[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 80 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17371-17373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08139]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 0, 1, 51, 61, 63, and 69

[WC Docket Nos. 18-141, 17-144, 16-143, 05-25, and RM-10593; DA 19-281]


Wireline Competition Bureau Seeks Focused Additional Comment in 
Business Data Services and USTelecom Forbearance Petition Proceedings 
and Reopens Secure Data Enclave

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau reopens the 
secure data enclave, supplements the record in the business data 
services (BDS) and USTelecom proceedings with additional tables and 
information placed in the secure data enclave, and seeks focused 
comment on whether the additional data informs the extent of 
competition for transport.

DATES: Comments are due May 9, 2019 and reply comments are due May 16, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Participants in the price cap BDS proceedings previously 
authorized to access the secure data enclave

[[Page 17372]]

pursuant to the Protective Orders in the price cap BDS proceedings may 
request renewed access by emailing [email protected]. Parties that 
were not previously authorized to access the secure data enclave must 
file an Acknowledgement of Confidentiality requesting access and send a 
copy to [email protected]. For participants in the price cap BDS 
proceedings, instructions on requesting access to the secure data 
enclave are provided in a public notice released on November 5, 2018. 
Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.415 and 1.419, interested parties may file comments and rely 
comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this 
document in dockets 17-144, 16-143, and 05-25. Procedures for using the 
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System can be found in the 
Second Further Notice.
    For participants in the USTelecom Forbearance Petition proceeding, 
the forthcoming protective order governing access to the secure data 
enclave for that proceeding will include instructions on requesting 
access to the secure data enclave and an Acknowledgement of 
Confidentiality that parties must execute and send to 
[email protected]. Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.419, interested parties may file 
comments and rely comments on or before the dates indicated on the 
first page of this document in docket 18-141. Procedures for using the 
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System can be found in a public 
notice released on May 8, 2018.
    [ssquf] 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.
    [ssquf] 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.
    [ssquf] Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, 
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
    [ssquf] 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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Koves, Pricing Policy 
Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at 202-418-8209 or by email at 
[email protected], or Michele Levy Berlove, Competition Policy 
Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1477 or via email 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of a document, WC Docket 
Nos. 18-141, 17-144, 16-143, 05-25; RM-10593, released on April 15, 
2019. A full-text version of this document can be obtained at the 
following internet address: https://www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-reopens-norc-and-seeks-comment-bds-and-ustelecom-proceedings.

Synopsis

    1. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) makes several 
announcements regarding the above-referenced dockets. First, the Bureau 
announces that it is supplementing the record in the price cap business 
data services (BDS) proceedings with tables and accompanying 
information prepared by the Office of Economics and Analytics, derived 
from highly confidential data from the 2015 Data Collection. These 
tables and accompanying information show the distances from competitive 
provider fiber to incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) wire centers 
and end user buildings with BDS demand in price cap areas (the April 
Data Tables). The Bureau seeks focused public comment on the extent to 
which the April Data Tables inform the extent of competition and 
competitive pressure in the market for lower speed (DS3 and below) time 
division multiplexing (TDM) transport services in price cap areas.
    2. Second, to allow parties access to the 2015 Data Collection, 
including the April Data Tables, and the opportunity to comment, the 
Bureau announces that it will (1) reopen the secure data enclave which 
will house these data upon publication of this document in the Federal 
Register; and (2) close it at the end of the comment and reply period 
established by this document, unless an interested party demonstrates a 
continuing need for access.
    3. Third, pending the resolution of any objections to the Bureau 
incorporating the 2015 Data Collection into the record of the USTelecom 
Forbearance Petition proceeding, the Bureau announces that it will also 
incorporate the April Data Tables into the record of that proceeding. 
The Bureau will allow access to the secure data enclave for parties in 
the USTelecom Forbearance Petition proceeding subject to a forthcoming 
protective order.
    4. Fourth, the Bureau also seeks comment in the USTelecom 
Forbearance Petition proceeding on the extent to which the 2015 Data 
Collection, including the April Data Tables, provide relevant 
information to evaluate USTelecom's request for forbearance from the 
requirements to provide transport as an unbundled network element (UNE) 
pursuant to section 251(c)(3) of the Act and section 51.319(d) of the 
Commission's rules. In addition, for the purposes of the USTelecom 
Forbearance Petition proceeding, the Bureau seeks comment on the public 
filings submitted in response to the Second Further Notice and Further 
Notice in the BDS proceedings, WC Docket Nos. 17-144, 16-143 and 05-25, 
since it was released on October 24, 2018.
    5. The Bureau will place the April Data Tables in the secure data 
enclave which, pursuant to the protective orders in the price cap BDS 
proceedings, is the exclusive method for accessing highly confidential 
data submitted as part of the 2015 Data Collection. Parties seeking to 
access the April Data Tables for purposes of participating in the price 
cap BDS proceedings must follow the procedures provided for in the 
Protective Orders in that proceeding for accessing highly confidential 
data. Those seeking access to the April Data Tables for purposes of 
participating in the USTelecom Forbearance Petition proceeding must 
follow the procedures set forth for accessing highly confidential data 
in the forthcoming protective order in that proceeding.
    6. Participants in the price cap BDS proceedings previously 
authorized to access the secure data enclave pursuant to the Protective 
Orders in the price cap BDS proceedings may request renewed

[[Page 17373]]

access by emailing [email protected]. Parties that were not 
previously authorized to access the secure data enclave must file an 
Acknowledgement of Confidentiality requesting access and send a copy to 
[email protected]. For participants in the price cap BDS 
proceedings, instructions on requesting access to the secure data 
enclave are provided in a public notice released on November 5, 2018. 
Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.415 and 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply 
comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this 
document in dockets 17-144, 16-143, and 05-25. Procedures for using the 
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System can be found in the 
Second Further Notice.
    7. For participants in the USTelecom Forbearance Petition 
proceeding, the forthcoming protective order governing access to the 
secure data enclave for that proceeding will include instructions on 
requesting access to the secure data enclave and an Acknowledgement of 
Confidentiality that parties must execute and send to 
[email protected]. Pursuant to Sec. Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.415 and 1.419, interested parties may file 
comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the 
first page of this document in docket 18-141. Procedures for using the 
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System can be found in a public 
notice released on May 8, 2018.
    8. Paperwork Reduction Act. 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).
    9. Ex Parte Presentations. This proceeding shall 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.
    10. For further information, please contact Christopher Koves, 
Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-8209 
or via email at [email protected], or Michele Levy Berlove, 
Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-
1477 or via email at [email protected].

Federal Communications Commission.
Daniel Kahn,
Associate Bureau Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2019-08139 Filed 4-24-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P