Record Only
Released:  April 17, 1996

     PUBLIC NOTICE
      FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
    1919 M STREET, N.W.                                           
                        DA 96-577
     WASHINGTON, DC  20554
    

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                                                   Released:
April 17, 1996
                                    
      FCC SEEKS COMMENTS IN THE PROCEEDING TO ALLOCATE 70
MEGAHERTZ  OF SPECTRUM TO THE MOBILE-SATELLITE SERVICE
                                    
  On January 31, 1995, the Commission released a Notice of
Proposed Rule Making
(NPRM) in the Matter of Amendment of Section 2.106 of the
Commission's Rules to
Allocate Spectrum at 2 GHz for Use by the Mobile-Satellite
Service, ET Docket No. 95-18. 
The comment and reply comment period for this proceeding closed
on June 21, 1995.

  On March 14, 1996, COMSAT Corporation (COMSAT) filed
supplemental comments
in this proceeding and requested that we allow interested parties
to file comments addressing
them.  On March 27, 1996, Motorola, Inc., filed a partial
opposition to COMSAT's
supplemental comments, stating that the Commission should not
consider COMSAT's
supplemental comments unless all parties are given time to
analyze and respond to them.  On
April 1, 1996, UTC filed an opposition to COMSAT's supplemental
comments, asking that
the Commission treat them as an ex parte communication.  On April
5, 1996, the American
Petroleum Institute filed a response to COMSAT's supplemental
comments.

  COMSAT's supplemental comments, and the responses thereto, were
filed partly as a
result of new information provided by the 1995 World Radio
Conference on the issues in this
proceeding.  The responses of other interested parties
demonstrates that there is considerable
interest in these issues.  At the same time, we do not wish to
delay this proceeding unduly. 
Therefore, we will allow interested parties to file responses to
COMSAT's supplemental
comments within 30 days of the date of this Public Notice. 
Responses should be sent to
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission,
Washington, D.C. 20554. 
COMSAT's supplemental comments and the responses thereto will be
available for public
inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference
Center (Room 239) of the
Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M. Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20554.

  For further information concerning this proceeding contact Sean
White at (202) 418-
2453 or e-mail swhite@fcc.gov, Office of Engineering and
Technology, Federal
Communications Commission, Washington, D.C. 20554.

- By the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology -