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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  01-  2548 
 Before  the 
 Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Flexibility  for  Delivery 
 of  Communications  by 
 Mobile  Satellite  Service  Providers 
 in  the  2  GHz  Band,  the  L-  Band,  and  the 
 1.6/  2.4  GHz  Band 


 Amendment  of  Section  2.106  of  the 
 Commission’s  Rules  to  Allocate  Spectrum  at  2 
 GHz  for  Use  by  the  Mobile  Satellite  Service 


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 IB  Docket  No.  01-  185 
 ET  Docket  No.  95-  18 
 ORDER  EXTENDING  COMMENT  PERIOD 
 Adopted:  October  31,  2001  Released:  October  31,  2001 
 Reply  Comment  Date:  November  12,  2001 
 By  the  Chief,  Planning  &  Negotiations  Division,  International  Bureau: 
 1.  On  October  26,  2001,  the  Cellular  Telecommunications  &  Internet  Association 
 (“  CTIA”)  filed  to  request  a  three-  day  extension  of  time  to  submit  reply  comments  to  the  Notice  of 
 Proposed  Rule  Making  in  the  above-  captioned  proceeding  from  November  5,  2001  to  November 
 8,  2001.  1  On  October  29,  2001,  Motient  Services,  Inc.  (“  Motient”)  filed  to  request  a  one  week 
 extension  from  November  5,  2001,  to  November  12,  2001.  2  For  the  reasons  discussed  below,  we 
 grant  CTIA’s  and  Motient’s  requests  and  extend  the  reply  comment  period  to  November  12, 
 2001. 


 2.  The  due  date  for  the  initial  comments  in  this  proceeding  was  October  11,  2001, 
 with  reply  comments  due  on  October  23,  2001.  3  On  October  4,  2001,  the  International  Bureau, 


 1  Flexibility  for  Delivery  of  Communications  by  Mobile  Satellite  Service  Providers  in  the  2  GHz  band,  the  L-Band, 
 and  the  1.6/  2.4  GHz  Band,  IB  Docket  No.  01-  185,  CTIA  Request  for  Extension  of  Time  (filed  Oct.  26, 
 2001)  (CTIA  Request). 


 2  Motient  Motion  for  Extension  of  Time  to  File  Reply  Comments  (filed  Oct.  29,  2001) 


 3  See  Flexibility  for  Delivery  of  Communications  by  Mobile  Satellite  Service  Providers  in  the  2  GHz  band,  the  L-Band, 
 and  the  1.6/  2.4  GHz  Band,  IB  Docket  No.  01-  185,  Notice  of  Proposed  Rule  Making  16  FCC  Rcd  15,532 
 (2001). 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  01-  2548 
 2 
 Planning  &  Negotiations  Division,  extended  the  comment  period  from  October  11,  2001  to 
 October  19,  2001,  and  the  reply  comment  period  from  October  23,  2001  to  November  5,  2001, 
 finding  that  the  public  interest  warranted  such  extension.  4  On  October  17,  2001,  however,  the 
 Commission  announced  that  any  filings  due  on  October  19,  2001  would  be  extended  to  October 
 22,  2001.  5  CTIA  and  Motient  note  that  the  vast  majority  of  comments  were  not  filed  until 
 October  22,  2001,  three  days  after  the  comment  deadline,  and  that  the  record  already  contains 
 over  30  filed  comments  some  of  which  contain  detailed  technical  appendices  and  analyses. 
 Accordingly,  they  argue  that  the  public  interest  is  best  served  by  extending  the  time  for  filing 
 comments.  6 


 3.  The  Commission’s  general  policy  is  that  extensions  of  time  are  not  routinely 
 granted.  7  In  certain  instances,  however,  we  consider  and  grant  requests  for  extension  of  time 
 when  we  find  that  the  public  interest  would  be  best  served  by  a  more  a  complete  discussion  of  the 
 matters  pending  before  the  Commission.  We  find  that  an  extension  of  time  is  appropriate  under 
 the  current  circumstances.  Considering  the  recent  Commission  decision  to  change  filing  location 
 for  paper  documents  and  the  substantial  volume  of  the  record  in  this  proceeding,  we  find  that  it  is 
 in  the  public  interest  for  the  Commission  to  grant  a  limited  extension  to  facilitate  development  of 
 the  most  complete  and  well-  delivered  record  possible.  A  limited  extension  of  time  appropriately 
 balances  the  interests  of  commenting  parties  without  unreasonably  delaying  the  resolution  of  the 
 proceeding.  Therefore,  we  grant  an  extension  of  time  for  the  filing  of  reply  comments  from 
 November  5,  2001  to  November  12,  2001. 


 4.  IT  IS  HEREBY  ORDERED  that  pursuant  to  Section  1.46  of  the  Commission's 
 Rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46,  the  requests  of  Cellular  Telephone  &  Internet  Association  and  Motient 
 Services  Inc.  to  extend  the  deadline  for  filing  reply  comments  in  this  proceeding  are  GRANTED 
 to  the  extent  indicated. 


 4  See  Flexibility  for  Delivery  of  Communications  by  Mobile  Satellite  Service  Providers  in  the  2  GHz  band,  the  L-Band, 
 and  the  1.6/  2.4  GHz  Band,  IB  Docket  No.  01-  185,  Order  Extending  Comment  Period,  DA  01-  2314,  66 
 Fed.  Reg.  53191  (rel.  Oct.  4,  2001). 


 5  Public  Notice,  FCC  Announces  Change  In  Filing  Location  for  Paper  Documents,  DA  01-  2436  (rel.  Oct.  17, 


 2001). 
 6  CTIA  Request  at  2;  Motient  Request  at  1. 


 7  See  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46(  a). 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  01-  2548 
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 5.  This  actions  is  taken  under  delegated  authority  pursuant  to  Sections  0.51  and 
 0.261  of  the  Commission's  Rules,  47  C.  F.  R  .  §§  0.51,  0.261. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 
 Richard  B.  Engelman 
 Chief,  Planning  &  Negotiations  Division 
 International  Bureau 
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