[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 49613]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16614]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket Nos. 93-193, 94-65; DA 05-2194]


Wireline Competition Bureau Approves Plan To Refund Interstate 
Access Customers of Ameritech, Nevada Bell, and Pacific Bell for 1993 
and 1994 Tariff Periods

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice that the Wireline Competition 
Bureau has approved the plan to refund interstate access customers of 
the Ameritech Operating Companies (Ameritech), Nevada Bell Telephone 
Company (Nevada Bell), and Pacific Bell Telephone Company (Pacific 
Bell) for refunds associated with their 1993 and 1994 annual interstate 
access tariffs. It also provides information as to how refunds may be 
obtained by interstate access customers of Ameritech, Nevada Bell, and 
Pacific Bell that are either no longer readily identifiable or that are 
due refunds of less than $100.

DATES: Former interstate access customers may submit refund claims to 
SBC Communications, Inc. (SBC) through October 24, 2005.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for address postings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret Dailey, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, (202) 418-1520, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 30, 2004, the Commission released 
the Add-Back Tariff Investigation Order, FCC 04-151, in CC Docket Nos. 
93-193 and 94-65. In that Order, the Commission concluded its 
investigation of the 1993 and 1994 interstate access tariffs of price 
cap local exchange carriers (LECs) that implemented a sharing or lower 
formula adjustment. The Commission found unjust and unreasonable the 
1993 annual access tariffs of price cap LECs that implemented a sharing 
or lower formula adjustment in their 1992 Price Cap Indexes (PCIs) and 
that failed to apply add-back in computing their 1992 earnings and 
rates of return and resulting 1993 PCIs. The Commission made the same 
findings for the 1994 interstate access tariffs of price cap LECs that 
implemented a sharing or lower formula adjustment in their 1993 PCIs. 
Finally, the Commission ordered affected price cap LECs to: (1) 
Recalculate their 1992 and 1993 earnings and rates of return, making an 
add-back adjustment; (2) determine the appropriate sharing or lower 
formula adjustment to their PCIs for the subsequent tariff year; (3) 
compute the amount of any resulting access rate decrease; and (4) 
submit a plan for refunding the amounts owed to customers plus interest 
as a result of any such rate decrease.
    On August 30, 2004, SBC filed the refund plans required by the Add-
Back Tariff Investigation Order and determined that refunds are due to 
interstate access customers of Pacific Bell for the 1994 tariff period 
and to interstate access customers of Ameritech and Nevada Bell for 
both the 1993 and 1994 tariff periods. In the Add-Back Refund Order, DA 
05-719, released March 17, 2005, the Wireline Competition Bureau 
(Bureau) completed its review and approved SBC's refund plans as 
further detailed in that Order. The Bureau recognized that, due to 
factors such as bankruptcy, changes in ownership, or simple passage of 
time, some customers of Ameritech, Nevada Bell, and Pacific Bell may no 
longer be readily identifiable. Further, the Bureau did not require SBC 
to identify and notify customers that may be due refunds of less than 
$100. Customers that SBC cannot identify and customers due refunds of 
less than $100 may, however, obtain refunds through the following 
procedure, as specified in paragraph 22 of the Add-Back Refund Order: 
For at least 60 days after this notice is published in the Federal 
Register, SBC must post this notice on its company web sites that are 
most often consulted by its interstate access customers. SBC must also 
provide an address to which former access customers may submit refund 
claims by a specified date that is at least 60 days after the refund 
notice is first posted.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas J. Navin,
Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 05-16614 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P