DA 01-2452
October 23, 2001


PUBLIC NOTICE

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 	News Media Information: (202) 418-0500
445 12th STREET, S. W.	Fax-On-Demand: (202) 418-2830
WASHINGTON, D.C.  20554	Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
ftp.fcc.gov


DA 01-2452
October 23, 2001

ALL UNIVERSAL LICENSING SYSTEM AND ANTENNA STRUCTURE REGISTRATION 
APPLICANTS MUST USE THEIR FCC REGISTRATION NUMBER(S), EFFECTIVE 
DECEMBER 3, 2001.
Important Changes Affect all Applicants.

On August 24, 2001, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a rule 
requiring a 
mandatory FCC Registration Number (FRN).   This requirement becomes effective 
December 3, 2001, 
for all parties who file applications with the Universal Licensing System (ULS) 
or register towers via 
Antenna Structure Registration (ASR).  As a result of CORES and the 
implementation of the FRN, 
several important changes will occur for filers of ULS and ASR.  This Public 
Notice is intended to 
provide guidance to our users about the ensuing changes.  The following topics 
are discussed:

? FRN Changes for Current ULS/ASR Users
? FRN and Manual Filing
? Determining FRN Status for Current Users
? FRN and New Users
? Obtaining Help with FRNs

Instructions and Information for ULS Customers

What does the new FRN mean for current ULS customers?

If you File Electronically with ULS
The following are changes to the ULS login procedure as a result of the new FRN 
requirement:
1. On December 3, 2001, the current ULS login screen that requires your TIN/SGIN 
(Tax Payer 
Identification Number/Sub-Group Identification Number) and ULS password will be 
changed.  
The new login screen will allow you to enter either your TIN/SGIN or FRN and 
will require your 
CORES password.  For most ULS users, CORES passwords will be the same as current 
ULS 
passwords.  Please see the section on Passwords below for further guidance.  We 
strongly 
recommend that you begin using your FRN to login on December 3.  However, to 
assist you in 
your transition to using the new number, you will be able to continue using your 
TIN/SGIN for a 
limited period of time. 
2. If you choose to login with your TIN/SGIN, we will query CORES to locate the 
FRN associated 
with that TIN/SGIN, and the following message will be displayed: "Your FCC 
Registration 
Number (FRN) is ##########.  Please record this FRN and use it instead of 
TIN/SGIN for all 
future transactions with the FCC."  Your FRN will appear in place of the hatch 
marks.  Click 
OK to continue.
3. If no FRN associated with your TIN/SGIN can be located, you will receive the 
following 
message: Before proceeding, you must first register with the Commission 
Registration System 
(CORES) to receive an FCC Registration Number (FRN).  Click the Register in 
CORES button 
below, then select 'Register and receive your FRN' on the CORES Home Page."  
Please click the 
button, and register in CORES.  After completing your registration, you will be 
presented with a 
link back to the ULS TIN/Call Sign registration login page.  Provide the 
appropriate call sign and 
ASR information.

Other important changes for current users include the following:

1. All fields on electronic forms within ULS and ASR that previously required a 
TIN will now 
require an FRN including, for example, The Real Party in Interest, Transferee, 
and Assignee 
sections. 
2. Applicant and contact information will no longer be pre-filled from your 
ULS TIN registration 
records for New applications.  In addition, transferee and assignee 
information and associated 
contact information will no longer pre-fill for applications with a purpose of 
TC and AA, 
respectively.  You will need to enter applicant and contact information each 
time you complete a 
New, TC, or AA application. 
3. Updating information in CORES such as address, phone number, email, etc. does 
not update this 
information in ULS.  To update information pertaining to your license(s) or 
antenna structure 
registration(s), you must file an application for Administrative Update (AU).  

If you File Applications for Wireless Services Manually   
As of December 3, 2001, you will have to provide your FRN on all paper forms 
submitted manually to 
the FCC where a TIN was previously required.  If you do not have access to your 
FRN, contact the 
CORES Help Desk by phone, 877-480-3201, or by email, CORES@fcc.gov.  To obtain 
your FRN 
manually, submit an FCC Form 160.  Form 160 is available on the FCCs web site 
at  
http://www.fcc/gov/formpage.html, by calling the FCCs Forms Distribution Center 
at 1-800-418-FORM 
(3676), or from the FCCs fax-on-demand service by dialing (202) 418-0177.

Do I already have an FRN?
We have pre-registered all ULS and ASR users registered in the ULS TIN 
Registration database who 
have existing licenses.  As a result, you may have already received one or more 
FRNs.  At the time of the 
conversion, each TIN/SGIN combination received a corresponding, separate FRN.  
Note: If you are a 
current licensee, but have not registered your TIN in ULS by November 28, 2001, 
please refer to How 
do I obtain an FRN? below.

How can I find my FRN?
An easy method for finding your FRN for a particular license is to query ULS 
License Search.  Enter a 
specific call sign, and select Search. Your FRN will appear on your License 
record.  

How can I determine the licenses associated with a specific FRN?
An easy method for determining which licenses are associated with a specific FRN 
is to query ULS 
License Search by entering the FRN and selecting Search.  The call signs 
will appear on your License 
Search results screen.  For more information on searching for existing FRNs, see 
Attachment A.

How do I obtain an FRN?
As we mentioned earlier, many ULS and ASR users were previously issued an FRN.  
If you do not 
currently have an FRN and would like to obtain one, you should register your TIN 
and call signs or ASR 
numbers in ULS prior to November 28, 2001.  After this date, you should access 
CORES registration 
from the ULS TIN/Call Sign registration screen.  This method will ensure that 
you have the ability to 
associate call signs or ASR registrations with your newly issued FRN.   
Effective November 28, 2001, follow these steps: 

1. Select TIN/Call Sign Registration from the ULS homepage.  Choose the 
Register Now 
button, and click Continue to be automatically linked to CORES. 
2. Provide the required contact and other administrative information required by 
CORES, and you 
will receive a confirmation screen displaying your FRN number.  Record this 
number for future 
reference.
3. Choose the ULS link on the confirmation screen to return to ULS. 

How do I obtain a CORES password?
For the majority of ULS and ASR users, CORES passwords will be the same as 
current ULS passwords. 
However, if your ULS password contained less than 6 characters, or more than 15 
characters, it has 
automatically been adjusted to a new required length of between 6 and 15 
characters.  CORES has placed 
an asterisk (*) symbol at the end of passwords that were less than 5 characters 
to make them 6 characters 
in length.  Similarly, CORES eliminated all characters following the 15th place.  
For example, if your 
ULS password was MyDog, your CORES password will be MyDog*.  If your ULS 
password was 
MyDogIsNamedSampson, your CORES password will be MyDogIsNamedSam.  

If you have registered manually in ULS and do not have your password, please 
contact the ULS Help 
Desk at 202-414-1250 or by email at ulscomm@fcc.gov.  If you register manually 
after December 3, 
2001, you will receive a letter via postal mail containing your Password.  For 
help after December 3, 
contact the CORES Help Desk by phone, 877-480-3201, or by email, CORES@fcc.gov.

Changes to Application Filing in ULS

How will the FRN affect NEW ULS and ASR Users?
If you are a current licensee, but a first time user of ULS who has never 
registered an existing license or 
antenna structure, or are a new applicant, you need to register in CORES to 
receive your FRN.  Choose 
the Register Now button on the ULS TIN/Call Sign registration page, and select 
Continue to be 
linked directly to CORES registration.  Provide the information required, and 
choose a password.   You 
will receive your FRN and be directed back to ULS.  If you have an existing call 
sign or antenna structure 
registration, provide the information as required.  Note that when you file 
applications in ULS, you may 
be asked for some of the information also required by the CORES system. 

Are there changes to Application Filing for Current ULS Users?
New applications 
If you or your organization has multiple FRNs, and you are filing an application 
with the purpose of 
NEW, make sure that you login using the FRN with which you want the new call 
sign associated. 

How does FRN affect filing through a certified Application Coordinator?
If you submit applications through a third party, such as a Volunteer Exam 
Coordinator (VEC) or Club 
Administrator for amateur radio services, Commercial Operator License Exam 
Managers (COLEMS), or 
frequency coordinators for the land mobile radio services, you may have been 
automatically registered in 
CORES.  It is also possible that you have received multiple FRNs.  To verify the 
status of your FRN(s), 
choose License Search from the ULS homepage, and query the ULS license 
database by call sign.  
Your FRN will be displayed on your license record.  For more help on searching, 
see Attachment A.

Effective December 3, make sure you provide the party coordinating your 
applications the specific 
FRN(s) associated with your call sign(s).  If the application does not contain 
the correct FRN associated 
with the call sign, the application will not be accepted for filing and will be 
returned to the coordinator for 
correction.  If you are not certain of your FRN, you may provide your TIN or 
Licensee ID and SGIN (if 
applicable) to the coordinator, and you will be auto-registered in CORES and 
assigned an FRN.

Note: For application purposes other than "NEW," please make sure that you 
submit the correct FRN, 
TIN/SGIN, or Licensee ID/SGIN to your coordinator.  When new applications are 
granted, they are 
associated with the FRN-TIN/SGIN provided on the application.  If you use SGINs, 
and do not submit 
one, ULS will assign the default value of 000. 

How will CORES affect my ATIN(s)?
The use of ATINS in ULS is being phased out.  As of December 3, 2001, ATINS will 
no longer be 
assigned, and you will only be able to use your current ATIN(s) on the ULS/TIN 
login screen during a 
short transitional period.  Applicants that previously used ATINS, such as 
Amateur Clubs and foreign 
entities, must now register in CORES.  Follow the Register Now link in ULS to 
access CORES 
registration.  Complete the administrative information required, choose the 
appropriate exempt category, 
and provide your new FRN on all ULS and ASR applications. 

Is it Possible to Deactivate FRNs?
Yes, but we strongly recommend that prior to deactivating an FRN, you check the 
ULS licensing database 
to make sure no active call signs are associated with the FRN you plan to 
deactivate.  You will not be able 
to file license applications, including Renewals and Modifications, for a call 
sign if the FRN associated 
with it has been deactivated.  If  you have inadvertently deactivated an FRN 
with an existing call sign, 
contact the CORES Help Desk by phone, 877-480-3201, or by email, CORES@fcc.gov. 

For Further Information or Assistance
Effective December 3, 2001, the CORES Help Desk will be the contact for all 
password-related issues.  
For assistance contact the CORES Help Desk by phone, 877-480-3201, or by email, 
CORES@fcc.gov.  
CORES Help Desk hours are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern 
Time (ET), Saturday 8 a.m. to 7 
p.m. ET, and Sunday 12 noon to 6 p.m. ET.  Hours will be extended as of  
December 3.

The ULS Help Desks continue to provide support on technical and licensing 
related questions.  For more information, contact the FCC at the appropriate 
locations below:

FCC Technical Support Hotline: 202-414-1250 (TTY 202-414-1255) or via e-mail at
ulscomm@fcc.gov. Contact the Technical Support Hotline about questions 
concerning computer access
to ULS, TIN registration, uploading files, or submitting attachments in ULS.  
The hotline is available
Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 7 
p.m. ET, and Sundays from 12 p.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 hotline are recorded.

ULS Licensing Support and Forms Information: 1-888-CALLFCC (225-5322), choose 
option #2, or
717-338-2888.  E-mail questions may be sent to ulshelp@fcc.gov.  Contact 
Licensing Support with
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 ULS-related licensing 
matter.  ULS Licensing
Support is available Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. 


Attachment A

If you have not used the ULS License Search feature before, please see 
Attachment B for general 
instructions.  The following are specific tips for using License Search to find 
Call Sign/FRN associations 
for licenses issued through ULS.

1. Search By Call Sign: Enter the call sign of a license you currently hold with 
the FCC.  Your 
FRN will appear on your license record. 
2. Search by a specific FRN to determine all the call signs registered to it in 
ULS.  Registrants may 
have multiple FRNs because each TIN/SGIN registration that is converted before 
December 3 
will receive an FRN. 
3. Search by Licensee ID to find all FRNs associated with a specific TIN in ULS. 
4. Search by Licensee Name to produce a list of all licenses held by a licensee.  
However, because 
licensee name is hand keyed, there may be variations in the exact reference to 
an entity.  Use 
caution when searching by licensee name to be sure you find all references to 
the party for whom 
you are searching.  Note: A search by Licensee Name may produce a very long list 
of results 
which take several minutes to load in your Web browser.


Attachment B


Performing a License Search in ULS

The following are instructions for electronically searching for a specific 
license or licenses on 
file with the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.  We recommend that you use 
Netscape 
Communicator 4.51, 4.61, or 4.7 (Internet web browser software) which can be 
downloaded  free 
of charge from http://home.netscape.com/download/.  You may click the ? (Help) 
button at 
anytime for additional information on using License Search.

1. Connect to the FCC Network either via Dial-Up Access, using the URL 
http://wtbwww05.fcc.gov, or through the World Wide Web at 
http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls. 

2.	Verify that Java and JavaScript are enabled in your web browser 
preferences.  
Additionally, the preferences must specify Accept all cookies.  Refer to your 
web 
browser Help function for more information.

3.	On the Universal Licensing System main page, click the License Search 
button, located 
in the center of the page, and also under the heading ULS Online Systems, on the 
menu 
on the left-hand side of the page.

	Note:  License Search utilizes "cookies."  If you are receiving a 
notification message 
when accepting a cookie, we recommend that you disable this message in your web 
browser options.  Please consult your Web browser Help facility for more 
information.

4.	Select the type of search by clicking the down arrow in the Select Search 
Type field.  
Choose from the following options: 

	General to search for all licenses.
	
	Market Based to search only for licenses associated with an FCC Auction.
	
	Site Based to search only for site-based licenses.
		
	Frequency to search for Wireless licenses based on a single frequency or 
frequency 
ranges.

	Then click the Continue button.

5.	The License Search screen appears.  This screen contains several data 
entry fields used 
for specifying the criteria for your license search.  On the License Search 
screen, specify 
the search criteria necessary to locate the desired license.  Please refer to 
the following 
Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria for more information.

	

Basic Guidelines for Specifying Search Criteria:

	You must specify search criteria in at least one field.  You do not have 
to specify search 
criteria in all of the search fields.  Enter search criteria in as many fields 
as you wish.

	To specify search criteria in a search field containing a menu of options, 
click the desired 
option from the menu.  Use the scroll bars to view all options in a menu.  You 
can 
select multiple options from a menu by pressing the CTRL key while you click the 
menu options. 

	Click <No Criteria> to undo a menu selection and search for all options in 
the menu. 

	Click the Clear button to clear entries from all of the search fields. 
		
	The Universal Licensing System restricts the number of rows returned in a 
license search 
to 3000.  In such instances if your results set is too large, enter more 
specific search 
criteria to reduce the number of rows returned.

	Click the ? (Help) button for a definition of each search field available 
on the License 
Search screen.

6.	After you have specified the desired search criteria, click the Search 
button.  The system 
will scan the database for any licenses matching the search criteria.  The 
matching license 
files will be listed on the Search Results screen.  The Search Results screen 
will identify 
the call sign, licensee name, radio service code, market, and Licensee ID for 
each license 
returned in the query.

	A message on the Search Results screen will indicate if no matches were 
found for the 
specified search criteria.  Click the New Search button and specify your search 
criteria 
again.

7.	To view a license, click its underlined call sign.  To navigate through 
the data on the 
License screen, use the scroll bar, or click the links at the top of the screen.  
Click the ? 
(Help) button for information regarding specific functions available on this 
screen.

	To re-access the Search Results screen, click the down arrow in the Other 
Options field 
to obtain the drop-down menu of options.  Click Search Results from the Other 
Options menu, and then click the Go button.

	To access additional information about the license (such as special 
conditions, associated 
applications, and locations), click the down arrow in the License Options field 
to 
obtain the drop-down menu of options.  Click the desired selection from the menu 
then click the Go button.

	To begin a new search, click the down arrow in the Other Options field to 
obtain the drop-down 
menu of options.  Click New Search from the Other Options menu and then click 
the Go 
button.
  	See Adoption of a Mandatory FCC Registration Number, MD Docket No. 00-205, 
Report and Order, 16 
FCC Rcd. 16138 (2001).
  	This section applies only to radio services that have the option to file 
manually.  See 47 C.F.R.  1.913(d).  
All applications that require frequency coordination, regardless of radio 
service, must be filed electronically. 
 	When the transition to CORES has been completed, your FRN will appear in 
place of Licensee ID on the 
ULS License Search results screen.
 	When the transition to CORES has been completed, your FRN will appear in 
place of Licensee ID on the 
ULS License Search results screen.
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