[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 39 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10658-10659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-04201]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 10-90, 14-259; DA 15-140; DA 15-158]


Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Comment More Generally on 
Letter of Credit Proposals for Connect America Phase II Competitive 
Bidding Process

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: In these documents, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks 
comment more generally on letter of credit proposals raised by several 
petitions for waiver and their potential applicability to the Phase II 
competitive bidding process.

DATES: Comments are due on or before March 30, 2015 and reply comments 
are due on or before April 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WC Docket Nos. 10-90 
and 14-259, 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/.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [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: Heidi Lankau, Wireline Competition 
Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Wireline 
Competition Bureau's Public Notices (Notices) in WC Docket No. 10-90, 
14-259; DA 15-140, released January 30, 2015 and DA 15-158, released 
February 4, 2015. The complete text of these documents are 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 Internet 
at http://www.bcpiweb.com.

I. Introduction

    1. On January 27, 2015, the Alliance of Rural Broadband Applicants 
filed a petition for limited waiver of certain letter of credit (LOC) 
requirements applicable to the rural broadband experiments. On February 
3, 2015, NTCA--The Rural Broadband Association filed an emergency 
petition for limited waiver of the LOC bank eligibility requirements 
applicable to the rural broadband experiments. On January 21, 2015, the 
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation and its 
affiliate, the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative, also filed a 
petition for waiver of one aspect of the Commission's LOC bank 
eligibility requirements.
    2. The Bureau notes that these petitions for waiver raise issues 
that may be relevant to broader pending questions regarding possible 
LOC requirements for recipients of funding awarded through the Phase II 
competitive bidding process. Thus, during the comment period 
established, the Bureau encourages parties to comment on the petitions' 
LOC proposals more generally and their potential applicability to the 
Phase II competitive bidding process.
    3. In order to develop a complete record on the issues presented in 
the waiver petition, the request for more general comment will be 
treated, for ex parte purposes, as ``permit-but-disclose'' in 
accordance with section 1.1200(a) of the Commission's rules, subject to 
the requirements under section 1.1206(b).

II. Procedural Matters

1. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis

    4. The USF/ICC Transformation Order and FNPRM included an Initial 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 603, 
exploring the potential impact on small entities of the Commission's 
proposal. We invite parties to file comments on the IRFA in light of 
this additional notice.

2. Initial Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Analysis

    5. This document seeks comment on a potential new or revised 
information collection requirement. If the Commission adopts a new or 
revised information collection requirement, the Commission will publish 
a separate notice in the Federal Register inviting the public to 
comment on the requirement, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). In addition, pursuant 
to the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, 
see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4), the Commission seeks specific comment on how 
it might ``further reduce the information collection burden for small 
business concerns with fewer than 25 employees.''

3. Filing Requirements

    6. Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and 
reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of 
this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic 
Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in 
Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.

[[Page 10659]]

     Paper Filers: Parties that choose to file by paper must 
file an original and one copy of each filing. Because more than one 
docket number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must 
submit two additional copies for the additional docket 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. The filing hours 
are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 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, 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).
    7. 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 Heidi Lankau, Telecommunications 
Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street 
SW., Room 5-B511, Washington, DC 20554, or by email to 
[email protected].
    8. Documents are available for public inspection and copying during 
business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 
12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. Furthermore, the 
documents may be viewed in and downloaded from ECFS.
    9. For additional information on this proceeding, contact Heidi 
Lankau ([email protected]) of the Wireline Competition Bureau, 
Telecommunications Access Policy Division, (202) 418-7400.

Federal Communications Commission.
Ryan B. Palmer,
Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition 
Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2015-04201 Filed 2-26-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P