**PUBLIC NOTICE**![](media/image1.png){width="0.6541666666666667in"
height="0.6604166666666667in"}

**FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION**

**445 12^th^ Street, S.W.**

**WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554**

**DA 98-1302**

News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet:
http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov

June 30, 1998

**WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUREAU ANNOUNCES NEW PROCEDURES FOR FILING
PART 22 OFFSHORE RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE APPLICATIONS IN UNIVERSAL
LICENSING SYSTEM (ULS) STARTING JULY 1, 1998**

*Part 22 ORTS Licensees Encouraged to Use New ULS Application Forms and
Electronic Filing Procedures as of July 1, 1998; Special Instructions
Provided for Part 22 ORTS Licensees Filing Renewal Applications in July
1 - August 1, 1998 Filing Window*

On July 1, 1998, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will commence
use of the Universal Licensing System (ULS) for all licensing in the
Part 22 Offshore Radiotelephone Service (ORTS).[^1] ULS is a new
interactive licensing database that has been developed by the Bureau to
consolidate and replace the eleven existing licensing systems that are
currently used to process applications and grant licenses in wireless
services. ULS has previously been used to process long form applications
following the 800 MHz SMR and LMDS auctions, and to process Part 22
Paging and Radiotelephone Service applications.[^2] We encourage ORTS
licensees and applicants to take advantage of the many innovative
features of the new system, although to ensure a smooth transition,
licensees and applicants will continue to have the option of using
current forms and manual filing procedures after the conversion to ULS.

ULS will provide significant benefits for ORTS licensees, applicants,
and the public, including fast and easy electronic filing, improved data
accuracy through automated checking of applications, and enhanced
electronic access to licensing information. Specifically, the use of ULS
will result in the following significant changes for ORTS licensees and
applicants:

New ULS forms (Forms 601, 603, and 604) may be used for electronic
filing of ORTS applications, modifications, notifications, and transfer
and assignment requests.[^3]

ORTS licensees who are due to file renewal applications in the July 1 -
August 1, 1998 filing window will be able to file electronic renewal
applications quickly and easily in ULS. This Public Notice provides
detailed instructions for filing such applications electronically using
Form 601.[^4] ORTS licensees may not, however, renew electronically
using FCC Form 900.

Although we encourage use of the new ULS forms, ORTS applicants and
licensees may continue to file applications, renewals, modifications,
notifications, and transfer and assignment requests manually on current
forms (*e.g.*, Forms 600, 490, 405).

In order to file applications and update licensing information in ULS,
ORTS licensees must register their Taxpayer Identification Numbers
(TINs) and select a user password in ULS. For licensees who have not yet
registered their TINs and selected a password, this Public Notice
provides instructions for doing so.[^5]

All existing licensing data for this service, which has previously been
contained in the Bureau\'s CLM database, will be transferred to the ULS
database, and all ORTS applications filed on or after July 1, 1998 will
be entered into the ULS database and processed through ULS. As of July
1, 1998, the ORTS licensing database will be available to the public
through ULS.[^6] Licensing data regarding this service will no longer be
updated in the CLM database.

The procedural changes announced in this Public Notice only affect Part
22 Subpart I ORTS. Application and processing procedures for other Part
22 services (Cellular, Rural Radio, BETRS, Air-Ground) are not affected
at this time. These and other wireless services will be converted to ULS
at a later date. Information regarding such conversions will be provided
by future public notice and will be posted on the Commission\'s ULS
Internet home page (http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls).

The development of ULS is also the subject of a *Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking* in WT Docket No. 98-20, adopted by the Commission on
February 19, 1998.[^7] The ULS forms and procedures announced in this
Public Notice are for interim purposes and are potentially subject to
future modification based on the outcome of the ULS rulemaking. We
encourage all interested parties to participate in the rulemaking so
that we can continue to improve ULS and ensure its responsiveness to
customer needs.

**[Form 601 Filing Procedures]{.underline}**

For ORTS applicants and licensees, FCC Form 601 (OMB Approval Number
3060-0798) will be available as of July 1, 1998, and may be used as of
that date to file ORTS-related applications, amendments, modifications,
and requests for special temporary authority (STAs).[^8] Form 601 may
also be used to request a waiver or extension of time in conjunction
with an ORTS application or license. Form 601 may also be used in lieu
of Form 405 for renewal applications (see instructions below) and Form
489 for notifications.

Applicants are encouraged to file Form 601 electronically. Therefore, in
order to immediately bring the full benefits of online filing to the
public, the Bureau hereby waives the requirements of Section 22.105 of
the Commission\'s rules, 47 C.F.R. § 22.105, to the extent that it
requires filing of Forms 405, 489, or 600 by ORTS applicants. This
waiver is conditioned on the timely filing of a Form 601 in lieu of one
of the above forms. For instructions on registering in ULS and filing
Form 601 electronically, see Attachment A. Applicants may also file Form
601 manually. For instructions on manual filing, see Attachment D. All
ORTS applicants and licensees must register their TINs in ULS (see
below) and submit them with their applications regardless of whether
they file electronically or manually.

**[Online Renewal Procedures For ORTS Licensees]{.underline}**

ORTS renewal applications may be filed electronically in ULS, and the
Bureau encourages licensees to take advantage of this process. Licensees
should note that FCC Form 900, our online renewal form for non-ULS
services, is not part of the ULS and ORTS licensees will not be able to
renew their licenses via Form 900.

Because the ULS will eventually be used by all wireless applicants, the
Bureau wishes to unify renewal procedures for each radio service to the
greatest extent possible. For this reason, the Bureau hereby waives the
requirements of Section 22.145 of the Commission\'s rules, 47 C.F.R. §
22.145, to the extent that licensees may file timely renewal
applications no earlier than thirty days prior to, and including, the
expiration dates of their authorizations. For ORTS, licensees may file
timely renewal applications between July 1 and August 1, 1998. Early or
late-filed renewals will be dismissed as defective pursuant to 47 C.F.R.
§ 22.128(f).

Online renewal in ULS can be accomplished in a few easy steps. See
Attachment B for specific instructions on filing renewal applications
online.

**[Transfer and Assignment Applications]{.underline}**

For ORTS applicants and licensees, FCC Form 603 (Application for
Assignment of Authorization, OMB Approval Number 3060-0800) and Form 604
(Application for Transfer of Control, OMB Approval Number 3060-0797)
will be available as of July 1, 1998, and may be used as of that date in
lieu of Form 490 to file applications for assignment of license or
transfer of control, respectively.[^9] Accordingly, the Bureau hereby
waives the requirements of Section 22.105 of the Commission\'s rules, 47
C.F.R. § 22.105, to the extent that it requires filing of Form 490 by
ORTS licensees seeking approval of assignments or transfers. This waiver
is conditioned on the timely filing of Form 603 or 604, as appropriate,
in lieu of Form 490. Forms 603 and 604 may be filed electronically or
manually. For instructions on electronic filing, see Attachment A. For
instructions on manual filing, see Attachment D.

ORTS licensees who are filing notifications of *pro forma* assignments
or transfers pursuant to the Commission\'s recent forbearance order may
continue to use the letter notification procedures described in that
order[^10] In addition, starting July 1, 1998, licensees may provide
such notification by filing Form 603 or 604, as appropriate, within 30
days of consummation of the *pro forma* assignment or transfer. Whether
notification is by form or by letter, no fee will be required for
submission of such notification.

Beginning July 1, ORTS licensees filing applications for partial
assignments (*e.g.,* application to assign some but not all sites
associated with a call sign) must submit an attachment describing the
details of the partial assignment. This description must contain all
information necessary to completely describe the proposed partial
assignment (*e.g.*, call sign(s), location(s), and frequency(s)). This
requirement to file an attachment is temporary. We will issue a public
notice when partial assignment information can be directly entered into
ULS.

In the event that a transfer or assignment transaction involves both
ORTS licenses and licenses in other wireless services that have not yet
been converted to ULS, the applicant will need to file separate
applications for the ORTS and non-ULS-based licenses, with the non-ULS
application(s) filed on existing forms.[^11] This requirement is
temporary until the databases for all wireless services have been
converted to ULS. In the interim, applicants who file ORTS transfer and
assignment applications in ULS and non-ULS applications for a common
transfer or assignment transaction are encouraged to contact the
Bureau\'s Commercial Wireless Division (202-418-0620) ahead of time to
coordinate the application and approval process.

Under Section 22.137(a) of the Commission\'s rules, 47 CFR § 22.137(a),
an assignee or transferee of a Part 22 license must file a report
qualifying it as a common carrier (FCC Form 430) unless a current report
is already on file with the Commission. The Commission has proposed to
replace Form 430 with new ULS Form 602 for collection of ownership
information.[^12] However, Form 602 is still in development and is not
currently available. Therefore, assignees and transferees of Part 22
paging licenses should continue to file Form 430 with the Office of the
Secretary in accordance with Section 22.137(a) until further notice.

**[TIN Registration]{.underline}**

As mandated by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, the
Commission has required existing wireless licensees, including ORTS
licensees, to register their Taxpayer Identification Numbers in ULS, and
most licensees have completed this process.[^13] If you are an ORTS
licensee who has not yet registered your TIN in ULS, you must do so
before you can file applications or update licensing information in ULS.
This applies whether or not you are filing electronically using ULS
forms or are filing pre-ULS forms manually. To protect licensee privacy,
registered TINs will not be made available to the public. However, TIN
information may be released to the U.S. Treasury Department for purposes
of compliance with the Debt Collection Act.

You may register your TIN electronically in ULS by going to the FCC\'s
Internet site at \"http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls\" and clicking on the
\"ULS Call Sign Registration\" link. Detailed instructions for
electronic filing are set forth in Attachment A. If you choose to file
your TIN registration manually, FCC Form 606 (TIN Registration Form) can
be obtained from the Internet at http://www.fcc.gov/formpage.html, by
calling the FCC\'s Form Distribution Center at 1-800-418-FORM (3676), or
from the FCC\'s Fax-on-Demand service by calling (202) 418-0177 from the
handset of a fax machine (follow the prompts and use document retrieval
number 000606).

The completed Form 606 should be mailed to:

Federal Communications Commission

Information Technology Division

Attention: Department CD

1270 Fairfield Road

Gettysburg, PA 17325-7245

**[Continued Use of Pre-ULS Application Forms]{.underline}**

The Bureau encourages ORTS applicants to immediately begin taking
advantage of the speed and ease in filing offered by ULS. However, in
order to provide a smooth transition to ULS, the Bureau will continue to
accept manually-filed applications from ORTS licensees and applicants on
FCC Forms 600, 490, 489, and 405, as well as informal letter requests.
No decision on the phasing out of these forms will be made until the
adoption of an order in the ULS rulemaking proceeding. During this
transition period, we remind applicants using non-ULS forms they they
must include their TIN on the application so that the data can be
entered into ULS.

**[Application Fees]{.underline}**

Applicants using ULS to file electronically remain subject to existing
application fees where applicable under current rules. ULS, however,
will simplify the process of submitting fees to the Commission and
greatly reduce the potential for insufficient fees to be submitted. When
an applicant submits its application online, ULS will assign a file
number and will pre-fill fee information on FCC Form 159, including the
correct fee amount due and the payment type code. ULS will then allow
the applicant to print a copy of the application as submitted, and
instruct the applicant on how to print out the pre-filled Form 159 so
that it can be mailed to Mellon Bank. ULS will instruct the applicant to
mail the Form 159 and fee to the appropriate Mellon Bank address. The
Form 159 and accompanying fee must be received by Mellon within 10
business days of filing the application.[^14] In the near future, ULS
will be capable of accepting credit card payments online. The Bureau
will release a public notice and provide information on its website when
this option becomes available.

Section 1.1111 of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.1111, requires
applications and fees to be submitted as a single package and states
that the Commission will not be responsible for matching fees and
applications submitted separately. In the *ULS NPRM*, the Commission
proposed to amend this requirement to provide for the filing of
applications online and fees separately, via mail. In order to
immediately bring the full benefits of online filing to the public, the
Bureau hereby waives the requirements of Section 1.1111 to the extent
that ORTS applicants filing electronically via ULS may remit fees
separately via U.S. mail or courier. This waiver is conditioned on the
appropriate fee amount being received at Mellon Bank, at the address
specified to the applicant by the ULS, within 10 business days from the
receipt date shown on the application. Applications filed online that do
not conform with the conditions of this waiver will be dismissed as
defective.

**[For Further Information or Assistance]{.underline}**

For general information about ULS, and for answers to frequently asked
questions regarding submitting applications, remitting fees, finding the
status of pending applications, and searching the ULS database, we
recommend that you first consult the ULS webpage at
http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls. Those having specific questions that are not
addressed on the webpage may contact Commission staff via phone or
e-mail as described below.

[FCC Technical Support Headline]{.underline} \-- (202) 414-1250. Contact
Technical Support if you have questions about accessing ULS from your
computer, registering your TIN, uploading files, or submitting
attachments in ULS. The FCC Technical Support Headline is available
Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. In order to provide
better service to ULS users and ensure the security of the electronic
filing system, all calls to the FCC Technical Support Headline are
recorded.

[ULS Licensing Support]{.underline} \-- (202) 418-7ULS (418-7857) or via
e-mail at bwoodwar@fcc.gov. Contact Licensing Support if you have
questions about which application purpose(s) are appropriate for a
particular filing, what information is being requested on a ULS Form or
Schedule, or any other licensing matter related to ULS. ULS Licensing
Support will be available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4
p.m. ET.

[^1]: ^?^ *See* Part 22, Subpart I of the Commission\'s rules, 47 CFR §
    22.1001 *et seq.*

[^2]: ^?^ *See* \"Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Announces New
    Procedures for Filing Part 22 Paging Applications in Universal
    Licensing System (ULS) Starting June 1, 1998,\" *Public Notice*, May
    22, 1998.

[^3]: ^?^ See Attachment A for instructions on electronic filing.

[^4]: ^?^ See Attachment B for specific instructions on electronic
    filing of ORTS renewal applications.

[^5]: ^?^ See Attachment A for instructions on TIN registration.

[^6]: ^?^ See Attachment C for instructions on searching for application
    and license information in ULS.

[^7]: ^?^ Amendment of Parts 0, 1, 12, 22, 24, 26, 27, 80, 87, 90, 95,
    97, and 101 of the Commission\'s Rules to Facilitate the Development
    and Use of the Universal Licensing System in the Wireless
    Telecommunications Services, *Notice of Proposed Rulemaking*, WT
    Docket No. 98-20, FCC 98-20 (adopted February 19, 1998; released
    March 18, 1998 (*ULS NPRM*).

[^8]: ^?^ ORTS applicants filing applications before July 1, 1998 should
    not use Form 601.

[^9]: ^?^ ORTS applicants filing assignment or transfer applications
    before July 1, 1998 should use Form 490.

[^10]: ^?^ Federal Communications Bar Association\'s Petition for
    Forbearance from Section 310(d) of the Communications Act Regarding
    Non-Substantial Assignments of Wireless Licenses and Transfers of
    Control Involving Telecommunications Carriers, *Memorandum Opinion
    and Order*, FCC 98-18 (adopted February 4, 1998; released February
    4, 1998).

[^11]: ^?^ For example, a licensee seeking to assign ORTS licenses and
    cellular licenses may use Form 603 for the ORTS licenses, but must
    file Form 490 for the cellular licenses because cellular has not yet
    been converted to ULS. Similarly, a licensee seeking to assign
    point-to-point microwave licenses must use Form 702.

[^12]: ^?^ *ULS NPRM*, para. 45.

[^13]: ^?^ *See* \"Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Universal
    Licensing System Registration Now Available,\" *Public Notice*,
    November 4, 1997.

[^14]: ^?^ In our May 22, 1998, *Public Notice* we instructed Part 22
    Paging licensees to remit fees within 5 days. We are now revising
    our instructions to ULS filers (including Part 22 Paging and ORTS)
    to allow 10 days for fees to reach Mellon Bank.