What Questions are being asked by the FCC, and/or What is the FCC Thinking?

1. What Questions are being asked by the FCC, and/or What is the FCC Thinking? A NPSTC Tutorial on Searching for FCC Documents to clearly understand What is being asked, or Why the FCC decided one way rather than another.

2. “I may know what I think, but don’t I really need to know exactly what the FCC is asking.” “Are the FCC Rules the only things telling me what the FCC is thinking?” “Are there sources I can consult to accurately determine what I have been asked, and/or maybe how I should interpret the rules the FCC has adopted?”

3. Determining what the FCC is thinking will be key in planning your participation strategies for Rulemakings and for interpreting the Rules adopted by the FCC. The FCC describes the questions being asked, the FCC thought processes, and the rationale behind the Rules adopted, in many ways, in Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (NPRMs), Reports and Orders (R&Os), Memorandum Opinions and Orders (MO&Os), Public Notices (PNs), and other documents published by the FCC. The FCC Electronic Data Management System (EDOCS) is a simple and efficient way to identify and obtain copies of FCC documents related to its Rulemaking proceedings. “What is the FCC asking/thinking?”

4. “How do I get to EDOCS?” There are two alternative ways for getting to the EDOCS “Search” tool • First, one can get to the EDOCS “Search” tool • By going to the FCC Home Page http://www.fcc.gov/ . Then click on • the E-Filing link at the bottom of the FCC Home Page; then scrolling down • to the Electronic Document Management System link on the FCC • Electronic Filing & Public Access Systems page, and then clicking on • search Electronic Document Management Systemlink • OR • Alternatively, one can get to the EDOCS “Search” tool • By typing the URL of the page where the “Search” tool is located • http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/ into your web browser. Either method shown above will get you to the EDOCS “Search” tool(s). The EDOCS “Quick Search” tool is illustrated on the next slide. Instructions and tips for completing the “Search” tool follow the illustration.

5. EDOCS “Quick Search” Template http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/

6. EDOCS “Quick Search” Template Completion Instructions • This is the only info you need to complete on the “Quick Search” template to search for FCC documents. • Maybe you know the correct Docket/RM number, but, if not, where do you get the Docket/RM number info? Some suggestions: • On the FCC “Public Notice” announcing • the Proceeding, or • In the FCC Daily Digest, where the • “Notice” was published, or • Ask a Public Safety communications • colleague, or • Ask a Radio Manufacturer contact you • know, or • Ask a NPSTC contact you know, or • Contact the NPSTC support office. NOTE: FCC proceeding numbers appear in the format similar to WT96-86, WT99-87, WT 02-55, PS 06-229. When entering the Docket number into the search template DO NOT include the two-letter identifier. Simply enter the numbers and the “-” associated with the two letter identifier, e.g. “06-229.”

7. EDOCS “Quick Search” Instructions Once you have entered the Docket/RM number in the appropriate block on the “Quick Search” template, simply click on the Search button and you will get a listing of ALL FCC documents related to the Docket/RM number entered. If the “Results” list is too long AND you know additional information about the documents you seek, you can use the “EDOCS Advanced” template. You get to the “EDOCS Advanced” template by clicking on theEDOCS Advanced link located immediately above the EDOCS “Quick Search” Template on the EDOCS home page.

8. EDOCS “Advanced” Template This is the EDOCS “Advanced” template. The only required entry is the Docket/RM Number block. You can limit the length of the “Results” list by entering additional known info into the appropriate blocks, e.g., the “Document Dates,” “Document Title/Description,” etc. blocks. BE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THE ADDITIONAL INFO ENTERED IS CORRECT otherwise incorrect or misleading results will be obtained. http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/edocsLink.do?mode=advance&type=n

9. EDOCS “Search Tips” Additional EDOCS “Search Tips” are available on the EDOCS Home Page. Simply click on the Search Tips link located immediately to the left of the “EDOCS Quick Search” template on the EDOCS Home page. Clicking on the Search Tips link will provide additional information about using either the “Quick Search” template or the “Advanced” template.

10. EDOCS Search “Results” This shows a representative “results” list. A “results” list could be anywhere from a few documents to hundreds of documents long depending upon how narrowly and how correctly the search criteria was entered. Clink on the link under the document name in the list, next to the format you want to use, to either “open” the document so you can determine if it is the document you are seeking, and/or to “save” the document in a location of your choosing for future reference.

11. EDOCS “Search” RECAP Gosh, you need to know a lot to use either EDOCS “Search” tool. Not True!!

12. The EDOCS “Search” tools are easily located and easy to use. The only thing you need to know beforehand is the Proceeding Number and that shouldn’t be hard to determine or you may already know it. RECAP Knowing the exact questions asked and tailoring your answers to those exact questions saves everybody time, increasing the likelihood your inputs receive full and fair consideration. Appreciating the “why” and not just the “what” of the FCC rules may help you avoid and/or minimize trouble with the Enforcement Bureau.