Click one of the categories below for questions and answers. If you need further assistance, please contact the ECFS Help Desk at ecfshelp@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0193.

• General Information About Submitting Filings
• Internet Filings
• Email Filings
• Searching for Filed Comments
• Searching for a Proceeding History

1. Which web browser is more reliable? Of the two recommended browsers, Netscape is the more reliable one. Errors will occur less frequently using this browser.



2. Can ex-parte comments be filed? Yes. Just click the ex-parte checkbox on the electronic cover sheet form.



3. Is a signature required when filing electronically? No. But the name of the author and/or filer must be indicated at the conclusion of the document.



4. Can I submit comments for a non-docketed proceeding in ECFS? No. ECFS only accepts comments in docketed proceedings or rulemakings.



5. What are the filing deadlines? For electronic or email the deadline is before 12:00AM midnight. For hardcopy (paper) the deadline is by 7:00PM.



6. What should I do if the ECFS system went down during a submission? Contact the ECFS Help Desk at ecfshelp@fcc.gov or (202) 418-0193. A technical support staff will be able to inform you of the system status and if you will be able to submit your filing electronically or by paper.



7. Can I put a password into my comments or format it as read-only for security reasons? How about a macro? No. Our system is not setup to accommodate these features. A document containing a password, macro, or read-only formatting would prevent the system from processing your comment.



8. Are confidential filings permitted? No. Confidential filings are not permitted electronically. However, you may submit a hard copy of your confidential comments. For more information on how to file by paper, visit http://www.fcc.gov/osec/guidelines.html.



9. Can an Application for Review be filed through ECFS? Yes.



10. Are there any fees attached to filing electronically? No. There are no fees assessed when filing electronically or otherwise.

1. Can I file one comment to multiple proceedings? If the Public Notice requests that you file comments to more than one proceeding, you will need to file separate comments for each proceeding that is listed in the Public Notice.



2. Can I attach multiple documents to the same comment? Yes. After attaching the first document, the system will navigate to another web page whereby you would click the button labeled "Enter Additional Attachments" and attach the second document. Continue in this fashion until you have attached all the documents. You can only attach one document at a time.



3. I filed comments electronically and have noticed that strange characters such as: "!@@##$$%$#%' randomly appear throughout my document. How can this be repaired? This indicates a formatting problem. Though the majority of the documents filed through electronic means are formatted satisfactorily, the occasional filing may exhibit such errors. If you detect this, please contact the ECFS Help Desk at 202-418-0193.



4. Can audio files be submitted using ECFS? No. The Electronic Comment Filing System does not accept audio files. If you intend to submit audio files, you must send a hard copy and attach the audio files. The hard copy will be scanned and converted to PDF and become available online. The audio copies will be stored offline.



5. How will I know that my comments get to the FCC if I filed via ECFS? You should get a confirmation receipt that lists the proceeding name, date filed, the file format, and the size of your comments.



6. I realized that I made a mistake in my comments after I received my confirmation, what can I do to correct the mistake? You can file an Errata and include a brief explanation of the modified filing. Both filings will be available for viewing. If you have made a filing and immediately notice that there is a mistake, please call Bill Caton at 202-418-0304 for assistance. Once your filing has been posted to the FCC's Web site, we cannot alter, remove, or replace the original filing in the record.



7. Since we file a lot of comments, can we save our confirmation receipts instead of printing them out? You may wish to create a directory to save these receipts on your system. Once the confirmation page is displayed, from the File Menu on the browser, select the option to Save or Save As, enter a filename, select the appropriate folder, and click OK.



8. This is my first time using the system. Can I send a test filing in advance? Yes. You can send a test filing in advance, however, you must contact the Office of the Secretary at (202) 418-0300 to inform them of your intention. Filings should be brief and should not contain any sensitive material.



9. What are the valid file types for attaching documents? The valid types are MS Word, MS Excel, WordPerfect, Lotus, ASCII Text and PDF.



10. How can I file comments from outside the U.S.? International users must complete the required mailing address and city fields located on the cover sheet. Select "DC" as the state and enter "00000" for the zip code.

1. I received a "Mailer Daemon" error when I attempted to use the ECFS email program. What does this mean? This error message generally means that your comments were not received. You may have erroneously typed in your information or there may exist a problem with your email server. First, review your filing for accuracy, then contact your system administrator to determine if a problem exists. If you find that everything is in order, contact the Help Desk at 202-418-0193. In any case, you will need to refile your comments.



2. How will I know that my email filing was received by the system? You will receive an email message similar to the following:
   ECFS received your Submission/Request at 00/00/0000 00:00:00 Eastern Time
   ECFS accepted your Submission/Request at 00/00/0000 00:00:00 Eastern Time.



3. Can I attach comments to the email message? No. You may only file (copy and paste) plain ASCII text comments into the body of the email message.



4. Can I view my comments via email? No. Email is for filing comments only. However, you and others may view comments via the web at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/comsrch_v2.cgi by using Netscape or Internet Explorer as a web browser and Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the documents.



5. I followed the instructions to complete Form-ET and copied and pasted the completed form into the body of an email message addressed to ECFS. However, I received a reply stating that ECFS was not able to process my filing due to data anomalies contained within my filing. What is wrong with my filing? There may be no errors within the Form or your document. ECFS only accepts messages and information as plain text. Your email program may be configured to send messages as HTML text. Please consult with your system administrator or refer to your email program documentation for instructions on re-configuring your email program to send messages as plain text.



6. Why can't I just email my comments instead of filing out the form? ECFS receives an average of about 50 comments each day. We need the system to help us keep track of your filings and ensure that they are considered. Therefore, your completed form helps us tremendously in organizing them.

1. I am having difficulties finding and ex-parte online. An ex-parte is listed as a "Notice" online. When choosing a document type on the search form, select "NO" in the "Document Type" drop-down list box.



2. I am unable to find information regarding RM-2493. Action was taken on the Lansman-Milam petition in 1975. Information regarding the petition is available on the Commission's web site at the following hyperlink http://www.fcc.gov/mb/enf/forms/rm-2493.html.



3. I was able to perform a search and see a table of comments, but what would I do to view the actual comments? Click on the link at the bottom left of each record in the result list. You must have Adobe Acrobat installed on your PC to read PDF comments.



4. I filed my commens and received the confirmation receipt, but when I went to search for it my comments were not present. Does this mean my comments did not get to the FCC? Our system converts all comments into PDFs for universal viewing purposes and we also perform quality assurance on the comments. Therefore, it normally takes us one business day to post your comments for review.



5. I filed my comments and received the confirmation receipt but when I searched I found my comments to be blank. What might have happened to my comments? Some error may have occurred while the transition of your attachments took place. Review your receipt to see the "Size" of your comments. Please contact the Help Desk at ecfshelp@fcc.gov or call (202) 418-0193.



6. I clicked on the document link and a blank page appears, does this mean there are no comments? There are four possible reasons for this:
   
   1. The Filer sent an empty file.
   2. Check your Internet browser; it must be Internet Explorer or Netscape 4.0 or higher.
   3. Check to ensure that you have Adobe Acrobat installed and configured as a helper application.
   4. A problem may have occurred during conversion.
   
   Contact the Help Desk at ecfshelp@fcc.gov or call (202) 418-0193.
   
   
7. What can I do if a "Data Missing" error is encountered when I attempt to print? I am able to retrieve the data and display it, but it will not successfully print. Save the page, then print. you may also want to check your memory cache to ensure that it is 10000K or higher. It is also recommended to have your browser configured to have the document in cache compared to document on the network every time.



8. How do I search for a Public Notice (PN) with a DA number or just a DA number (ex. 97-2234)? You can search for a Public Notice with a DA number only if it is associated with a docket or rulemaking number. If it is, enter the DA number as indicated on the search form. Otherwise refer to the Daily Digest or the Electronic Document Management System.



9. What should I do if a document stops downloading or "times out" once I have clicked the "View" button? If this occurs while you are using Internet Explorer as a web browser, switch to Netscape 4.0 or higher. It is recommended that you check your memory cache and increase it to 10000K.



10. What should I do if I receive an "unknown file type" error while attempting to view a document? Define the PDF and associate it with Adobe Acrobat Reader.



11. Can NSD files be found in ECFS? No. Search the Daily Digest.



12. I downloaded comments that appear to end abruptly and do not contain the full text of a particular filer's submission. Are there missing pages that were not scanned? Check to see if there is a second "View" button for the comments in question. If so, the remaining text will be downloaded when the second "View" button is clicked. If not, contact the Help Desk at ecfshelp@fcc.gov or call (202) 418-0193.

1. What does the "Viewing Status" mean? A viewing status of "10" indicates an unrestricted filing that is viewable within ECFS. A viewing status of "30" indicates a confidential filing that is not viewable within ECFS. A viewing status of "20" indicates Correspondence and a viewing status of "40" indicates Sunshine notices.



2. I performed a search for a proceeding history but could not locate the document links. A proceeding history report will list all the submission/document types that were filed for that particular proceeding number. You are not able to view documents within this search. You must perform a Search for Filed Comments in order to view documents.