1 PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 DA 08-2121 September 19, 2008 THE WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE INTRODUCTION OF A STREAMLINED PROCESS AND AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO EXPEDITE THE COMMISSION’S REVIEW OF PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS New E-Section 106 System to Provide for the Electronic Submission and Exchange of National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Information (FCC Forms 620 and 621) for Proposals to Construct Communications Facilities Washington, D.C. – The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau today announced that starting on October 6, 2008, the new E-Section 106 System will become available on an introductory basis for use in completing the review process for proposed constructions of communications facilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). E-Section 106 is a voluntary system designed to save users time and resources by automating and expediting the exchange of information and correspondence in the Section 106 process. As described below, this initial deployment of the E-Section 106 System is for an introductory period that we anticipate will run from October 6 to November 7, 2008. We intend to issue a subsequent Public Notice announcing the close of the introductory period and the full deployment of the E-Section 106 System. During the introductory period, parties that have pre-registered with the FCC by September 29, 2008, may submit FCC Forms 620 and 621 through the E-Section 106 System. We encourage parties during this introductory period to file their submissions manually with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) as well as electronically. Participating SHPOs, federally-recognized Indian Tribes (Tribes), and Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs) may then use E-Section 106 to comment on or otherwise respond to the submissions. Notification of the completed FCC Forms 620 and 621 will also be sent to members of the public and other consulting parties that are identified in a particular filing, and they will also have the opportunity to participate in those reviews through the System. Filings made during the introductory period that are pending as of the end of that period will remain active in the System following deployment. The purpose of the introductory period is to give participating parties an opportunity to gain experience with the E-Section 106 System before it becomes generally available. The FCC also invites feedback from participants in the introductory period so as to assist us in further refining our processes. News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 2 Guidance for Introductory Period The introductory period will be conducted from October 6, 2008, to November 7, 2008. Industry filers and consultants wishing to participate should register with the FCC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/esection106/reports/submitmsg.jsp by September 29, 2008. The registration should include a contact name and title, phone number and e-mail address. Participants will be sent additional details regarding the guidelines for the introductory period by October 2, 2008. Benefits of the E-Section 106 System Use of the E-Section 106 System will be voluntary. Some of the benefits that the System offers are summarized below. Benefits to Filers · Standardizes and streamlines the submission of FCC Forms 620 and 621 to SHPOs, Tribes, NHOs, and the FCC; · Prevents filing of submission packets if all required fields are not complete; · Provides a direct link between the Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS) and Forms 620 and 621, thereby enabling common fields to be pre-filled in the E-Section 106 System; · Provides an on-line mechanism for tracking submission dates of Electronic Section 106 filings; · Provides automatic notification when the status of an application changes; · Reduces the amount of time and resources devoted to mailing submission packets among review agencies and consulting parties; and · Provides a mechanism to e-mail completed filings to parties not utilizing the on-line system, or to print out filings for distribution via postal mail. Benefits to State Historic Preservation Officers, Tribes, and NHOs · Standardizes Section 106 submissions from industry; · Provides a mechanism to automatically track Section 106 submissions, filed electronically, for sites located in areas for which a SHPO is responsible or in which a Tribe or NHO has expressed an interest; · Provides automatic notification of filings and any updates to filings by participating parties; · Provides an efficient means to seek additional feedback from multiple sources to facilitate review; · Protects confidential information through use of passwords and secure access; and · Avoids burdening e-mail systems as all information will be housed on a secure FCC server with downloadable access to users. 3 Benefits to Consulting Parties and the Public · Enables them to review submissions and participate in the Section 106 process electronically if they are equipped to do so; and · Permits them to participate manually if they choose. For more information regarding the E-Section 106 online filing process and participation, you may view a demonstration at http://wireless.fcc.gov/presentations/section106-deployment-demo.html and click on the Broadband link in the Video section. Additional Information For additional information and/or assistance, one may visit the Web at http://esupport.fcc.gov. Interested persons can also call the FCC Support Center at (877) 480-3201 or 717-338-2888 (TTY 717-338-2824) and select Option #2, Forms or Licensing Assistance. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except Federal holidays). To provide quality service and ensure security, all telephone calls are recorded. For more information or if you have questions please contact Dorothy Stifflemire, Dorothy.stifflemire@fcc.gov, (202) 418-7349, or Steve DelSordo, Stephen.delsordo@fcc.gov, (202) 418-1986. - WTB –