*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 36231* Federal Communications Commission DA 04- 579 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of Procedures to Govern the Use of Satellite Earth Stations on Board Vessels in the 5925- 6425 MHz/ 3700- 4200 MHz Bands and 14.0- 14.5 GHz/ 11.7- 12.2 GHz Bands ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) IB Docket No. 02- 10 ORDER EXTENDING COMMENT PERIOD Adopted: February 27, 2004 Released: March 01, 2004 Reply Comment Date: March 24, 2004 By the Chief, Policy Division, International Bureau: 1. On February 25, 2004, Maritime Telecommunications Network, Inc. (“ MTN”), pursuant to Section 1.46 of the Commission’s Rules, 1 filed a “Motion for Extension of Time” requesting the Commission to extend the reply comment filing deadline in this proceeding to March 24, 2004. MTN states granting MTN’s extension request is appropriate given the complexity of the issues at stake, the number of commenting parties, and past Commission practice. MTN further states that the instant proceeding involves a myriad of regulatory and technical matters concerning the licensing of satellite earth stations on board vessels (ESVs). MTN states that 15 days is inadequate time for the 16 parties who filed comments to formulate replies. MTN also points to earlier in this proceeding when 30 days were granted for filing reply comments in response to a Notice of Inquiry (NOI). 2. Extensions of time in which to make filings in proceedings are not routinely granted. Nevertheless, the public interest would be served by granting the extension of the comment and reply comment filing deadlines MTN has requested. In this proceeding, the Commission seeks comment on, as MTN states, a myriad of regulatory and technical matters concerning the licensing of ESVs. The issues raised in the NPRM are at least as intricate as those raised in the NOI, and in light of the fact that more comments were filed in response to the NPRM than in response to the NOI, we find that a 30- day reply comment period is appropriate here as well. Therefore, it is appropriate to extend the reply comment deadline to permit MTN and other members of the public to formulate reply comments so as to help the Commission address the complex issues raised in this proceeding. 1 47 C. F. R. § 1.46. 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 04- 579 2 3. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that pursuant to Section 1.46 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C. F. R. § 1.46, the request of Maritime Telecommunications Network Inc. is GRANTED. 4. IT IS FURTHERED ORDERED that the deadline for filing reply comments in this proceeding IS EXTENDED to March 24, 2004. 5. This action 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 James Ball Chief, Policy Division International Bureau 2