[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75819-75820]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24263]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[WC Docket No. 05-276; DA 05-3165]


Access Charges for IP-Transported Calls

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document seeks comment on a petition for declaratory 
ruling filed by Frontier. Frontier seeks a declaratory ruling that 
carriers must pay tariffed originating interstate access charges for 
Feature Group A calls from Frontier's end users.

DATES: Comments are due January 9, 2006, and reply comments are due 
January 24, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WC Docket No. 05-276, 
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 November 23, 2005, Frontier Telephone of 
Rochester, Inc. (Frontier) filed a petition for declaratory ruling that 
USA Datanet (Datanet) and any similarly situated carriers must pay 
tariffed originating interstate access charges for Feature Group A 
calls from Frontier's end users. Frontier filed its petition after the 
United States District Court for the Western District of New York 
stayed Frontier's case seeking payment of access charges from Datanet 
for originating Feature Group A access services. The court found it 
appropriate to stay the case pending the FCC's resolution of the issues 
raised by Frontier. In its petition, Frontier seeks a declaratory 
ruling that it is owed originating access charges for IP-transported 
Feature Group A calls for the following interstate access rate 
elements: (1) End office common trunk port; (2) end office local 
switching; (3) local transport tandem transmission-- fixed; and (4) 
local transport tandem transmission facility. Frontier asks for 
consolidation of its petition with existing WC Docket No. 05-276, which 
is examining petitions for declaratory rulings filed by SBC and VarTec 
on similar IP access charge issues. We will include Frontier's petition 
in WC Docket No. 05-276 due to the similarity of the issues raised in 
the petition and in that docket.
    Interested parties may file comments on or before January 9, 2006, 
and reply comments on or before January 24, 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. 05-276. 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

[[Page 75820]]

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, Room TW-A325, 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. 05-276, including the Frontier 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 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 section 1.1206(b) of the 
Commission's rules.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas J. Navin,
Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 05-24263 Filed 12-20-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P