WASHINGTON — Now that the federal government has returned from self-imposed vacation, agency folks are cranking the machinery back up. Federal Communications Commission staff fired off several announcements upon their return to the Portals, mostly involving scheduling. The October open meeting agenda was announced, a new date for the next incentive auction workshop, and a delay of filing deadlines.
The October open meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 28. Rural long-distance calls (Docket No. 13-39); 700 MHz constructon deadline waivers (12-69 and 12-332); technical rules for FirstNet (12-69, 06-229 and 06-50) are on the agenda.
The previously announced spectrum incentive auction workshop seet for Oct. 24 has been moved to Nov. 8. Additional details will be released closer to the event date, the commission said.
On filing deadlines: The commission noted that it was out of commission for 16 days, during which time, the filing window, the mail room and all non-emergency related electronic filing systems were down. On the day of the shutdown—Oct. 1—the commission said non-emergency filings would be due the business day following the return to normal operations, which would have been Friday. On Friday, the deadline date was suspended for applicable filings due on or before Oct. 21.
Non-emergency filings “and certain other specified filings” that were due between Oct. 1 and 6 will be due on Oct. 22. Those due between Oct. 7 an 16 will be due 16 days after the original filing date, or the next business day after a weekend or holiday. Those due between Oct. 17 and Nov. 4 will be due Nov. 4.
Other specific deadlines were set for select proceedings:
Comments on Verizon’s Petition for Declaratory Ruling on Docket No. 13-230 are due Oct. 25; with replies due Nov. 1;
Comments on the 2014 Modification of Average Schedule Company Universal Service High-Cost Loop Support Formula, Docket No. 05-337, are due Nov. 4, with replies due Nov. 19.
Replies on Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries, Docket No. 13-184 are due Nov. 8.
All Universal Licensing System applications and notifications originally due from Oct. 1 through Nov. 4 are now due Nov 4.
Amateur Radio Service licensee requests for vanity call signs, normally processed on a daily basis, will be delayed. Those filed from Oct. 1 through Oct. 22 will be processed as if received on Oct. 22.
New dates and deadlines are pending for Auction 902, the Tribal Mobile Fund Phase I Auction.
Comments on various wireless spectrum proposed rules and amendments under Docket No. 13-185 are due Oct. 28.
Comments on Dish Network’s waiver petition, Docket No 13-225, are due Oct. 28.
Comments on RF exposure reassessment, Dockets 03-137, 13-84 and 13-39, are due Nov.18.
The commission said that while it could not “waive statutory filing deadlines such as those associated with petitions for reconsideration,” it would “not consider the commission open for filing of documents with statutory deadlines until Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013.” Also, Special Temporary Authority licenses that expired Oct. 1-22 have been extended to No. 4.
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