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FCC Extends Comment Date on FCC Order 19-226 By Two Weeks

DA 20-521

Released: May 15, 2020 → here.

OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY EXTENDS COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DEADLINES FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE TO RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS PROCEEDING

ET Docket No. 19-226

 

  • Revised Comment Date: June 17, 2020

  • Revised Reply Comment Date: July 20, 2020

The Office of Engineering and Technology (OET) extends the comment and reply comment deadlines on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Targeted Changes to the Commission’s Rules Regarding Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, released on December 4, 2019 (NPRM)1. Currently, the comment due date is June 3, 2020 and the reply comment due date is July 6, 20202.

On May 11, 2020, Momentum Dynamics Corporation sought a 45-day extension of the comment and reply comment filing dates to perform testing in support of comments in the midst of the disruptions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic3. On May 14, 2020, GuRu Wireless, Inc. expressed opposition to this motion, noting that the comment period for this proceeding has already been delayed and that supplemental information could be filed after the comment period through ex parte submission4.

It is the general policy of the Commission that extensions of time shall not be routinely granted5. Under the circumstances presented, we conclude that a 14-day extension of the comment and reply comment deadlines is warranted to address the concerns raised about conducting testing and allow for a better developed record in this proceeding.

This short extension takes into account the prospect that parties may gain greater access to their worksites in the near future6, but is not so long as to frustrate our interest in not unduly delaying this proceeding. We anticipate that interested parties will be able to use this time to develop complete, fully supported comments and reply comments, and acknowledge that parties can make ex parte presentations to introduce supplemental materials once the notice-and-reply comment cycle has closed.

Accordingly, pursuant to Section 4(i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended7, and Section 1.46 of the Commission’s rules8, we extend the deadline for filing comments until June 17, 2020, and we extend the deadline for filing reply comments until July 20, 2020.

For further information, contact Martin Doczkat, martin.doczkat@fcc.gov of the Office of Engineering and Technology Electromagnetic Compatibility Division, or the Commission’s RF Safety Program, rfsafety@fcc.gov.

Action by the Acting Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology.

  1. Targeted Changes to the Commission’s Rules Regarding Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, ET Docket No. 19-226, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 34 FCC Rcd 11687 (2019). ↩

  2. Federal Communications Commission, Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, 85 Fed. Reg. 19117 (Apr. 6, 2020), corrected at 85 Fed. Reg. 20967 (Apr. 15, 2020) and 85 Fed. Reg. 26438 (May 4, 2020). ↩

  3. Momentum Dynamics Corporation, Motion for Extension of Time, ET Docket No. 19-226 (filed May 11, 2020). ↩

  4. GuRu Wireless, Inc., Opposition to Request for More Time, ET Docket No. 19-226 (filed May 14, 2020). ↩

  5. 47 CFR § 1.46(a). ↩

  6. Momentum Dynamics Corporation, Motion for Extension of Time at 2 (expecting the “stay-at-home” order for its Chester County, Pa.-based location to remain in effect until at least June 4). ↩

  7. 47 U.S.C. § 154(i). ↩

  8. 47 CFR § 1.46. ↩