The FCC's Modernized Comment System Is Coming Soon

As part of our efforts to upgrade the Federal Communications Commission’s major IT systems, we’ve been working to modernize the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) to improve the public’s ability to engage with the Commission on important issues. Public comments play an essential role in the Commission’s work. Our goal is to provide a more efficient and reliable way for the public to submit and access input on Commission activities. To reach that goal, we have spent months engaging with external stakeholders from law firms, industry and public interest groups, the press and FCC staff to solicit their feedback on the new system. Thanks to this essential feedback, we are nearing the final stages of the modernization effort and we expect to fully transition to the new system in late June 2016. The new cloud-based system provides the same features as the current ECFS, combined with some significant improvements:

Improved usability: Improved layout and functionality based on stakeholder feedback, making it easier to file comments, check filing status, conduct research, and complete tasks faster.
Greater reliability: Built on a commercial cloud platform, providing the ability to automatically adjust during periods of heavy usage.
Streamlined process: Because we are no longer trying to replicate a paper-filing process, the new system is not designed to convert filings to PDF before they can be publicly viewed. Filings will be made available to the public in their native formats.
Documented API: Providing outside groups the ability to submit and pull comments in bulk, with details on this API available here.
Greater efficiency: More efficient model for the cost to maintain the new system, compared to a legacy “on premise” model.
Increased accessibility: Ability to “read out loud” the text contained in ECFS filings, so that filings are more easily accessible to everyone.