PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 News media information 202/418-0500 Recorded listing of releases and texts 202/632-0002. DA 97-109 CC Docket No. 96-159 Released: January 15, 1997 COMMENT REQUESTED ON PETITIONS FOR LIMITED MODIFICATIONS OF LATA BOUNDARIES TO PROVIDE: (1) EXPANDED LOCAL CALLING SERVICE (ELCS) IN NEBRASKA, NORTH CAROLINA, OHIO, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, TEXAS, AND VIRGINIA, AND BETWEEN OHIO AND WEST VIRGINIA, AND VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA; AND (2) INTEGRATED SERVICES DIGITAL NETWORK (ISDN) IN HEARNE, TEXAS The Commission has received petitions from (1) Ameritech requesting modification of local access and transport area (LATA) boundaries in Ohio and between Ohio and West Virginia; (2) Bell Atlantic requesting LATA boundary relief in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and between Ohio and West Virginia, and Virginia and West Virginia; and (3) U S WEST Communications, Inc. (USWC) requesting waiver of LATA boundaries in certain areas of Oregon and Nebraska. All of these petitions request LATA relief for the purpose of providing expanded local calling service (ELCS). On July 26, 1996, the Commission issued a public notice seeking comment on: (1) petitions filed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (SWBT) and BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. (BellSouth) requesting waiver of LATA boundaries in certain areas of Texas and North Carolina, respectively, for the purpose of providing ELCS; and (2) a petition filed by SWBT for waiver of LATA boundaries for the purpose of providing integrated services digital network (ISDN) in Hearne, Texas. See Public Notice, "Commission Seeks Comment on Petitions for Waiver of LATA Boundaries to Provide Expanded Local Calling Service in Texas and North Carolina," DA 96-1190, released July 26, 1996. Although most of the petitions describe the relief sought as a "waiver" of LATA boundaries, the petitions cite Section 3(25) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  153, as the basis of the Commission's jurisdiction to act upon these requests. Section 3(25) states, in pertinent part, that a LATA is "a contiguous geographic area . . . established or modified by a Bell operating company . . . and approved by the Commission." Thus, it appears that Petitioners are actually seeking Commission approval, pursuant to Section 3(25), for proposed LATA modifications only for the specific geographic areas and purposes described in the petitions. Accordingly, we will treat these petitions as requests for authority to alter LATA boundaries only for the limited purpose of providing ELCS, or ISDN, in specific areas; the LATA boundary for all other purposes would remain unchanged. Because the July 26, 1996 public notice did not make this clear, we are providing an additional opportunity for public comment on the SWBT and BellSouth petitions. The requests at issue are as follows: Nebraska On November 4, 1996, USWC filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-18) for waiver of certain LATA boundaries in Nebraska to provide two-way, non-optional ELCS between: (1) USWC's Omaha common service area, and Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Company's (LT&T's) 234 exchange serving the communities of Cedar Creek, Louisville, and Manley; and (2) USWC's Omaha common service area, and LT&T's Murray exchange. North Carolina On July 2, 1996, BellSouth filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-7) for waiver of certain LATA boundaries in North Carolina to provide two-way, non-optional ELCS between: (1) BellSouth's Raleigh exchange in the Raleigh LATA, and Carolina Telephone and Telegraph Company's (Carolina Telephone's) Franklinton and Louisburg exchanges in the Rocky Mount LATA; (2) BellSouth's Zebulon exchange in the Raleigh LATA, and Carolina Telephone's Louisburg exchange in the Rocky Mount LATA; (3) the Chapel Hill exchange in the Raleigh LATA, and the Saxapahaw exchange in the Greensboro LATA; (4) BellSouth's Wilmington exchange, and a portion of the Scotts Hill exchange, in the Wilmington LATA, and Carolina Telephone's Holly Ridge exchange in the Fayetteville LATA; and (5) BellSouth's Apex, Cary and Raleigh exchanges in the Raleigh LATA, and Carolina Telephone's Pittsboro exchange in the Fayetteville LATA. Ohio and Ohio/West Virginia On November 12, 1996, Ameritech filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-19) for modification of certain LATA boundaries in Ohio, and between Ohio and West Virginia, to provide one-way ELCS: (1) from Western Reserve Telephone Company's Aurora, Northfield, and Twinsburg (Ohio) exchanges to Ameritech Ohio's Akron exchange; and (2) from Ameritech's Duffy (Ohio) exchange to Bell Atlantic's New Martinsville (West Virginia) exchange. On January 14, 1997, Bell Atlantic filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-97-1) for LATA boundary relief to provide ELCS between Bell Atlantic's Mason, West Virginia exchange in the Charleston LATA, and the Pomeroy and Middleport, Ohio exchanges in the Columbus LATA. Oregon On November 4, 1996, USWC filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-17) for waiver of certain LATA boundaries in Oregon to provide two-way, non-optional ELCS between USWC's Albany exchange in the Eugene LATA, and the Scio Mutual Telephone Association's Scio exchange in the Portland LATA. Pennsylvania Bell Atlantic's January 14, 1997 petition (File No. NSD-L-97-1) also requests LATA boundary relief for certain LATAs in Pennsylvania to provide non-optional, one-way ELCS from Bell Atlantic's New Florence exchange in the Pittsburgh LATA to GTE's Johnstown exchange in GTE territory associated with the Altoona LATA. Texas On June 25, 1996, SWBT filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-4) for waiver of certain LATA boundaries in Texas to provide two-way, non-optional ELCS between: (1) United/Centel's Pawnee exchange in the Corpus Christi LATA, and SWBT's Kenedy and Karnes/Fall City exchanges in the San Antonio LATA; and (2) SWBT's Albany exchange in the Abilene LATA, and SWBT's Breckenridge exchange in the Dallas LATA. On June 28, 1996, SWBT filed a petition (File No. NSD-L-96-6) for waiver of certain LATA boundaries in Texas to provide ISDN in the Hearne, Texas LATA. Virginia and Virginia/West Virginia Bell Atlantic's January 14, 1997 petition (File No. NSD-L-97-1) also requests LATA boundary relief for certain LATAs in Virginia, and between Virginia and West Virginia, to provide ELCS between: (1) Bell Atlantic's Honaker exchange in the Roanoke, Virginia LATA, and GTE's Richlands exchange in the Bluefield, West Virginia Independent Market Area; (2) Bell Atlantic's Waverly exchange, and GTE's Claremont exchange; (3) Bell Atlantic's Lynchburg exchange, and the Stone Mountain exchange; (4) Bell Atlantic's Hampton zone of the Newport News Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Gloucester exchange; (5) Bell Atlantic's Newport News zone of the Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Gloucester exchange; (6) Bell Atlantic's Peninsula zone of the Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Gloucester exchange; (7) Bell Atlantic's Poquoson zone of the Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Gloucester exchange; (8) Bell Atlantic's Hampton zone of the Newport News Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Hayes exchange; (9) Bell Atlantic's Newport News zone of the Newport News Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Hayes exchange; (10) Bell Atlantic's Peninsula zone of the Newport News Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Hayes exchange; and (11) Bell Atlantic's Poquoson zone of the Newport News Metropolitan exchange area, and GTE's Hayes exchange. Interested parties may file comments concerning this matter on or before January 30, 1997. Reply comments shall be filed on or before February 10, 1997. All filings must include the reference number "CC Docket 96-159" and should address each individual petition separately. All comments should be sent to William F. Caton, Acting Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies of documents filed with the Commission may be obtained from the International Transcription Service (ITS), 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037, (202) 857-3800. Documents are also available for review and copying at the FCC Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For further information contact Cheryl Taylor at (202) 418-2499 or Pamela Gerr at (202) 418-2357, both of the Common Carrier Bureau, Network Services Division. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION