Finding older records for licenses in the 2.5 Gigahertz band can be complicated by the fact that the ITFS service was reassigned from the Mass Media Bureau (Television) to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Broadband) in March 25, 2002.

In addition, the FCC modernized its databases by replacing the Broadband Licensing System (BLS) with the Universal Licensing System Universal Licensing System (ULS) on October 11, 2002.

Finally, the Commission changed the name of the 2.5 GHz service for educational uses from Instructional Television Fixed Service (ITFS) to Educational Broadband Service (EBS) when it adopted a new band plan, effective January 10, 2005. (See Final Rule at Federal Register of December 10, 2004 (69 FR 72020, 70 FR 1190.)

This page contains information about how to locate electronic records. Most of agency records after 1995 are in electronic databases, which is when the Internet came into prominence.

Pre-Internet paper records can be obtained by submitting a request to the FCC's Photocopy contractor (for license filings and records), visiting the FCC Public Information Center (call ahead first), or filing a Freedom of Information Act request (which is a last resort).

The FCC Library is no longer open to the public, but you can request records from the library that will be sent to the Public Information Center and held there for you to examine on site.

The FCC Library contains a wide variety of legal and technical information on telecommunications and related subjects. The legal collection includes: federal and statutory histories; reference works; treatises; loose-leaf services; and a collection of cross-indexed legislative histories dating back to the beginning of communications law.

Documents contained in the Library include: Code of Federal Regulations, Title 47 (containing all FCC rules); FCC Annual Reports; FCC Federal Court Briefs (selected); the FCC Record; FCC Reports, First and Second Series; Federal Radio Commission Annual Reports; Federal Registers,1934 to present (containing the full text of FCC Report and Orders); Pike and Fisher Radio Regulations, First and Second Series; Radio Act of 1927; Communications Act of 1934, as amended; the Telecommunications Act of 1996; as well as other proposed and/or enacted legislation pertaining to communications, telecommunications, broadcasting, administrative procedures, and independent agency regulations.

FCC Library Closes to the Public.

Members of the public who wish to have access to material in the Library may present their request to the staff of the FCC Reference Information Center, located at 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C.

How do I obtain publicly available documents and other materials from the FCC?

Many of these documents and other FCC publications already appear on the FCC's website and can be accessed by online Search Tools.

If records cannot be located online, call the FCC's Duplicating Contractor or FCC Reference Information Center.

Documents may also be viewed in the FCC Reference Information Center at the FCC Headquarters at 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. The Reference Information Center is open to the public on Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Friday. A person, who wants to inspect publicly available FCC records, need only appear at the Commission's headquarters and ask to see the records. Alternatively, you may write or telephone in advance to schedule a date and time to make the records available for inspection. Advance notice to the FCC is suggested in some circumstances, i.e., if the request is for a large number of documents or for older documents which may have to be recalled from storage. Get more information about the Reference Information Center.

What types of materials are available without filing a FOIA request?

You do not have to file a FOIA request to obtain information which is routinely available for public inspection, including records from docketed cases, broadcast applications and related files, petitions for rulemakings, various legal and technical publications, legislative history compilations, etc. See 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.453 and 0.455. Much of this information is available on our website.

How do I file a FOIA request?

To make a FOIA request pursuant to 47 C.F.R. § 0.461, you have several options:

(1) You may fill out the Electronic FOIA Request Form and submit it to us; or

(2) You may write to us via surface mail. If you choose to send your request via surface mail you MUST: (a) write the words "Freedom of Information Act Request" at the top of your letter and on the outside of the mailing envelope, (b) date your request, (c) give us your daytime telephone number and/or daytime e-mail contact address so that our staff can get in touch with you during normal business hours if they have questions, and (d) provide as much information as possible regarding each document you are seeking. You should also specify the maximum search fee that you are prepared to pay for this request. Send your letter to the address below.

(3) You may also fax or e-mail your request to the contact information below.

A copy of the FCC Freedom of Information Act Reference Guide is available on the FCC website.

Please consult the full text of the FCC's regulations implementing the FOIA, found at 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.441 - 0.470, before filing a FOIA request. In addition, you may wish to consult the United States Department of Justice's annual guide to the FOIA entitled Freedom of Information Act Guide and Privacy Overview that contains an extensive analysis of the statute and FOIA case law. If these reference guides do not provide you the information you need to submit your FOIA request, you can also contact the FCC's FOIA Requester Service Center via phone, email, or surface mail. Get contact information for the FOIA Requester Service Center.

Educational institutions, representatives of the news media, and non-commercial scientific institution requesters must pay for duplication only, and will not be charged for the first 100 pages. The reproduction fees are $0.10 per page. In certain circumstances, the FCC may request advance payment of fees.

FCC FOIA Contact

You may submit a FOIA request to the FCC by e-mail, surface mail, or fax.

E-mail: FOIA@fcc.gov

Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W., Room 1-A836
Washington, D.C. 20554

Phone: 202-418-0440 or 202-418-0212

Fax: 202-418-2826 or 202-418-0521

http:/ /wireless.fcc.gov/services/itfs&mds/

ITFS & MDS Radio Services

This web page cited above is no longer active. You can find the description provided there on this website at

EBS / NN > Instructional Television Fixed Service > Background Information

You can find the Commission's Rules for ITFS and MDS by year on the Government Printing Office's website. Search Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 74 (EBS) and 21 (BRS), as shown below. For copies of the CFR before October, 1996, you will have to go to the FCC Library / Reference Information Center (see above), Library of Congress, or local law library.

The current version of the Rules for EBS stations can be found on this website under EBS Regulations. This version of the Rules has been edited so that it only contains information applicable to EBS licenses.

The following are links to complete lists of Official Documents released by the Media Bureau, and its predecessors, the Mass Media Bureau and Cable Services Bureau.

Note that it is much easier to find documents using the FCC's Search Engines.

Go directly to the Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS), which searches FCC Official Documents only, or the Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), which searches comments filed in FCC rulemakings and docketed proceedings.

If you would prefer, however, to go through chronological lists of the documents, links to these lists appear below.

Lists of Media Bureau Documents, Post 3/2002

The following lists contain documents from the predecessor to the current Media Bureau. We began a new indexing system in 2001, so there are two choices for each Bureau covering different years, with some overlap between the two. Use the more recent indexes if possible because they are easier to read.

Public Records of the Mass Media Bureau by category (1995 - 2002) at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/

Document Indices for Mass Media Bureau (2000 - Present) at http://www.fcc.gov/Document_Indexes/Mass_Media

Agency Wide Annual Document Index can be found at http://www.fcc.gov/Document_Indexes/

Published by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. GPO Access contains Federal Register volumes from 59 (1994) to the present.

The Final Rules issued by the FCC are published in the Federal Register. Prior year Federal Register contents can be searched by Agency. See http://www.thefederalregister.com/b.p/agency/Federal_Communications_Commission/