This is a co-op. If you find something that others might be interested in, or something where you can't find the relevant file, then please contribute. Perhaps someone else will find the answer for you, or come across it in their own wanderings, and we'll all benefit this way.
Document types include:
In some cases, you may want to look at the raw directories. That currently works on this server. Those you might be interested include:
These are helpful when you find a reference to a specific file in some kind of notice. At present, there does not seem to be a convenient was of going from an "RM-xxxx" to one of these documents. [Anyone have any ideas?]So far, going the other direction, we have:
The FCC Bureaus include:
The ARRL, in the archive at Oak.Oakland.Edu, has a copy of the FCC Fact Sheet: Hints on Filing Comments with the FCC. WWW.ACS.NCSU.Edu has some additional information about formatting formal comments [you may want to look local copy instead].
If you can provide additional information on responding to the FCC, this would be gratefully appreciated, as this is intended to be a co-operative effort.
Another way is by watching the Daily_Releases directory. There are currently two directories therein which have new files added every business day. These include their Daily Digest, and the Daily Business directories. The Daily_Digest directory contains one file per business day, which generally contains contains one paragraph summaries of newly released documents. While it often contains file names, it currently does not contain the actual links.
The Daily_Business directory contains one file per business day, which contain links with a very abbreviated titles (their software permitting) such as are found under the individual bureaus, which may require some experience to make sense out of. Alas, it may not contain all News Releases, so more digging may be required.
You may also want (or need) to watch the directories of the relevant Bureaus, but be aware that, in some cases, the files there in may not necessarily be in chronological order, and new files may be added in the middle of the directory page, not necessarily and the end of the beginning. That is where the Daily Releases or a guide such as this can come in handy.
X 10 (USA) INC., CLOSTER, N.J. Notified of apparent liability for forfeiture of $6,000 for marketing of radio frequency devices with both fundamental and harmonic emissions in excess of permissible limits and which were not representative of the data submitted with the applications for equipment authorization. (By Notice of Apparent Liability [DA 95-1862] adopted August 23 by the Chief, Enforcment Division, Compliance and Information Bureau)
This is in reference to the large problem of interference to consumer home electronic equipment. The Federal Communications Commission alone receives approximately 30,000 complaints a year of interference to consumer home electronic equipment. We suspect the number of complaints is much larger when other sources are included. Since it is not feasible for the Commission to attempt to resolve these complaints, the FCC does not investigate individual complaints of interference to consumer electronic equipment. However, it is a major problem in the United States that we must deal with in order for us to ensure communications excellence for the American public..."
COMMISSION FINALIZES TELEPHONE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT RULES
(CC DOCKET NO. 92-90)
The Commission has finalized its rules implementing the Telephone
Consumer Protection Act of 1991, balancing the need to protect
consumers' privacy with the fair business practices of telemarketers.
[Corresponding Memorandum Opinion And Order: fcc95310.txt, amends Parts 64 and 68.]
ALLOCATION OF SPECTRUM BELOW 5 GHZ [4660-4685 MHz]. Created General Wireless Communications Service and adopted rules for licensing this service. (ET Docket No. 94-32 by Second Report and Order [FCC 95-319] adopted July 31 by the Commission)[n.b. Includes new Part 26.]
COMMISSION PROPOSES PLAN TO ROLL OUT
WIRELESS SERVICES - PR DOCKET NO. 89-52, GN
DOCKET NO. 93-252, PR DOCKET NO. 93-253 - (Report
No. DC 95-105 Action in Docket Case)
As part of its ongoing effort to license expeditiously
a wide range of wireless telecommunications services, the
FCC today announced a plan to reduce burdens and to
enhance the competitive potential for 220 MHz services.
Action by the Commission July 28 by the Second
MO&O and Third NPRM (FCC 95-312).
News Media contact: Stacey Reuben Mesa at (202)
418-0654. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contacts:
Martin Liebman at (202) 418-1310 or Rhonda Lien at (202)
418-1300. [Internet filename: nrmm5032.txt(sic.)]
COMMISSION PROPOSES NEW RULES TO
ESTABLISH A VERY SHORT DISTANCE TWO-WAY
VOICE RADIO SERVICE (Report No. DC 95-102, Action
in Docket Case) - WT DOCKET NO. 95-102
The Commission proposed to amend the Personal
Radio Service rules and to establish a very short distance,
unlicensed, two-way voice radio service in the UHF portion
of the frequency spectrum.
Action by the Commission June 22 by NPRM
(FCC 95-261).
News Media contact: Patricia Chew at (202) 418-
0500. Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contact:
William T. Cross at (202) 418-0691. [Internet filename: nrwi5030.txt]
"... comments due: October 2 and
replies October 16, 1995. (WT Docket [FCC 95-102] by the
Commission adopted June 22 by the Commission)."
FCC ISSUES $10,000 FORFEITURE TO STEPHEN P.
Dunifer FOR OPERATING AN FM BROADCAST
STATION WITHOUT A LICENSE (Report No. CI 95-10
Compliance and Information Action).
Granted in part and denied in part the Application
for Review filed by Stephen P. Dunifer and issued a
forfeiture of $10,000 for operating an FM Broadcast station
without a license.
Action by the Commission August 1, 1995 by
MO&O (FCC 95-333).
News Media contact: Kara Palamaras at (202) 418-
0500. Compliance and Information Bureau contact: Ana
Curtis at (202) 418-1160.[Internet filename: nrci5005.txt]
[nrci5005.txt not yet in expected directory.](See also Memorandum Opinion And Order: fcc95333.txt)
WILL T. BLANTON. Granted in part the petition for reconsideration and reduced to $1,000 the monetary forfeiture for violation of the amateur radio rules. (By Order [DA 95-1499] adopted June 30, 1995, by the Chief, Compliance and Information Bureau)
VERNON A. PAROLI. Granted in part the petition for reconsideration and reduced to $700 the forfeiture for violation of the amateur radio rules. (By Order [DA 95- 1498] adopted June 30, 1995 by the Chief, Compliance and Information Bureau)
JOHN B. GENOVESE. Granted in part the petition for reconsideration and reduced to $500 the forfeiture for violation of the amateur radio rules. (By Order [DA 95- 1497] adopted June 30, 1995 by the Chief, Compliance and Information Bureau)
You can the relevant Federal Law on-line elsewhere, for example, the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School has a searchable copy of the law governing communications, which is Title 47 ("Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs") from the GPO's CDROM and in a largely unformatted text file from also referenced by the U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library
You can also examine specific sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) using a search engine at The U.S. House of Representatives Internet Law Library. [Thanks to N6FRI] For example, therein can be found a summary of Part 15.
You'll have to wade through alot of irrelevant material unless you structure your search carefully. Most of what we want will be under 47 CFR. The following will access just the portion of Part 15 which deals with "Home-built devices":
'47 CFR Sec. 15.23 ':citewhich gets a single match [this link may or may not continute to function in the future, depending on how they structure their URL's]. You may not always be that lucky, but at least you won't see material from fifty other sources. A clever search might get you links to most of Part 15, for example: '47 CFR Sec. 15.':cite. (Note: The placement of spaces and punctuation is important in the above search strings, especially the trailing space or dot.)
Be aware that there is federal law and there are federal regulations, so make sure
you know which you're dealing with. There's a lot of material to sift through, such as Social Security regulations.