Any common carrier authorized under the rules of this part may render to any agency of the United States Government free service in connection with the preparation for the national defense. Every such carrier rendering any such free service must make and file, in duplicate, with the Commission, on or before the 31st of July and on or before the 31st day of January in each year, reports covering the periods of 6 months ending on the 30th of June and the 31st of December, respectively, next prior to said dates. These reports must show the names of the agencies to which free service was rendered pursuant to this rule, the general character of the communications handled for each agency, and the charges in dollars which would have accrued to the carrier for such service rendered to each agency if charges for such communications had been collected at the published tariff rates.

Any person receiving official notice of a violation of the terms of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, any other Federal statute or Executive Order pertaining to radio or wire communications or any international radio or wire communications treaty or convention, or regulations annexed thereto to which the United States is a party, or the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission, must, within 10 days from such receipt, send a written answer to the office of the Commission originating the official notice. If an answer cannot be sent or an acknowledgment made within such 10-day period by reason of illness or other unavoidable circumstances, acknowledgment and answer must be made at the earliest practicable date with a satisfactory explanation of the delay. The answer to each notice must be complete in itself and may not be abbreviated by reference to other communications or answers to other notices. If the notice relates to some violation that may be due to the physical or electrical characteristics of transmitting apparatus, the answer must state fully what steps have been taken to prevent future violations, and, if any new apparatus is to be installed, the date such apparatus was ordered, the name of the manufacturer, and promised date of delivery. If the installation of such apparatus requires a construction permit, the file number of the application must be given or, if a file number has not been assigned by the Commission, such identification as will permit ready reference thereto. If the notice of violation relates to inadequate maintenance resulting in improper operation of the transmitter, the name and license number of the operator performing the maintenance must be given. If the notice of violation relates to some lack of attention to, or improper operation of, the transmitter by other employees, the reply must enumerate the steps taken to prevent a recurrence of such lack of attention or improper operation.

(a) If the public communication service provided by a station in the Common Carrier Radio Services, the Local Multipoint Distribution Service or 24 GHz Service is involuntarily discontinued, reduced or impaired for a period exceeding 48 hours, the station licensee must promptly notify the Commission. In every such case, the licensee must furnish full particulars as to the reasons for such discontinuance, reduction or impairment of service, including a statement as to when normal service is expected to be resumed. When normal service is resumed, prompt notification thereof must be given Commission.

(b) No station licensee subject to title II of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, may voluntarily discontinue, reduce or impair public communication service to a community or part of a community without obtaining prior authorization from the Commission pursuant to the procedures set forth in part 63 of this chapter. In the event that permanent discontinuance of service is authorized by the Commission, the station license is terminated; except that station licenses in the Local Multipoint Distribution Service and 24 GHz Service are not terminated if the discontinuance is a result of a change of status by the licensee from common carrier to non-common carrier pursuant to § 1.929 of this chapter.

(c) Any licensee not subject to title II of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, who voluntarily discontinues, reduces or impairs public communication service to a community or a part of a community must notify the Commission within 7 days thereof. In the event of permanent discontinuance of service, the station license is automatically terminated; except that station licenses in the Local Multipoint Distribution Service and 24 GHz Service are not terminated if the discontinuance is a result of a change of status by the licensee from non-common carrier to common carrier pursuant to § 1.929 of this chapter.

(d) If any common carrier radio frequency should not be used to render any service as authorized during a consecutive period of twelve months at any time after construction is completed under circumstances that do not fall within the provisions of paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section, or, if removal of equipment or facilities has rendered the station not operational, the licensee must, within thirty days of the end of such period of nonuse:

(1) Cancel the station license (or licenses); or

(2) File an application for modification of the license (or licenses) to delete the unused frequency (or frequencies); or

(3) Request waiver of this rule and demonstrate either that the frequency will be used (as evidenced by appropriate requests for service, etc.) within six months of the end of the initial period of nonuse, or that the frequency will be converted to allow rendition of other authorized public services within one year of the end of the initial period of nonuse by the filing of appropriate applications within six months of the end of the period of nonuse.

Sections 1.771 through 1.815 of this chapter contain summaries of certain materials and reports, including schedule of charges and accounting and financial reports, which, when applicable, must be filed with the Commission.

All licensees in these services are required to respond to official communications from the Commission with reasonable dispatch and according to the tenor of such communications. Failure to do so will be given appropriate consideration in connection with any subsequent applications which the offending party may file and may result in the designation of such applications for hearing, or in appropriate cases, the institution of proceedings looking to the modification or revocation of the pertinent authorizations.

Equal opportunities in employment must be afforded by all common carrier licensees and all Local Multipoint Distribution Service and 24 GHz Service licensees in accordance with the provisions of § 21.307 of this chapter.