[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 196 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54430-54431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27189]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 61 and 69

[CC Docket Nos. 96-262, 94-1, and 97-250, RM-9210; FCC 98-256]


Access Charge Reform, Pricing Flexibility

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Petitions for rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This public notice invites parties to update the record on 
petitions for reconsideration, and to comment on several petitions for 
rulemaking. All these petitions raise issues related to access charge 
reform or access charge pricing flexibility for incumbent local 
exchange carriers.

DATES: Comments are due on or before October 26, 1998. Reply comments 
are due on or before November 9, 1998. All comments should reference CC 
Docket No. 96-262, CC Docket No. 94-1, and RM-9210.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the Office of the Secretary, 
Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 222, 
Washington, D.C. 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamara Preiss, 418-1505, or Harold 
Watson, 202-418-1520. TTY: (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Public 
Notice released October 5, 1998. The full text of this Public Notice is 
available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in 
the FCC Public Reference Room (Room 230), 1919 M Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20554. The complete text of this Public Notice may 
also be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, International 
Transcription Service, 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.
    The Access Charge Reform and Price Cap proceedings will continue to 
be permit-but-disclose proceedings for purposes of the Commission's ex 
parte rules, 47 CFR 1.1200 et seq. Parties must file an original and 
four copies of their comments with the Office of the Secretary, Federal 
Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 222, Washington, 
D.C. 20554, in accordance with 47 CFR 1.51(c). Parties also must send 
one copy of their comments to the Commission's copy contractor, 
International Transcription Service, 1231 20th Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20036, and one copy to Chief, Competitive Pricing 
Division, Common Carrier Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 
1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.

Summary of Public Notice

    In the Access Charge Reform Order, 62 FR 31040 (June 6, 1997), and 
the Price Cap Fourth Report and Order, 62 FR 31939 (June 11, 1997), the 
Commission adopted a presumptively market-based approach to access 
reform and a permanent price cap plan with an X-factor of 6.5 percent. 
Since then, several parties have filed petitions

[[Page 54431]]

 proposing significant changes to these orders, or have made ex parte 
presentations to propose ideas not presented in comments. In addition, 
parties have had the opportunity to observe changes in the level of 
competition in the marketplace. In this Public Notice, we invite 
parties to update and refresh the record on specific issues in these 
two proceedings to reflect all these developments. We note that 
implementation of high-cost universal service support also requires 
changes to access charges and that, therefore, access charge reform 
will be considered together with implementation of high-cost universal 
service support.
    First, in their petitions for reconsideration of the Price Cap 
Fourth Report and Order, some parties have argued for a higher X-
Factor, and some have argued for a lower X-Factor, for use in 
determining the price cap indices for price cap local exchange carriers 
(LECs). Parties are invited to update their comments and refresh the 
record on the specific arguments raised in these petitions for 
reconsideration.
    In addition, Bell Atlantic and Ameritech have made specific pricing 
flexibility proposals that differ in several respects from proposals 
contained in the record developed in response to the Access Charge 
Reform Notice, 62 FR 4670 (January 31, 1997). First, because these 
proposals were made a year after issuance of the Access Charge Reform 
Order, they reflect both the measures adopted by the Commission in that 
order and developments in the marketplace since adoption of that order. 
Second, Bell Atlantic and Ameritech propose that the criteria used to 
evaluate the degree of competition vary by service. They also set forth 
proposals for phased relief as the competition in various services 
increases. We seek comment on these proposals.
    Finally, on December 9, 1997, the Consumer Federation of America, 
the International Communications Association, and the National Retail 
Federation petitioned the Commission to initiate a rulemaking 
addressing the prescription of interstate access rates to cost-based 
levels. On February 24, 1998, MCI petitioned the Commission to ``re-
visit and significantly modify its Access Reform policies by July 1, 
1998.'' Parties are invited to update their comments and refresh the 
record for both of these proceedings based on intervening events. 
Parties are specifically invited to comment on whether and how we could 
implement specific forms of pricing flexibility for LECs subject to 
prescriptive access rates. To the extent that we have not already 
addressed the concerns set forth in MCI's petition, we will consider 
MCI's petition in connection with RM-9210. Any updates or comments on 
matters contained in MCI's petition should be filed in that proceeding.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Parts 61 and 69

    Communications common carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 98-27189 Filed 10-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P