FCC Debuts ULS Internet Filing!

WASHINGTON, DC, May 9, 2000--Amateurs who struggled with dial-up networking configurations to file applications on the Universal Licensing System now can breathe a sigh of relief. Applicants now can file ULS applications via the Web! With little fanfare, the FCC opened ULS to Internet filers on April 29. It formally announced the system this week.

FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief Thomas Sugrue announced yesterday that ULS users now can file applications and notifications via the Internet for all services previously only available by dial-up connection to the Commission's Wide Area Network. To access the new capability, visit the ULS home page http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls and click on "Online Filing."

The ULS--the FCC's interactive on-line licensing application, modification and renewal system for wireless telecommunications services--was deployed for the Amateur Service last August 16. ULS also serves as a research tool that enables interested parties to obtain information via the Internet regarding the status of applications filed in ULS and licenses issued by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

Sugrue noted that many ULS users had requested the ability to access ULS through the Internet in order to utilize their high speed Internet connectivity. He also addressed concerns about the security of transactions handled via the Internet.

"We now have the technology in place that assures the integrity and security of data transmitted over the Internet along with high speed connectivity," he said. "This is another step forward in the expanding functionality of ULS."

The FCC has told the ARRL that making online payments--to file a vanity call sign application and pay on line, for example--requires that users be running the 128-bit encryption version of Netscape Ver 4.73 or later. The FCC is currently supporting only recent versions of Netscape for online filing tasks but says that support for other browsers and platforms is in the works and should be available shortly.

The FCC will continue to provide dial-up access. Information on making a dial-up connection is available via the ULS home page by clicking on "Connecting to ULS."--FCC

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