[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6744-6745]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3158]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 96-45; DA 03-25]


Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Comment on Updating Line Counts 
and Other Limited Information Used in Calculating High-Cost Universal 
Service Support for Non-Rural Carriers

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau sought 
comment on how line count and other discrete input values should be 
updated in the universal service cost model used to estimate non-rural 
carrier's forward-looking economic costs of providing the services 
supported by the federal universal service high-cost support mechanism.

DATES: Comments are due on or before March 3, 2003. Reply comments are 
due on or before March 12, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 Twelfth Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katie King or Thomas Buckley, 
Attorneys, Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access 
Policy Division, (202) 418-7400, TTY (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Public 
Notice, CC Docket No. 96-45, released January 7, 2003. The Wireline 
Competition Bureau (Bureau) released an order adopting certain 
modifications to the forward-looking cost model for determining high-
cost support for non-rural carriers. In particular, the Bureau 
incorporated specific technical improvements and translated a portion 
of the model from Turbo-Pascal to Delphi computer language. In that 
order, the Bureau also deferred using this revised version of the model 
to determine support amounts until the effective date of a Commission 
order in the separate proceeding addressing the non-rural high-cost 
support methodology adopted in the Ninth Report and Order, 64 FR 67416, 
December 1, 1999 which was remanded to the Commission by the United 
States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. The Bureau now seeks 
comment in this Public Notice on how line count and other discrete 
input values should be updated for purposes of determining support upon 
implementation of the revised version of the model.
    On October 21, 1999, the Commission adopted two orders completing 
implementation plans for a new high-cost universal service support 
mechanism for non-rural carriers. The mechanism provides support based 
on the forward-looking economic cost of providing services eligible for 
support, as determined by the Commission's universal service cost 
model. The Commission also emphasized the importance of updating the 
inputs used in the cost model as technology and other conditions 
change. In the 2001 and 2002 Line Counts Update Orders, 65 FR 81759, 
December 27, 2000 and 67 FR 3118, January 23, 2002, the Bureau updated 
the cost model with year-end line counts and other discrete input 
values for purposes of estimating forward-looking costs and determining 
support for the years 2001 and 2002, respectively.
    Consistent with past precedent, the Bureau seeks comment on using 
year-end 2001 line counts filed July 31, 2002, as input values for 
purposes of estimating average forward-looking costs and determining 
support for non-rural carriers upon implementation of the Commission 
decision on the Tenth Circuit remand. In addition, the Bureau seeks 
comment on whether to continue to adjust high-cost support amounts

[[Page 6745]]

each quarter using wire center line count data reported by carriers 
each quarter.
    When line counts were updated in the past, the Bureau also used 
information obtained from the 1999 Data Request to allocate switched 
lines among the classes of switched service and to allocate special 
access lines to the appropriate wire centers. The Bureau seeks comment 
on continuing this line count disaggregation methodology. The Bureau 
also seeks comment on whether to apply the method used in past 
decisions for matching line count data to wire centers used in the 
model for purposes of calculating support.
    Finally, in the 2002 Line Counts Update Order, the Bureau also 
updated the model's input values with annually collected ARMIS data and 
traffic parameter data available from the National Exchange Carrier 
Association to estimate investment in general support facilities (GSF) 
and switching costs. The Bureau seeks comment on whether to update the 
tables in the model used to calculate GSF investment and switching 
costs using the same methodology employed in the 2002 Line Counts 
Update Order.
    Pursuant to Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 
interested parties may file comments as follows: comments are due on or 
before March 3, 2003, and reply comments are due on or before March 12, 
2003. 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 (1998).
    Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file 
via the Internet to http://www.fc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html. Generally, only 
one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. If multiple docket 
or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, 
however, commenters must transmit one electronic copy of the comments 
to each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. In 
completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full 
name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or 
rulemaking number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by 
Internet e-mail. To get 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 the message, ``get form.'' 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. If more than one docket or rulemaking number 
appears in the caption of this proceeding, commenters must submit two 
additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. 
Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial 
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service 
mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. 
Postal Service mail). The Commission's contractor, Vistronix, Inc., 
will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for 
the Commission's Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Suite 110, 
Washington, DC 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8 a.m. to 7 
p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or 
fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the 
building. Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton 
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal service first-class mail, 
Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed to the Commission's 
Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal 
Communications Commission.
    Parties also must send three paper copies of their filing to Sheryl 
Todd, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 
5-B540, Washington, DC 20554. In addition, commenters must send 
diskette copies to the Commission's copy contractor, Qualex 
International, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, 
Washington, DC 20554.
    Pursuant to Sec.  1.1206 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.1206, 
this proceeding will be conducted as a permit-but-disclose proceeding 
in which ex parte communications are permitted subject to disclosure.

Federal Communications Commission.
Eric N. Einhorn,
Acting Division Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau Telecommunications 
Access Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 03-3158 Filed 2-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P