[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 49616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-16618]



[[Page 49616]]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket Nos. 93-193, 94-65; DA 05-2220]


Wireline Competition Bureau Approves Plan To Refund Interstate 
Access Customers of Bell Atlantic for 1994 Tariff Period

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 Bell Atlantic incumbent local exchange carriers (Bell Atlantic) for 
refunds associated with their 1994 annual interstate access tariff. It 
also provides information as to how refunds may be obtained by Bell 
Atlantic interstate access customers 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 
Verizon Telephone Companies (Verizon) 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.
    The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) disapproved the original 
refund plan filed by Verizon on behalf of certain Bell Atlantic and GTE 
incumbent LECs. Verizon filed a Modified Refund Plan on April 18, 2005 
and determined that refunds are due to Bell Atlantic interstate access 
customers for the 1994 tariff period. In 1994, the Bell Atlantic 
incumbent LECs consisted of Bell Atlantic--Delaware, Inc., Bell 
Atlantic--Maryland, Inc., Bell Atlantic--New Jersey, Inc., Bell 
Atlantic--Pennsylvania, Inc., Bell Atlantic--Virginia, Inc., Bell 
Atlantic--Washington, D.C., Inc., and Bell Atlantic--West Virginia, 
Inc. Bell Atlantic filed a single interstate access tariff for these 
LECs in 1994.
    In the Supplemental Add-Back Refund Order, DA 05-2029, released 
July 15, 2005, the Bureau approved Verizon's Modified Refund Plan and 
directed Verizon to make refunds as further specified in that Order and 
in the Add-Back Refund Order, DA 05-719, which was released on March 
17, 2005. The Bureau recognized that, due to factors such as 
bankruptcy, changes in ownership, or simple passage of time, some Bell 
Atlantic customers may no longer be readily identifiable. Further, the 
Bureau did not require Verizon to identify and notify customers that 
may be due refunds of less than $100. Customers that Verizon 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, Verizon must post 
this notice on its company web sites that are most often consulted by 
its interstate access customers. Verizon 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. 05-16618 Filed 8-23-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P