PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 96-1158 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: July 19, 1996 ANTENNA STRUCTURE REGISTRATION PROCEDURES CLARIFIED In response to requests for additional information from a number of antenna structure owners, this Public Notice serves to clarify and update certain antenna structure registration procedures concerning the filing windows for existing structures (those studied by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and cleared by the Commission prior to July 1, 1996). By Report and Order in WT Docket No. 95-5, released November 30, 1995, the Commission adopted rules to streamline the Commission's antenna structure clearance process by requiring owners to register certain antenna structures with the Commission. The registration requirement generally applies to structures more than 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground or located near an airport. Detailed information concerning the registration process is contained in PR 5000 Number 15 (Fact Sheet for Antenna Registration). Copies of the Fact Sheet and the registration form (FCC Form 854) are available from the FCC's Forms Distribution Center at 1-800-418- FORM (3676) or through the internet at http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/antstruc.html. FAA notification. In the Report and Order, the Commission acknowledged that some owners of existing structures may wish to correct errant site data upon registration. The FAA, however, requires a new aeronautical study for corrections in latitude or longitude of one second or more, or a correction in height of one foot or more. Because owners correcting errors of this magnitude must re-notify the FAA prior to registration and could wait for several months for a new FAA determination, the Commission has set forth an alternative filing method for these owners. In lieu of registering during the state-by-state filing windows for existing structures set forth in the Report and Order, these owners must immediately re-notify the FAA (preferrably prior to the expiration of the applicable filing window) and register their structures only after receipt of the new FAA determination. To expedite the timely registration of antenna structures, however, owners that intend to verify site data should do so as soon as possible to avoid delays. This clarification does not alter the procedures for proposed antenna structures or existing structures that do not require a new aeronautical study by the FAA. As the Commission stated in the Report and Order, proposed antenna structures must be registered prior to construction and existing antenna structures that do not require a new study must be registered during the appropriate filing window. Revised filing windows. Because the registration form (FCC Form 854) was not available until June 1996, many owners of existing structures have experienced difficulty in obtaining the form and securing surveyors to verify site data. (Although the Commission is not requiring owners to re-survey their structures, many are doing so voluntarily in order to verify site data prior to registration). Thus, the revised chart below provides additional time for owners to register existing structures located in the following states: AK, AZ, HI, MI, MT, NC, NM, and NY. Existing antenna structures located in these states were originally required to be registered either in July, August, or September 1996. This approach affords an additional period for owners in these states to become informed of the registration requirements, obtain the registration form (FCC Form 854), and verify their site data. FILING WINDOW STATES AND TERRITORIES FILING WINDOW STATES AND TERRITORIES Jul 1 - Oct 31, 1996 AK, AZ, HI, MA, MI, MO, MT, NC, NM, NY Aug 1 - Sep 30, 1997 FL, IN Nov 1-30, 1996 IL, WY Oct 1-31, 1997 DE, KS, WA Dec 1-31, 1996 NV, OK, PR Nov 1-30, 1997 NH, OR, WI, WV Jan 1 - Feb 28, 1997 CA, OH Dec 1-31, 1997 AL, DC, MD Mar 1-31, 1997 IA, VA Jan 1-31, 1998 AR, ND, UT Apr 1-30, 1997* AS, GA, GM, GU, MP, VI Feb 1-28, 1998 ID, MS, SD, VT May 1-31, 1997 LA, ME, RI Mar 1-31, 1998 KY, TN Jun 1-30, 1997 CO, MN Apr 1-30, 1998 CT, NJ, SC Jul 1-31, 1997 NE, PA May 1 - Jun 30, 1998 TX * American Samoa (AS), Gulf of Mexico (GM), Guam (GU), Northern Mariana Islands (MP), and U.S. Virgin Islands (VI). Structures on Midway Island and Wake Island should also be filed with this group. If you have questions concerning the new antenna structure registration procedures, please contact the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau's Consumer Assistance Branch in Gettysburg, PA, at 1-800-322-1117. -FCC-