file a ``Renewal Only'' 
application (i.e., an application only requesting renewal of a PLMR 
authorization) for a single call sign, applicants only need to file the 
FCC Form 601--Main Form. If renewing multiple call signs, applicants 
must also file the FCC Form 601--Schedule A. The fields on the FCC Form 
601 that an applicant must complete for paper filing by mail are listed 
on an attachment to this Public Notice. If assistance is needed to 
complete the FCC Form 601, persons may call the ULS/Auctions Hotline at 
1-888-225-5322, select option 2.
    6. Fees. Use FCC Form 1070M to determine the appropriate fee 
information. If a fee is required, applicants must complete FCC Form 
159 with the appropriate payment code. These two forms can be obtained 
at http:/www.fcc.gov/formpage.html or by calling the toll free forms 
number (1-800-418-3676). PLMR eligibles filing as governmental entities 
are exempt from fee payment. Also, certain non-profit entities are 
eligible for a partial fee exemption. If uncertainty exists regarding 
such eligibility, please refer to the Wireless Telecommunications 
Bureau Fee Filing Guide available at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/appfees.html or call the FCC's Consumer Center at 1-888-225-5322, 
select option 2.
    7. Where to File. Non-feeable applications should be sent to the 
following address: Federal Communications Commission, 1270 Fairfield 
Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245.
    Feeable applications (along with a completed FCC Form 159 and 
applicable fee) should be sent to the following address: Federal 
Communications Commission, Wireless Bureau Applications, PO Box 358245, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5245.
    8. Applications with one or more of the defects listed below will 
be dismissed by the Bureau as defective, rather than returned to the 
applicant for correction. Consequently, these defects are fatal to the 
consideration of a PLMR renewal application.
    [sbull] Applicant files on the wrong FCC Form.
    [sbull] Applicant fails to sign the application form.
    [sbull] Applicant fails to pay the correct filing fee.
    [sbull] Application is filed after expiration and does not include 
a waiver request.
    [sbull] Application does not include the proper FCC Registration 
Number (FRN).
    9. Applicants should be aware that applications that are dismissed 
as defective and subsequently refiled are considered newly-filed 
applications (i.e., the application loses its original place in the 
processing line). As newly-filed renewal applications, they may be 
deemed untimely with respect to the filing window for renewal 
applications. In addition, these refiled applications must be 
accompanied by a new filing fee if a fee was originally required. 
Therefore, it is very important that manually-filed renewal 
applications be properly filed the first time.
    10. Renewal Applications Filed Outside the Filing Window. Renewal 
applications filed with the FCC sooner than ninety days prior to 
license expiration and not requesting a waiver will be dismissed. 
Renewal applications that are late-filed (up to, and including thirty 
days after expiration) will be granted nunc pro tunc if the application 
is otherwise sufficient under the rules and is accompanied by a request 
for waiver, but the licensee may be subject to an enforcement action 
for unauthorized operation during this time frame (e.g., operation 
during the time between the expiration of the license and a Commission 
action authorizing operation). PLMR applicants who file renewal-only 
applications more than thirty days after the license expiration date 
may also request that the license be renewed nunc pro tunc, but such 
requests will not be routinely granted, will be subject to stricter 
review, and also may be accompanied by enforcement action, including 
more significant fines or forfeitures. Requests to grant a late-filed 
application (more than 30 days after expiration) also must be 
accompanied by a request for a waiver of the FCC's Rules. In 
determining whether to grant a late-filed renewal application and 
associated waiver, the Bureau will consider all of the facts and 
circumstances, including the length of the delay in filing, the reasons 
for the failure to timely file, the potential consequences to the 
public if the license should terminate and the performance record of 
the licensee. It is up to the applicant to provide sufficient 
justification for grant of the late-filed renewal. [Note: The Bureau 
will not routinely grant waiver requests solely because the applicant 
is engaged in public safety activities.]
    11. FCC Registration Number (FRN). Anyone doing business with the 
FCC must obtain an FRN. In order to file a renewal application, 
applicants must provide the correct FRN information on the application. 
In order to ascertain the FRN associated with the call sign(s) to be 
renewed, the licensee can query the call signs using ULS at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/. If an FRN is associated with the call sign(s) it 
will be displayed on the Query Results Screen. If there is no FRN 
listed for the call sign(s) in question, then the licensee must 
register for an FRN and associate it with the call sign(s) of the 
station(s) being renewed. Entities may obtain an FRN by completing a 
FCC Form 160 or file online at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/ by 
selecting ``Register CORES/Call Sign.'' Since improper FRN information 
on a PLMR renewal application is a fatal defect, applicants are 
encouraged to verify this information prior to filing. Also, to assist 
in FRN registration the FCC provides additional information at http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cores/CoresHome.html under Frequently Asked 
Questions.
    12. Operation After Scheduled License Expiration. A licensee may 
continue to operate its station(s) under its existing authorization(s) 
provided the licensee has a properly filed renewal application for that 
station on file with the FCC on or before the scheduled date for 
license expiration. It should be noted that such continued operation is 
authorized even if the renewal application has been returned by FCC 
staff for correction. Licensees, however, may not operate under an 
expired authorization if the renewal application was filed after the 
license expiration date or if the renewal application was filed prior 
to expiration but was later dismissed by the FCC. In either of these 
two instances, if the licensee wants to continue to operate, it must 
file for and obtain a Special Temporary Authority (STA) from the FCC. 
Absent grant of a STA, the entity is no longer authorized to operate on 
the subject frequencies. Moreover, continued operation under either of 
these circumstances would be violative of the FCC's Rules and the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Applicants can apply for an STA 
interactively or manually. To file interactively, see http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/ and select online filing. To file manually, 
entities must submit FCC Form 601 (main form) with the appropriate 
schedule(s) for the radio service in which they are licensed, plus any 
attachments that are required. For STA applications, the purpose of the 
filing (field 2 on the FCC Form 601) would be new (NE).


[[Page 38336]]


Federal Communications Commission.
D'wana R. Terry,
Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless 
Telecommunications Bureau.
[FR Doc. 03-16338 Filed 6-26-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P