ASR, TCNS Are Back On-Line, Filing Deadlines Extended

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The FCC is now supporting the Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS), Electronic Section 106 System (E-106), Universal Licensing System (ULS), Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) system and Environmental Assessments again. The Licensing Management System, Consolidated Database System, Electronic Comment Filing System are also available. The agency extended some filing deadlines, now that it’s resumed normal operations after the partial government shutdown.

The Commission suspended most operations from the middle of the day on January 3, through January 25, for a total of 23 days. Some electronic filing and database systems were unavailable from January 3, until January 28.

Because parties did not have full access to some electronic systems and databases during the shutdown, the Commission, decided that overall, filings that were due between January 3 and January 7, were due yesterday, on January 30. Filings that would otherwise be required to be filed between January 8 and February 7 will be due for filing on February 8. The same deadlines apply to fee payments that can only be made through the FCC’s Fee Filer System.  

The agency said it realizes the extension does not equal the length of the shutdown, but believes the timetable is reasonable. However, Commission staff will consider requests for further extensions as appropriate.

The TCNS, E-106, and ASR resumed operations on January 30. Because these systems were not available during the shutdown, deadlines and Tribal review timelines for filings made in connection with these systems, including submissions for environmental and historic preservation review, are “tolled,” meaning suspended, as of January 3, and the clock resumed January 30.

Regarding the TCNS database, Tribal nations have a 30-day period to review an application once it is uploaded to the E-106 system. When Tribes don’t do this within 30 days, the FCC may finish the review. For example, if an applicant uploaded a Form 620 into the E-106 system on January 1, the TCNS review clock would have stopped on January 3, and resumed on January 30. In this example, two days would have elapsed for purposes of Tribal notification, and the earliest that a non-responsive Tribe may be referred would be February 28.

Some categories, such as ULS applications and notifications have different deadlines. All ULS paperwork originally due January 3 through February 8 is now due on February 8. ULS filings that were held during the lapse in funding through January 25 – as well as any other ULS filings that were held from January 26 through January 29 – will be considered received on January 29. Because of the large volume of filings, these will be entered in the ULS in batches over the next few weeks.

January 31, 2019

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