*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 1796.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 TTY 202 / 418- 2555 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov DA 00- 1252 Released: June 8, 2000 INTERNATIONAL BUREAU ANNOUNCES MINOR CHANGE IN IBFS CODE FOR IDENTIFYING INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL TEMPORARY AUTHORITY (STA) AND REMINDS APPLICANTS OF APPROPRIATE USE FOR STA The International Bureau announces a change in the code used to identify international telecommunications applications for Special Temporary Authority. Currently, applications for special temporary authority for an International Telecommunications Certificate (Section 214 authorization), Submarine Cable Landing License, or other International Special Project are assigned an identifying three- letter code “TAO” to indicate Temporary Authority to Operate. This code is an application type code that is part of the complete file number assigned to the application. Effective immediately, applicants filing such a request will be assigned an application file number that uses the three- letter code “STA” which will indicate Special Temporary Authority for the application type. The modification to the identification code will not affect the normal processing requests for Special Temporary Authority. Rather, the modification will achieve uniformity and consistency within the International Bureau’s Electronic Filing System (IBFS). The IBFS was deployed in August of 1998. At that time, the Bureau released a public Notice (DA 98- 1692) announcing the system’s deployment and the International Bureau’s standard file number format. The standard file number format was designed to help applicants, FCC processing staff, and researchers identify basic information about filings quickly and to facilitate research activities. Since deploying the IBFS, the International Bureau has been making adjustments to improve the system for all users, and this minor change is one such improvement. With this modification, it should be much easier for customers to identify a Special Temporary Authority application within the IBFS, and it should reduce problems associated with identifying a Special Temporary Authority application in the FCC’s Reference Information Center. To ease in researching such applications, prior assignments of the TAO application type code will not change. In addition to the administrative change discussed above, the International Bureau takes this opportunity to remind applicants that it is not our practice to grant routinely requests for temporary authorization (STA). Our authority to grant temporary authority is governed by the Communications Act which states that the Commission may grant an STA “if it finds that there are extraordinary circumstances requiring temporary operations in the public interest and that delay in the institution of such temporary operations would seriously prejudice the public interest….” 1 Convenience to the applicant, such as marketing considerations or the meeting of scheduled customer service dates, generally is not considered to be sufficient to meet this public 1 47 U. S. C. § 309( f), see also 47 C. F. R. § 63.25. 1 interest standard. In addition, processing an application for special temporary authority can result in delays in the processing time for other applications. We ask that applicants keep these principles in mind when considering whether to ask the International Bureau for an STA, particularly in circumstances where the authority sought would ordinarily qualify for streamlined Section 214 processing. For further information concerning IBFS, contact IBFSINFO@ fcc. gov or by phone at (202) 418- 2222. - FCC - 2