[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 140 (Friday, July 20, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37963-37964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18159]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 96-45; DA 01-1647]


The Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; comments requested.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission invites interested parties to 
update the record pertaining to petitions for reconsideration filed 
with respect to the rules the Commission adopted in the Universal 
Service First Report and Order.

DATES: Comments are due on or before August 20, 2001. Reply comments 
are due on or before September 4, 2001.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for where and how to 
file comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheryl Todd, Management Analyst, or 
Richard Smith, Attorney, Common Carrier Bureau, Accounting Policy 
Division, (202) 418-7400, TTY: (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 8, 1997, the Commission released the 
Universal Service First Report and Order, 62 FR 32862, May 8, 1997, as 
required by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Many parties filed 
petitions for reconsideration of that order. Since then, there has been 
substantial litigation concerning many of the rules adopted in the 
Universal Service First Report and Order. As a result, many of the 
issues raised in the petitions for reconsideration may no longer remain 
in dispute.
    The Commission has refrained from considering many of the petitions 
for reconsideration of the rules adopted in the Universal Service First 
Report and Order until most of the litigated issues were resolved. Now 
that issues in dispute have narrowed, the Commission will proceed to 
address petitions for reconsideration relating to rules that are not 
the subject of pending litigation.
    Because these petitions were filed several years ago, the passage 
of time and intervening developments may have

[[Page 37964]]

rendered the records developed by those petitions stale. For example, 
in addition to the litigation mentioned, the Commission has issued 
several orders on reconsideration of the Universal Service First Report 
and Order. Moreover, some issues raised in petitions for 
reconsideration may have become moot or irrelevant in light of 
intervening events.
    For these reasons, the Bureau requests that parties that filed 
petitions for reconsideration of the Universal Service First Report and 
Order in 1997 now file a supplemental notice indicating which of such 
issues they still wish to be reconsidered. In addition, parties may 
refresh the record with any new information or arguments they believe 
to be relevant to deciding such issues. To the extent parties do not 
indicate an intent to pursue their respective petitions for 
reconsideration, the Commission will deem such petitions withdrawn and 
they will be dismissed. The refreshed record will enable the Commission 
to undertake appropriate reconsideration of its universal service 
rules.
    Pursuant to Secs. 1.415 an 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 
interested parties may file comments as follows: Comments are due 
August 20, 2001, and reply comments are due September 4, 2001. Comments 
may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System 
(ECFS) or by filing paper copies. See Electronic filing of Documents in 
Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121, May 1, 1998. Comments filed 
through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to 
 http://www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. Generally, only one copy of the 
electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal 
screen, commenters should include their full name, Postal Service 
mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. 
Parties may also submit electronic comments by Internet e-mail. To 
receive filing instructions for e-mail comments, commenters should send 
an e-mail to [email protected], and should include the following words in 
the body of message, ``get form your e-mail address>.'' A sample form 
and directions will be sent in reply. Parties who choose to file by 
paper must file an original and four copies of each filing. All filings 
must be sent to the Commission's Secretary, Magalie Roman Salas, Office 
of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12 Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20554.
    Parties also must send three paper copies of their filing to Sheryl 
Todd, Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau, Federal 
Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street SW., Room 5-A422, 
Washington, DC 20554. In addition, commenters must send diskette copies 
to the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription 
Service, Inc. 1231 20th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20037.
    Pursuant to Sec. 1.1206 of the Commission's Rules, this proceeding 
will continue to be conducted as a permit-but-disclose proceeding in 
which ex-parte communications are permitted subject to disclosure.

    Federal Communications Commission.
Katherine L. Schroder,
Division Chief, Accounting Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 01-18159 Filed 7-19-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P