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                            Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554


In the Matter of                   )
                                   )
ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING COMPANY     )    WT Docket No. 96-18
                                   )
Request for Waiver of the Commision's   )
Freeze on Acceptance of Paging Applications       )


                             ORDER 


   Adopted:  November 24, 1999          Released:  November 24, 1999

By the Chief, Policy and Rules Branch, Commercial Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau:

     1.   On September 10, 1997, Electronic Engineering Company (EEC) filed an emergency
petition for relief (Petition), which requests a waiver of the Commision's freeze on acceptance of paging
applications. For the reasons discussed below, we deny the Petition.

     2.   In accordance with section 1.925(b)(3) of the Commission's rules, a waiver request may be
granted if it is shown that (1) the underlying purpose of the rule would not be served, or would be
frustrated by application to the instant case, and that a grant of the requested waiver would be in the public
interest; or (2) in view of unique or unusual factual circumstances of the instant case, application of the
rule would be inequitable, unduly burdensome or contrary to the public interest, or that the applicant has no
reasonable alternative.  In its Petition, EEC states that it is requesting this waiver because the freeze "is
having a significant impact upon EEC's paging operations."  EEC also argues that, because "no schedule
has been announced as to when the Commission will issue paging licenses via auction," it is not known
when EEC will have the opportunity to expand its service area.   
     3.   We deny EEC's request for a waiver because it provides inadequate support for its
assertion that the freeze is having a significant impact upon its operations.  Furthermore, although there
may have been some degree of uncertainty regarding the future of paging auctions on the date EEC filed its
Petition, the Commission announced on June 7, 1999, that it will begin the first in a series of paging
auctions on February 24, 2000.  On the basis of the record before us, we are neither persuaded that grant
of this waiver would be in the public interest, nor do we find that EEC has presented unique or unusual
factual circumstances sufficient to justify grant of its Petition.    

     4.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to section 4(i) of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i), and sections 0.331 and 1.925(b)(3) of the Commission's Rules,
47 C.F.R.  0.331, 1.925(b)(3), the petition for relief filed by Electronic Engineering Company on
September 10, 1997 IS DENIED.
                              

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                              
                              Paul D'Ari                         
                                   Chief, Policy and Rules Branch
                              Commercial Wireless Division
                              Wireless Telecommunications Bureau