Maritime Communications

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 80

[PR Docket No. 92-257; DA 97-1806]

Maritime Communications

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On August 21, 1997, the Public Safety and Private Wireless

Division adopted an order extending the comment and reply comment

period in PR Docket No. 92-257. The extension was requested to allow

interested parties more time to evaluate the issues and develop an

industry consensus. The comment period is extended from August 25, 1997

to September 15, 1997, and the reply comment period is extended from

September 9, 1997 to September 30, 1997.

DATES: Comments are to be filed on or before September 15, 1997, and

reply comments on or before September 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M St., N.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scot Stone, Wireless

Telecommunications Bureau, Public Safety & Private Wireless Division,

(202) 418-0680) or via E-mail to ``[email protected]''.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Adopted: August 21, 1997.

Released: August 21, 1997.

1. On August 15, 1997, Ross Engineering (Ross) requested that the

time for filing comments in response to the Second Further Notice of

Proposed Rule Making (Second Further NPRM) in the above-captioned

proceeding released by the Commission on June 26, 1997,1 be

extended from August 25, 1997, to September 15, 1997, and that the time

for filing reply comments be extended from September 9, 1997 to October

16, 1997.

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\1\ Amendment of the Commission's Rules Concerning Maritime

Communications, Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, PR

Docket No. 92-257, FCC 97-217 (released June 26, 1996) (Second

Further NPRM); see Maritime Communications, 62 FR 37533 (July 14,

1997).

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2. Ross states that it needs additional time to submit comments in

order to fully address the substantive effect of the issues raised in

the Second Further NPRM, consider the impact of a related Petition for

Rulemaking filed by the United States Coast Guard,2 and

complete the work of coordinating and developing an industry consensus

on these issues. Ross also states that Mobile Marine Radio, MARITEL,

and the Coast Guard concur in its request for an extension of time.

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\2\ United States Coast Guard Petition for Rulemaking to Amend

Part 80 of the FCC Rules to Designate Maritime Channels and Allow

Operation of Automatic Identification Systems and Related Safety

Systems (filed August 4, 1997).

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3. The Commission does not routinely grant extensions of time. In

this instance, however, it is desirable that the record be as complete

as possible and that it include the views of as large a cross section

of the maritime radio community as possible. This interest must be

balanced, however, against the fact that the filing and process freeze

enacted to allow the development of new rules for maritime services

expires on March 17, 1998, and the Commission's intent to adopt final

rules before the freeze expires.3 We believe an extension of

twenty-one (21) days to be adequate to give the maritime community

sufficient time to respond to the above-captioned proceeding. We

therefore extend the period of time for filing comments to and

including September 15, 1997, and we extend the period for filing reply

comments to and including September 30, 1997.

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\3\ Second Further NPRM at para.132.

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4. It Is Hereby Ordered that pursuant to Sec. 1.46 of the

Commission's Rules, 47 CFR Sec. 1.46, Ross's request to extend the

deadline for filing comments and reply comments in this proceeding is

granted in part to the extent indicated herein, and otherwise denied.

Federal Communications Commission.

Lisa M. Higginbotham,

Acting Chief, Public Safety and Private Wireless Division, Wireless

Telecommunications Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97-23191 Filed 8-29-97; 8:45 am]

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