Federal Communications Commission FCC 12-60 
STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER MIGNON L. CLYBURN
Re: Sections 2.925 and 2.926 of the Rules Regarding Grantee Codes for Certified 
Radiofrequency Equipment 
Mr. Knapp, Ms. Matise, and Mr. Doshi:  thank you for an excellent presentation.   In comparison 
to many of the items the Commission adopts or presents, actions that streamline authorization procedures, 
on the surface, may seem non-controversial and hold less press appeal.  But, OET’s efforts to improve the 
equipment authorization program are significant because these moves will ultimately make it easier for 
innovators to bring their products to market.  Clarifying the permit-but-ask procedures and modifying the 
rules for software defined radios, for example, should result in fewer regulatory hurdles and lower 
administrative costs for equipment manufacturers.
Today’s order on grantee codes is also a necessary step towards facilitating innovation.  Devices 
that are subject to the FCC’s “certification” procedure must receive an FCC ID that is unique to the 
device.  This ID also includes a code that is unique to the grantee, or manufacturer, producing the device.  
In 1979, as you mentioned, the FCC adopted a rule that limited the grantee codes to three alphanumeric 
characters.  
But it’s been more than thirty years since the adoption of that rule and the FCC is now running 
out of unique grantee codes.  This is due, in large part, to the fact that the number of assigned grantee 
codes has been increasing each year.  For example, in 2001, the number of grantee codes assigned was 
635.  In 2011, that number was 1,275.  Staff informs us that based on the number of grantee codes that 
have been requested, that number of grantee codes assigned in 2012 will exceed 1,300.
All of this is good news for American consumers.  It means that technology companies are 
attracting sufficient capital to develop innovative products for this market.  With today’s action, we 
enable a minimum of eight million grantee codes to be assigned in the future.  This move, today, will help 
to ensure that this aspect of our equipment authorization process will not impede ingenuity and I am 
pleased to join my colleagues in commending the staff of the Office of Engineering and Technology, for 
presenting us with this timely item.