PUBLIC NOTICE
     
   Federal Communications Commission
   1919 M St., N.W.
   Washington, D.C. 20554

                                                                              
                                                               
   DA 96-1722

   Released: October 17, 1996

                          PUBLIC COMMENT INVITED

             COMMISSION SEEKS COMMENT ON METHODS FOR PROVIDING
            TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO STATES TO ENCOURAGE SITING OF
           TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES ON STATE-OWNED PROPERTY

      Comment Date: November 8, 1996; Reply Date:  November 22, 1996 

 The Telecommunications Act of 1996 ("1996 Act") contains provisions concerning the
placement of antenna structures and other facilities for use in providing personal wireless services. 
Section 704(c) of the 1996 Act directs the Federal Communications Commission ("Commission")
to offer technical support to States to encourage them to make property, rights-of-way, and
easements under their jurisdiction available for placement of new telecommunications facilities. 
In that capacity, the Commission has formed a Wireless Facilities Siting Task Force to evaluate
the requirements of the 1996 Act and to determine what methods the Commission might use to
further the mandate of Section 704(c).

 The Wireless Facilities Siting Task Force has determined that it would be beneficial to
receive public comment to determine the methods the Commission should use to implement
Section 704(c) of the 1996 Act.  Therefore, interested parties are invited to submit comments on
how the Commission might offer technical support to States to encourage them to make property,
rights-of-way and easements under their jurisdiction available for the siting of new
telecommunications facilities.  Comments must be submitted no later than November 8, 1996. 
Parties interested in submitting reply comments must do so no later than November 22, 1996. 
All comments should reference the title of this proceeding:  "Methods for Providing Technical
Support for Siting of Telecommunications Facilities on State-Owned Property" and should be
filed with the Office of Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W.,
Room 222, Washington, DC 20554.

 Parties are encouraged to submit comments and reply comments on diskette.  Such
diskette submissions would be in addition to and not a substitute for the formal filing
requirements presented above.  Parties submitting diskettes should submit them to Shaun A.
Maher, Legal Branch, Commercial Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau,
Federal Communications Commission, 2025 M Street, N.W., Room 7130, Washington, D.C. 
20554.  Such a submission should be on a 3.5 inch diskette formatted in an IBM compatible form
using Word Perfect 5.1 for Windows software.  The diskette should be submitted in "read only"
mode, and should be clearly labelled with the party's name, proceeding, type of pleading
(comment or reply comment) and date of submission.


 The full text of all comments and reply comments will be available for inspection and
duplication during regular business hours in the Commercial Wireless Division Public Reference
Room, 2025 M Street, N.W., Room 5608, Washington, D.C. 20554.  Copies may also be
obtained from International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS), 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140,
Washington, D.C. 20037, (202) 857-3800.        

 For further information, contact Shaun A. Maher of the Legal Branch of the Commercial
Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, at 202-418-2324 (email:
smaher@fcc.gov).  


                                   -FCC-