PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20554 News media information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov DA 11-1419 August 17, 2011 FEE FILER MANDATORY FOR FY 2011 REGULATORY FEES The Commission’s automated filing and payment system (“Fee Filer”) is now available for filing and payment of FY 2011 regulatory fees. Regulatory fee payments must be made no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on September 14, 2011. As set forth in 47 U.S.C. 159(a), the Commission is required by Congress to collect regulatory fees to recover the regulatory costs associated with its enforcement, policy and rulemaking, user information, and international activities. Licensees and regulatees are assessed fees calculated as set forth in (See Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2011, Report and Order, 76 FR 49333 at ¶ 1 (August 10, 2011) (“FY 2011 Regulatory Fees Report and Order”). The Commission also publishes industry-specific guidance in Who Owes Fees & What is My Fee FY 2011, which can be found on the Commission website at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/regfees.html). In its FY 2009 Regulatory Fee Report and Order1, the Commission instituted the mandatory use of the Commission’s Fee Filer System, a system designed to capture information regarding a regulatee’s or licensee’s regulatory fee obligation. The first step in the annual regulatory fee filing process is for licensees to access the Commission’s Fee Filer System. In order to access Fee Filer, you must have a valid FCC Registration Number (FRN) and password. Once you have successfully accessed Fee Filer, you will have the ability to review, create, update, or change the fees that you are paying. The second step is to decide on a payment method, including online payment with a credit card, online payment from a bank account, mailing a check, or sending a wire; instructions are provided for you at http://www.fcc.gov/fees/regfees.html. Fee Filer will print a Form 159-E for users who do not wish to pay online. It is the responsibility of the licensee to determine the fullest extent of their regulatory fee obligation. Although regulatory fee bills will no longer be mailed to the regulatee, the bills can be viewed by logging onto Fee Filer2 at (www.fcc.gov/feefiler), or from the left side of the FCC Fees page, by clicking on the link (http://www.fcc.gov/fees). 1 See Assessment and Collection of Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2009, Report and Order, 74 FR at 40092, paragraphs 19-23 (August 11, 2009). 2 Id. paragraphs 24-26. Although Fee Filer is a self-reporting tool, the Fee Filer program is able to populate the various fee categories using a particular or associated FRN. However, regardless of the data populated in Fee Filer, the filer is still responsible for reporting and paying for all regulatory fees owed, irrespective of whether all of these fees are identified using this feature. All 2011 regulatory fees should be paid through the Regulatory Fees section of Fee Filer, regardless of whether a bill for the fees was issued by the FCC. Due Date for Paying Regulatory Fees is September 14, 2011 Please note that FY 2011 regulatory fees are due by September 14, 2011. Payments received after 11:59 p.m. ET on September 14, 2011 will be assessed a 25% late payment fee. Updated Features for Easier Filing In 2011, Fee Filer remains basically the same as in 2010 but with a few new enhancements. · The Form 159-W will be displayed in two columns: one column will show the Form 159-W based on the 499-A version that the provider submitted to USAC, which the Commission used to create the bill, and the other column will display the edits that the provider has made to column one, if any. Until the provider submits a revised 499-A filing to USAC to reflect these edits, the Commission will use the regulatory fee amount on the bill (column one) as the amount owing. · In addition to applicable 25% late penalties, Fee Filer now includes up-to-date interest and administrative fees so that late bills will be paid in the correct amount. Fee Filer now displays late fees for each applicable line item. Important Note To reduce errors in processing payments, we want to emphasize that each Form 159-E should be accompanied by its respective payment. Submitting multiple Form 159-E’s with a single payment (e.g. check, wire transfer, credit card, etc.) will not only increase the chance of error, it will also increase the possibility that bills may not liquidate properly, thereby placing licensees in red light status after the fee due date has passed. For Further Assistance The Financial Operations Help Desk (1-877-480-3201, option 4) can provide assistance with Fee Filer and is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET on business days. You can also e-mail your questions to: arinquiries@fcc.gov. Internet Browser Requirements for Using Fee Filer Fee Filer is available to any FCC customer with Internet access using the following browsers: (1) Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or (2) Mozilla Firefox 3.6 or higher with SSL and JavaScript enabled. -FCC-