Federal Register: December 31, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 250)
DOCID: FR Doc 03-32117
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Federal Communications Commission
Docket ID: [CC Docket No. 96-45; DA 03-3825]
NOTICE: NOTICES
ACTION: Common carrier services:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice; solicitation of comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
ALLTEL Communications, Inc. Petition for Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier and Rural Service Area Redefinition in Georgia
DATES: Comments are due on or before January 12, 2004. Reply comments are due on or before January 26, 2004.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau sought comment on the ALLTEL Communications, Inc. (ALLTEL) petition. ALLTEL is seeking designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) to receive federal universal service support for service offered throughout its licensed service area in the state of Georgia. ALLTEL also requests that the Commission redefine certain rural service areas.
SUMMARY:
Telecommunications carrier eligibility designation petitions—; ALLTEL Communications, Inc.; Georgia service area,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
This is a summary of the Commission's Public Notice, CC Docket No. 9645, released November 26, 2003. On August 26, 2003, ALLTEL filed with the Commission a petition pursuant to section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, so that it can receive federal universal service support in the state of Georgia. ALLTEL also requests that the Commission redefine certain rural service areas pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules. ALLTEL provides commercial mobile radio services and seeks federal universal service support for its service offered in nonrural wire centers currently served by BellSouth Telecomm Inc., and for service offered in rural wire centers currently served by Quincy Telephone Co., Progressive Rural Telephone Cooperative, Planters Rural Telephone Cooperative, Plant Telephone Co., Pineland Telephone Cooperative, Pembroke Telephone Co., Inc., Hawkinsville Telephone Co., Glenwood Telephone Co., Georgia Telephone Corp., Frontier Communications of Georgia, Darien Telephone Co. Inc., Coastal Utilities, Inc., Camden Telephone & Telegraph Co., Bulloch County Rural Telephone Co., Brantley Telephone Co. Inc., Alma Telephone Co., Inc., ALLTEL Georgia Communication Corporation, ALLTEL Georgia, Inc., Georgia ALLTEL Telecomm Inc., and Accucomm Telecommunications, Inc. ALLTEL has requested that the Commission consider ALLTEL's request to become an ETC in nonrural service areas separately from its rural area ETC designation requests, if such bifurcation would expedite Commission action on ALLTEL's ETC petitions as they relate to the nonrural service areas.
ALLTEL asserts that the Georgia Public Service Commission (Georgia Commission) does not regulate commercial mobile radio service providers for purposes of making determinations concerning eligibility for ETC designations and presents a letter from the Georgia Commission acknowledging its lack of such jurisdiction. Hence, according to ALLTEL, the Commission has jurisdiction under section 214(e)(6) to consider and grant its petition. ALLTEL also maintains that it satisfies all the statutory and regulatory prerequisites for ETC designation and that designating ALLTEL as an ETC in areas served by rural LECs will serve the public interest.
In accordance with section 54.207 of the Commission's rules, ALLTEL
requests that the Commission designate ALLTEL as an ETC in a service
area defined along boundaries that differ from the incumbent rural
local exchange carriers' study area boundaries. The service area
requested by ALLTEL for ETC designation partially covers the study
areas of ALLTEL Georgia, Inc., ALLTEL Georgia Communications
Corporation, Frontier Communications of Fairmont, Georgia ALLTEL
Telcomm Inc., and Plant Telephone Company. ALLTEL requests a redefinition of these
[[Page 75564]]
rural service areas so each wire center in each of the respective study
areas is designated as a separate service area. ALLTEL limits its
redefinition request to those wire centers that ALLTEL serves in its
entirety and notes that where ALLTEL serves only a portion of a wire
center, it does not request ETC status for that wire center. ALLTEL
maintains that the proposed redefinition of service areas for ETC
purposes is consistent with the factors to be considered when
redefining a rural telephone company service area, as enumerated by the
FederalState Joint Board on Universal Service. The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on the ALLTEL Petition.
The petitioner must provide copies of its petition to the Georgia Commission. The Commission sent a copy of this Public Notice to the Georgia Commission by overnight express mail to ensure that the Georgia Commission is notified of the notice and comment period.
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 as follows: comments are due on or before January 12, 2004, and reply comments are due on or before January 26, 2004. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. See Electronic filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121, May 1, 1998.
Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file
via the Internet to <http://www.fcc.gov/efile/ecfs.html
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, commenters 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 firstclass or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). The Commission's contractor, Natek, Inc., will receive handdelivered or messengerdelivered 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 firstclass mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554. All filings must be sent to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554.
Parties also must send three paper copies of their filing to Sheryl Todd, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Room 5 B540, Washington, DC 20554. In addition, commenters must send diskette copies to the Commission's copy contractor, Qualex International, Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CYB402, Washington, DC 20054.
Pursuant to Sec. 1.1206 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.1206,
this proceeding will be conducted as a permitbutdisclose proceeding
in which ex parte communications are permitted subject to disclosure. Federal Communications Commission.
Sharon Webber,
Deputy Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division.
[FR Doc. 0332117 Filed 123003; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 671201P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Karen Franklin, Attorney, Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, (202) 4187400, TTY (202) 4180484.