Sec. 22.120  Application processing; initial procedures.

    This section contains rules governing the initial processing of 
applications for authority to operate a station in the Public Mobile 
Services.
    (a) File numbers. Applications received by the FCC are assigned file 
numbers. Assignment of a file number to an application is for 
administrative convenience and does not constitute a determination that 
the application is acceptable for filing. Assignment of a file number 
does not preclude the subsequent return or dismissal of an application. 
For administrative efficiency, the FCC, in its discretion, occasionally 
consolidates separate applications filed simultaneously by the same 
applicant into a single application (with one file number) and splits 
applications comprising two or more severable proposals into separate 
applications (with different file numbers).
    (b) Received date. The FCC records the date on which each 
application is received. This date is used to determine compliance with 
applicable cut-off dates or filing windows and for other purposes.
    (c) Initial review for completeness (prescreening). Each application 
is reviewed for completeness. The purpose of this initial review is to 
identify applications that are defective in an obvious way (e.g. not 
signed, missing pages, improper or missing fee payment). Applications 
found to be defective in this review are unacceptable for filing and may 
be returned to the applicant with a brief statement indicating the 
nature of the defect(s) found. Applications for which no obvious defects 
are discovered in the initial review are acceptable for filing.
    (d) Public notice; acceptance for filing. The FCC periodically 
issues Public Notices that list applications that are acceptable for 
filing. The listing of an application on a Public Notice as acceptable 
for filing provides notices to the public that the application has been 
filed; it does not preclude dismissal of the application if it is 
subsequently found to be defective or otherwise subject to dismissal 
under Sec. 22.128.