**DA 00-1252**

**Released: June 8, 2000**

**INTERNATIONAL BUREAU ANNOUNCES MINOR CHANGE IN IBFS CODE**

**FOR IDENTIFYING INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SPECIAL TEMPORARY
AUTHORITY (STA) AND REMINDS APPLICANTS OF APPROPRIATE USE FOR STA**

The International Bureau announces a change in the code used to identify
international telecommunications applications for Special Temporary
Authority. Currently, applications for special temporary authority for
an International Telecommunications Certificate (Section 214
authorization), Submarine Cable Landing License, or other International
Special Project are assigned an identifying three-letter code "TAO" to
indicate Temporary Authority to Operate. This code is an application
type code that is part of the complete file number assigned to the
application. Effective immediately, applicants filing such a request
will be assigned an application file number that uses the three-letter
code "STA" which will indicate Special Temporary Authority for the
application type. The modification to the identification code will not
affect the normal processing requests for Special Temporary Authority.
Rather, the modification will achieve uniformity and consistency within
the International Bureau's Electronic Filing System (IBFS).

The IBFS was deployed in August of 1998. At that time, the Bureau
released a public Notice (DA 98-1692) announcing the system's deployment
and the International Bureau's standard file number format. The standard
file number format was designed to help applicants, FCC processing
staff, and researchers identify basic information about filings quickly
and to facilitate research activities. Since deploying the IBFS, the
International Bureau has been making adjustments to improve the system
for all users, and this minor change is one such improvement. With this
modification, it should be much easier for customers to identify a
Special Temporary Authority application within the IBFS, and it should
reduce problems associated with identifying a Special Temporary
Authority application in the FCC's Reference Information Center. To ease
in researching such applications, prior assignments of the TAO
application type code will not change.

In addition to the administrative change discussed above, the
International Bureau takes this opportunity to remind applicants that it
is not our practice to grant routinely requests for temporary
authorization (STA). Our authority to grant temporary authority is
governed by the Communications Act which states that the Commission may
grant an STA "if it finds that there are extraordinary circumstances
requiring temporary operations in the public interest and that delay in
the institution of such temporary operations would seriously prejudice
the public interest...."[^1] Convenience to the applicant, such as
marketing considerations or the meeting of scheduled customer service
dates, generally is not considered to be sufficient to meet this public

interest standard. In addition, processing an application for special
temporary authority can result in delays in the processing time for
other applications. We ask that applicants keep these principles in mind
when considering whether to ask the International Bureau for an STA,
particularly in circumstances where the authority sought would
ordinarily qualify for streamlined Section 214 processing.

For further information concerning IBFS, contact
[IBFSINFO@fcc.gov](mailto:IFINFO@fcc.gov) or by phone at (202) 418-2222.

\- FCC -

[^1]: 47 U.S.C. § 309(f), see also 47 C.F.R. § 63.25.