*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 8226.doc* Federal Communications Commission DA 01- 932 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of Intelligent Transportation System Applications Using Dedicated Short Range Communications ) ) ) ) ) WT Docket No. 01- 90 DA 01- 686 ORDER Adopted: April 12, 2001 Released: April 13, 2001 By the Deputy Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau: 1. On April 9, 2001, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) filed a motion, pursuant to Section 1. 46 of the Commission’s Rules, 1 to extend the period for filing comments and reply comments to the Public Notice 2 in the above- captioned proceeding. Specifically, ITS America requests a thirty day extension so that comments would be due on May 16, 2001, instead of April 16, 2001, and reply comments would be due on May 31, 2001, instead of May 1, 2001. 3 For the reasons discussed below, we extend the comment period to May 16, 2001 and the reply comment period to May 31, 2001, respectively. 2. The Motion requests an extension of time to enable a standards committee working under the auspices of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee E17. 51 Vehicle- DSRC (DSRC Committee), to provide input from its April 19- 20, 2001 meeting in its comments and to allow other interested parties to reply to those comments. Since October 6, 2000, the DSRC Committee has been meeting monthly to validate the specifications and requirements of the applications listed in ITS America’s “Status Report on Licensing and Service Issues and Deployment Strategies for DSRC- based Intelligent Transportation Services in the 5.850- 5.925 GHz Band” (Status Report), select a candidate technology, draft open standards, and conduct the necessary testing and evaluations. The meeting will begin three days after the comment period closes. 3. The Commission’s general policy is that extensions of time are not routinely granted. 4 Nevertheless, we still consider and, in certain instances, grant limited requests for extensions of time where we find that the public interest would be best served by a more complete discussion of the matters pending 1 47 C. F. R. § 1.46. 2 See Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment Regarding Intelligent Transportation System Applications Using Dedicated Short Range Communications, Public Notice, DA 01- 686 (rel. Mar. 16, 2001, corrected version rel. Mar. 22, 2001). 3 See Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Motion for Extension of Time, filed April 9, 2001 (“ Motion”). 4 See 47 C. F. R. § 1.46( a). 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 01- 932 2 before the Commission. We believe that it is in the public interest to decide this matter with the most complete and well- developed record possible. After considering ITS America’s motion, we find that an extension of time is appropriate under the circumstances presented. We believe that an extension of time appropriately balances the interests of commenting parties without unreasonably delaying the resolution of the proceeding. Therefore, we will grant a thirty- day extension of time for the filing of comments and reply comments. As a result, comments must be filed on or before May 16, 2001, and reply comments must be filed on or before May 31, 2001. 4. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED that pursuant to Section 4( i) of the Communications Act of 1934 as amended, 47 U. S. C. § 154( i), and Section 1.46 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R. § 1.46, the request of ITS America to extend the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in this proceeding, filed on April 9, 2001, IS GRANTED. 5. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the time for filing comments in response to the Pubic Notice DA 01- 686 (rel. March 22, 2001) IS EXTENDED to May 16, 2001 and the date for filing reply comments IS EXTENDED to May 31, 2001. 6. This action is taken under delegated authority pursuant to Sections 0.131 and 0.331 of the Commission’s Rules, 47 C. F. R . §§ 0.131, 0.331. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Ramona E. Melson Deputy, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 2