[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 211 (Wednesday, November 2, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66411-66412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21730]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[WC Docket No. 05-283; DA 05-2680]


Access Charges for IP-Originated Calls

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document seeks comment on a petition for declaratory 
ruling filed by Grande Communications. Grande seeks a declaratory 
ruling regarding the treatment of traffic terminated through Grande to 
end users of interconnected local exchange carriers (LECs), in 
circumstances where customers of Grande have certified that the traffic 
originated in Internet protocol (IP) format. Specifically, Grande seeks 
a declaratory ruling that a LEC may properly rely on a customer's 
certification that the traffic being sent originates in IP format at 
the calling party's premises and therefore undergoes a net protocol 
conversion, or is otherwise enhanced, IP-enabled traffic; a LEC may 
send such certified traffic to other terminating LECs over local 
interconnection trunks; and terminating LECs receiving such traffic 
over local interconnection trunks are to treat that traffic as local 
traffic for intercarrier compensation purposes and may not assess 
access charges for such traffic.

DATES: Comments due December 12, 2005, and reply comments due January 
11, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WC Docket No. 05-283, 
by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Federal Communications Commission's Web site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    E-mail: Include the docket number in the subject line of the 
message.
    Mail: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20554.
    People With Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request reasonable 
accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by e-mail: [email protected] or phone: (202) 
418-0530 or TTY: (202) 418-0432.
For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer McKee, Wireline Competition 
Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, (202) 418-1530, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 3, 2005, Grande Communications, 
Inc. (Grande) filed a petition for declaratory ruling regarding the 
treatment of traffic terminated through Grande to end users of 
interconnected local exchange carriers (LECs), in circumstances where 
customers of Grande have certified that the traffic originated in 
Internet protocol (IP) format. Specifically, Grande seeks a declaratory 
ruling that: (1) A LEC may properly rely on a customer's certification 
that the traffic being sent originates in IP format at the calling 
party's premises and therefore undergoes a net protocol conversion, or 
is otherwise enhanced, IP-enabled traffic; (2) a LEC may send such 
certified traffic to other terminating LECs over local interconnection 
trunks; and (3) terminating LECs receiving such traffic over local 
interconnection trunks are to treat that traffic as local traffic for 
intercarrier compensation purposes and may not assess access charges 
for such traffic.
    Interested parties may file comments on or before December 12, 
2005, and reply comments on or before January 11, 2006. Comments may be 
filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or 
by filing paper copies. Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as 
an electronic file via the Internet to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. 
Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In 
completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full 
name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or 
rulemaking number, in this case WC Docket No. 05-283. 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.
    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). Parties are strongly encouraged to file comments 
electronically using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System 
(ECFS).
    The Commission's contractor, Natek, 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 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.

    All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, 
Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications 
Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554. Parties should 
also send a copy of their filings to Jennifer McKee, Pricing Policy 
Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications 
Commission, Room 5-A263, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554, or 
by e-mail to [email protected]. Parties shall also serve one copy 
with the Commission's copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. 
(BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 
20554, (202) 488-5300, or via e-mail to [email protected].
    Documents in WC Docket No. 05-283, including the Grande Petition, 
are available for public inspection and copying during business hours 
at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th St. SW., 
Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. The documents may also be purchased 
from BCPI, telephone (202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, TTY 
(202) 488-5562, e-mail [email protected].
    This matter shall be treated as a ``permit-but-disclose'' 
proceeding in

[[Page 66412]]

accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. Persons making oral ex 
parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the 
presentations must contain summaries of the substance of the 
presentations and not merely a listing of the subjects discussed. More 
than a one-or two-sentence description of the views and arguments 
presented generally is required. Other requirements pertaining to oral 
and written ex parte presentations in permit-but-disclose proceedings 
are set forth in Sec.  1.1206(b) of the Commission's rules.

    Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas J. Navin,
Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 05-21730 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P