The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) plans to suspend most of its operations midday today, January 3, 2019, due to the partial shutdown of the federal government.  Employees will have four hours to complete “an orderly shutdown.”  The partial shutdown began on December 22, 2018 and in a Public Notice released on Wednesday, January 2, the Commission outlines the impact of the shutdown to its operations. The Commission will extend all filing deadlines and suspend informal transaction shot clocks that are scheduled to occur during the suspension of operations until the end of the shutdown.  The Commission will remain in operation for any work “necessary for the protection of life and property.”  Additionally, the proceed-funded spectrum auctions, including Auction 101, will be unaffected by the shutdown and will continue as scheduled.  However, as a result of the partial government shutdown, many Commission electronic filing systems and databases will be unavailable. However, NORS, DIRS, PSSC, LMS, CDBS, ECFS, ULS, EDOCS, PRS, the Auction Application System, the Auction Bidding System, the Daily Digest, CORES, and the Commission’s website, will all remain accessible to the public.  The Public Notice does not extend the deadline for payments of any type, except for fee payments that can only be paid through the Commission’s Fee Filer system, which will be unavailable during the shutdown.