[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 148 (Monday, August 3, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45916-45917]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18993]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket No. 10-90, 14-192, 11-42, 09-197; DA 15-851]


Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks To Refresh the Record on 
Pending Issues Regarding Eligible Telecommunications Carrier 
Designations and Obligations

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks to 
refresh the record on pending issues related to Eligible 
Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) designations and obligations in areas 
served by price cap carriers.

DATES: Comments are due on or before September 2, 2015 and reply 
comments are due on or before September 17, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 
14-192, 11-42 or 09-197, 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 document in WC Docket No. 10-90, 14-192, 11-42 and 
09-197; DA 15-851, released July 23, 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.

I. Introduction

    1. Against the backdrop of the relief already granted in the 
December 2014 Connect America Order, 80 FR 4446, January 27, 2015. The 
Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks to refresh the record on 
issues raised in various proceedings related to ETC designations and 
obligations in areas served by price cap carriers. In the USF/ICC 
Transformation FNPRM, 76 FR 78384, December 16, 2011, the Commission 
noted that ETC service obligations and funding should be 
``appropriately matched, while avoiding consumer disruption in access 
to communications services.'' It sought comment on how existing voice 
telephony service obligations for ETCs would change as funding shifts 
to new, more targeted mechanisms, including potentially via forbearance 
from the relevant requirements of section 214(e)(1). In the April 2014 
Connect America FNPRM, 79 FR 39196, July 9, 2014, the Commission sought 
to develop the record further on how relieving incumbent local exchange 
carriers (LECs) of their ETC obligations would comport with section 214 
of the Communications Act and what specific obligations incumbent LECs 
would be relieved of in areas where they do not receive high-cost 
support. In October 2014, USTelecom submitted a petition seeking, among 
other things, forbearance from the enforcement of section 214(e)(1)(A) 
where a price cap carrier receives no high-cost support. And recently 
the Commission released a FNPRM for the Lifeline program seeking 
comment on proposals for ETC relief

[[Page 45917]]

from Lifeline obligations and incorporating the record from the Connect 
America and USTelecom forbearance petition proceedings into that 
docket.
    2. Specifically, the Bureau seeks to refresh the record on the 
issues that remain pending and how the actions already taken in the 
December 2014 Connect America Order might affect the Commission's 
analysis with respect to these pending issues in several open dockets. 
In the December 2014 Connect America Order, the Commission did not 
resolve the issues that were raised in the Connect America Fund 
rulemaking proceeding and the forbearance petition regarding possible 
forbearance or other relief from the price cap carriers' ETC 
designations or the regulatory requirements imposed on ETCs for those 
census blocks where forbearance was not granted. Moreover, the 
Commission did not resolve the issue of granting broader forbearance or 
other relief from the ETC designations of the price cap carriers 
serving the census blocks where limited forbearance was granted. The 
Commission neither accepted nor rejected commenters' various 
arguments--whether in favor of, or against--such proposals. These 
issues remain pending to the extent originally raised in the rulemaking 
proceeding or the forbearance proceeding (or both).

II. Procedural Matters

1. Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis

    3. The USF/ICC Transformation FNPRM and April 2014 Connect America 
FNPRM included Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analyses (IRFAs) pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 603, exploring the potential impact on small entities of 
the Commission's proposal concerning potential relief from ETC 
obligations. We invite parties to file comments on the IRFAs in light 
of this request to refresh the record.

2. Paperwork Reduction Analysis

    4. This document does not contain proposed information 
collection(s) subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), 
Public Law 104-13. In addition, therefore, it does not contain any new 
or modified information collection burden for small business concerns 
with fewer than 25 employees, pursuant to the Small Business Paperwork 
Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, see 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(4).

3. Filing Requirements

    5. Interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or 
before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments 
are to reference WC Docket Nos. 10-90, 14-192, 11-42, 09-197 and DA 15-
851 and 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://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/.
    [ssquf] Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file 
an original and one copy 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.
    (1) 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 and boxes must be disposed of 
before entering the building.
    (2) 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.
    (3) U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail 
must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington DC 20554.
    6. 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. This matter shall continue to be treated as a ``permit-but-
disclose'' proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte 
rules. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any 
written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation 
within two business days after the presentation (unless a different 
deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making 
oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the 
presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise 
participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was 
made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during 
the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of 
the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the 
presenter's written comments, memoranda or other filings in the 
proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or 
arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings 
(specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data 
or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the 
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex 
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must 
be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by 
rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of 
electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda 
summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, 
must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available 
for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., 
.doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding 
should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.
    8. For further information, please contact Heidi Lankau, 
Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau 
at 202-418-7400; or at TTY (202) 418-0484.

Federal Communications Commission.
Ryan B. Palmer,
Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition 
Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2015-18993 Filed 7-31-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P