[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR3.21]

[Page 616-617]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
              CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
 
PART 3--AUTHORIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF ACCOUNTING AUTHORITIES IN MARITIME AND MARITIME MOBILE-SATELLITE RADIO SERVICES--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  3.21  Order of consideration.

    (a) Accounting Authority applications will be processed on a first-
come, first-served basis. When applications are received on the same 
day, the application with the earliest mailing date, as evidenced by the 
postmark, will be processed first. Interim accounting authorities 
seeking permanent certifications through the ``grandfathering'' process 
will not compete with other applicants during the first 60 days 
following the effective date of these rules which is allowed for 
submission of their applications. After the ``grandfathering'' process 
is completed, all other applicants will be processed as in paragraph (a) 
of this section.
    (b) At any given time, there will be no more than 25 certified 
accounting

[[Page 617]]

authorities with a minimum of 15 ``US'' AAICs reserved for use by 
accounting authorities conducting settlement operations within the 
United States. The Commission will retain all valid applications 
received after the maximum number of accounting authorities have been 
approved and will inform such applicants that should an AAIC become 
available for reassignment in the future, the Commission will 
conditionally certify as an accounting authority the oldest of the 
qualified pending applicants, as determined by the order of receipt. 
Final certification would be conditional upon filing of an amended 
application (if necessary). The Commission will inform the applicant of 
his/her conditional selection in writing to confirm the applicant's 
continued interest in becoming an accounting authority.