[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 33 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9653-9655]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3836]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 05-337; DA 12-137]


Comment Sought on Potential Data for Connect America Fund Phase 
One Incremental Support

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau begins the 
process of implementing CAF Phase I by seeking comment on potential 
data that can be used as inputs to the equation that will be used to 
determine distribution of the $300 million, and on a proposed list of 
wire centers that would be eligible to receive CAF Phase I incremental 
support.

DATES: Comments are due on or before March 19, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file comments on or before March 19, 
2012. All pleadings are to reference WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 05-337. 
Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing 
System (ECFS), or by filing paper copies, by any of the following 
methods:
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
     Paper Filers: 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, 
filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number.
     People with Disabilities: To request materials in 
accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, 
electronic files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or 
call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 
(voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty).
    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: Joseph Cavender, Wireline Competition 
Bureau at [email protected] or (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-
0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Commission's 
Public Notice in WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 05-337; DA 12-137, released 
February 6, 2012. The complete text of this document is available for 
inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC 
Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW. Room CY-
A257, Washington, DC 20554. The document may also be purchased from the 
Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 
12th Street, SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone (800) 
378-3160 or (202) 863-2893, facsimile (202) 863-2898, or via the 
Internet at http://www.bcpiweb.com.
    1. On November 18, 2011, the Commission released the USF/ICC 
Transformation Order and FNPRM, 76 FR 76623, December 8, 2011, which 
comprehensively reforms and modernizes the universal service and

[[Page 9654]]

intercarrier compensation systems. Among other things, the Commission 
established a transitional mechanism to distribute high cost universal 
service support to price cap carriers, known as the Connect America 
Fund Phase I (``CAF Phase I''). CAF Phase I incremental support is 
designed to provide an immediate boost to broadband deployment in areas 
that are unserved by any broadband provider.
    2. In particular, in CAF Phase I, the Commission allocated up to 
$300 million of additional, incremental universal service support to 
price cap carriers to be distributed using cost estimates based on the 
cost model the Commission used to determine High Cost Model Support 
previously. In adopting CAF Phase I, the Commission specified the 
process by which such support would be distributed, including the 
equation to be used to generate cost estimates, and delegated to the 
Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) the task of performing the 
calculations necessary to determine support amounts and selecting the 
necessary data.
    3. In the Public Notice, the Bureau begins the process of 
implementing CAF Phase I by seeking comment on potential data that can 
be used as inputs to the equation that will be used to determine 
distribution of the $300 million, and on a proposed list of wire 
centers that would be eligible to receive CAF Phase I incremental 
support.
    4. First, Windstream Communications submitted, pursuant to our 
protective order, data, on a wire center basis, for each of the input 
variables used in the equation adopted by the Commission. Windstream 
proposes that we use these data to calculate support amounts. We seek 
comment on the data submitted by Windstream. Should we use these data 
as a basis for determining eligible support amounts in CAF Phase I? 
Should we use an alternate source? We encourage commenters with 
concerns about the data Windstream submitted to provide alternate data 
along with an explanation of how those data were derived, or to explain 
how we could obtain more appropriate data. We observe that Windstream's 
submission does not purport to provide data for all wire centers. For 
example, Windstream has not provided data for Alaska or the U.S. 
Territories. Although the Bureau has delegated authority to exclude 
such areas from the analysis for CAF Phase I incremental support if we 
conclude that we do not have appropriate data available, we invite 
commenters to provide appropriate data for such areas. We note that it 
might be possible for the Commission to develop input variables for 
some portion of the areas for which Windstream did not provide data by, 
for example, applying statistical methods to estimate the number of 
business locations in a wire center given information about the number 
of residential locations and area of the wire center. We seek comment 
on the use of such an approach and whether we should use such derived 
data, provided that we are able to do so consistent with the 
Commission's expectation that the Bureau complete our work and announce 
support amounts on or before March 31, and that we believe that such 
data are sufficiently reliable.
    5. Second, because the Commission limited CAF Phase I incremental 
support to price cap carriers, the Bureau must therefore exclude from 
our analysis the wire centers of non-price cap carriers. The Bureau, 
after conducting its own analysis based on the Telcordia LERG Routing 
Guide and Commission data for carriers' common control names, has 
developed a list of wire centers for price cap carriers, identified by 
the eight-digit Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) code, which 
is available through EDOCS at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-12-137A2.xls. We seek comment on this proposed list. Are 
all wire centers of price cap carriers and rate-of-return areas 
affiliated with price cap carriers included? Are there any wire centers 
listed that should not be? We encourage commenters identifying errors 
or omissions in our proposed list to provide correct information along 
with an explanation of where those data were obtained, or explaining 
how we could obtain correct data.
    6. Interested parties may file comments on or before March 19, 
2012. All pleadings are to reference WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 05-337. 
Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing 
System (ECFS), or by filing paper copies.
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
     Paper Filers: 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, 
filers 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. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
    All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the 
Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 
12th St. SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. All hand deliveries 
must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes 
must be disposed of before entering the building. The filing hours are 
8 a.m. to 7 p.m. 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, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20554.
    People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 
418-0432 (tty).
    In addition, one copy of each pleading must be sent to each of the 
following:
    (1) The Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and 
Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 
20554, www.bcpiweb.com; phone: (202) 488-5300 fax: (202) 488-5563;
    (2) Joseph Cavender, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, 
Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street SW., Room 5-A176, 
Washington, DC 20554; email: [email protected]; and
    (3) Charles Tyler, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, 
Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street SW., Room 5-A452, 
Washington, DC 20554; email: [email protected].
    Filings and comments are also available for public inspection and 
copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information 
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 
20554. They may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating 
contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street 
SW., Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone: (202) 488-5300, 
fax: (202) 488-5563, or via email www.bcpiweb.com.
    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

[[Page 9655]]

of the substance of the presentation 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 rules 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.
Trent Harkrader,
Division Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2012-3836 Filed 2-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P