February 7, 1997

        THE FCC'S WIRELESS BUREAU WILL HOLD AN AUTOMATION AND
                      LICENSING BROWN BAG LUNCH
                    February 18, 1997 at 12:00 PM

     The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau will hold a brown bag lunch to address its
efforts to streamline the licensing process on February 18, 1997 at 12:00 p.m. in the
Commission Meeting Room (Room 856), 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.  This forum
will highlight new Bureau activities and initiatives in this area, such as electronic filing,
consolidated licensing of all Bureau radio services, and database improvements.  It will serve
as a follow-up to the well-attended brown bag forum held in December 1995. 

     During this session, we will be soliciting public input on the Bureau's current
streamlining efforts, particularly suggestions for continued improvements.  More importantly,
the Bureau will unveil a series of improvements and changes required to implement a
streamlined, well-organized licensing process.  These improvements will include internal
policy changes as well as formal rule changes, and suggestions will be solicited to aid in these
efforts.     

     The Bureau currently maintains 10 individual licensing systems and databases in
support of its numerous licensed services.  Two factors -- the similarity of the basic functions
across the 10 individual systems and the new auction process -- have resulted in the desire for a
single, integrated licensing system and database to accommodate all wireless services.  This
new system and database have come to be known as the Universal Licensing System (ULS) and
the Universal Database.  Additionally, there is a need to display licensee information based on
geographical data, rather than site and coordinate data.  Thus, the Bureau has an additional
effort underway to overlay its existing licensing and auctions data with mapping capabilities. 
Finally, this effort will result in a single location for the public to access all information
concerning wireless radio licensees, simplifying this process immeasurably.  This session will
highlight these efforts and request public input towards fulfilling related needs and
requirements.

     In addition, the Federal Communications Bar Association's Wireless Practice
Committee and other wireless industry representatives recently filed a petition that proposes
ways that the FCC could streamline its transfer of control and assignment of authorization
process.  The Bureau will briefly discuss the forbearance petition at this session, and we
welcome other parties to provide input on this and other streamlining initiatives.

                               - more -

                                - 2- 


     Finally, along with these long-term goals and changes, the Bureau continues to
implement mid-term enhancements to its existing systems.  The Bureau will describe these 
efforts and indicate the direction of future activities.  We welcome input on our current
licensing and processing efforts at this session, particularly suggestions for improvement.

                               - FCC - 

News Media contact: Kara Palamaras at (202) 418-0654  
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau contact: Karen Wrege at (202) 418-0660