Universal Service for High Cost Areas 2006 Headlines
12/28/2006
Order: In this Order, we grant the
request of North River Telephone Cooperative (North River), an eligible
telecommunications carrier (ETC) in Virginia, for a waiver of the annual
filing deadline set forth in section 54.904(d) of the Commission’s rules.
We find that North River has demonstrated good cause that warrants this
waiver. 12/28/06. Word | Acrobat| Text
12/28/06
Order: In this Order, we grant MCI's
petition for waiver of sections 54.802(a) and 54.809(c) of the Commission's
rules. MCI missed its annual certification and three quarterly line reports
for interstate access support (IAS) during a time when it was transitioning
from bankruptcy. We find that MCI has demonstrated good cause to grant
this waiver: MCI's difficulties with emerging from bankruptcy and the
impact of a loss of approximately $1.5 million in IAS funding. Word | Acrobat| Text
12/28/06
Order: In this Order, we grant Mid-Tex's
petition for waiver of section 54.314(d)(5) of the Commission's rules
and deny Mid-Tex's petition for waiver of section 54.904 of the Commission's
rules. We find that Mid-Tex's ETC designation date made it impossible
for the state commission to file the high-cost use certification prior
to the deadline in section 54.314(d)(5). We also find that Mid-Tex's
confusion over the ICLS certification deadline in section 54.904 did
not warrant a waiver. Word | Acrobat| Text
12/28/06
Order: In this Order, we grant San
Isabel's request for a waiver of various line count and certification
filing deadline so that it may receive universal service support beginning
immediately after its ETC designation date of December 30, 2002. We conclude
that the missed deadlines were not the fault of San Isabel. We deny,
however, San Isabel's request for waiver of the two line count filing
deadlines that occurred after the date the state commission certified
San Isabel (Sept 24, 2003). We find no reason why San Isabel could not
have submitted those required filings. As a result, San Isabel will not
be eligible for universal service support for the first and second quarters
of 2004. In summary, the Order permits San Isabel to be eligible for
universal service support from Jan 1, 2003 to Dec 31, 2003 and from July
1, 2004 and thereafter. Word | Acrobat| Text
12/19/06
Order: In this Order, the Wireline
Competition Bureau (Bureau) grants a petition by CenturyTel of Wisconsin,
LLC and Telephone USA of Wisconsin, LLC (CenturyTel) for a waiver of
the filing deadline in section 36.612(a)(3) of the Commission's rules
for the receipt of safety valve support. The Bureau finds that CenturyTel
has demonstrated that good cause warrants this waivers. In particular,
the Bureau finds absent a waiver, CenturyTel would be denied SVS for
an entire fiscal year which would undermine the Commission's USF policies
to promote quality services available at just, reasonable and affordable
rates. Word | Acrobat
11/27/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
extend the timing of the waiver of sections 36.611 and 36.612 of the
Commission’s rules granted to Adak Eagle Enterprises, LLC d/b/a Adak
Telephone Utility (Adak Telephone) in the Adak Order. The extension of
this waiver will permit Adak Telephone, a new local exchange carrier
(LEC) in Alaska, to receive high-cost loop support based on projected
costs in 2006 and 2007, until its historical costs become available in
2008. We grant this extension on our own motion to permit Adak Telephone
to continue receiving high-cost loop support without interruption, consistent
with the Wireline Competition Bureau’s (Bureau) intention in originally
granting the waiver in the Adak Order.
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11/27/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
invites interested parties to comment on a petition filed by Cingular
Wireless, LLC seeking designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier
in the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to section 214(e)(6) of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended. Comment Date: December 4, 2006.
Reply Coment Date: 11, 2006.
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11/22/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grants an appeal filed by Thumb Cellular of a USAC decision denying it
Interstate Common Line Support for the third quarter of 2003 because
USAC determined that Thumb Cellular’s FCC Form 507, which includes line
count data, was received on March 31, 2003 - one day after USAC’s calculated
filing date. Among other things, the Bureau finds that USAC should have
deemed the 507 forms filed on this day to be timely filed because the
due date fell on a Sunday. In particular, under Section 1.4(j) of the
Commission’s rules, because March 30 was a Sunday, the document could
have been filed on the next business day which was Monday, March 31,
2003.
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10/25/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
conditionally grant a joint request from Rural Telephone Service Company,
Inc. (RuralTel), Nex-Tech, Inc. (Nex-Tech), United Telephone Company
of Kansas and United Telephone of Eastern Kansas (collectively, United)
for a waiver of the study area boundary freeze codified in the Appendix-Glossary
of Part 36 of the Commission’s rules. This waiver will permit United
to remove twelve exchanges comprising approximately 5,400 lines from
United’s Kansas study areas. Consistent with the precedent established
by the Commission in the Heart of Iowa Order, we allow Nex-Tech to transfer
its competitive LEC lines to RuralTel’s newly configured incumbent LEC
study area on the condition that RuralTel treats Nex-Tech’s former competitive
LEC lines as if these lines were acquired from an unaffiliated carrier
and subject to the provisions of section 54.305. We also grant RuralTel’s
request for waiver of section 69.3(e)(11) of the Commission’s rules so
that RuralTel can include the acquired exchanges in the National Exchange
Carrier Association (NECA) common line tariff.
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10/25/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant a joint request from Gorham Telephone Company, Inc., (Gorham) and
RuralTel for a waiver of the study area boundary freeze codified in the
Appendix-Glossary of Part 36 of the Commission’s rules. The study area
waiver will permit RuralTel to remove two exchanges comprising approximately
272 access lines from its Kansas study area. The waiver also will permit
Gorham to add these exchanges to its existing Kansas study area. We also
grant Gorham a waiver of section 69.3(e)(11) of the Commission’s rules
in order to allow it to continue to use the NECA as its tariff pool administrator.
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10/18/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau Seeks Comment on the 2007 Modification of Average Schedule Universal
Service High-Cost Loop support Formula and the 2007 Average Schedule
Company Local Switching Support Formula. Comment Date: November 11, 2006
and Reply Comment Date: November 8, 2006.
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9/12/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grants the petition for waiver of the June 30, 2006 deadline for receipt
of interstate access universal service support. We find that Verizon
has demonstrated that good cause warrants granting this waiver.
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9/12/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grants the petitions of three carriers for waiver of the September 30,
2005 deadlines. We find that the Petitioners have demonstrated that good
cause warrants these waivers.
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9/11/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grants a joint request from United Telephone Company of Kansas and United
Telephone Company of Eastern Kansas and Twin Valley Telephone, Inc. for
a waiver of the study area boundary freeze.
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8/22/06
ERRATUM: The Telecommunications Access
Policy Division on August 15, 2006 released an Order DA 06-1645, in the
Matter of Sacred Wind Communications, Inc. and Qwest Corporation. This
Erratum corrects the Order.
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8/15/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant a joint request from Sacred Wind Communications, Inc. and Qwest
Corporation for a waiver of the study area boundary freeze codified in
the Appendix-Glossary of Part 36 of the Commission's rules.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant the requests of Buggs Island Telephone Cooperative and Pembroke
Telephone Cooperative for waivers of the annual certification deadline
set forth in section 54.314 of the Commission's rules.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant the requests of Northwest Dakota Cellular of North Dakota Limited
Partnership; North Central RSA 2 of North Dakota Limited Partnership;
North Dakota RSA No. 3 Limited Partnership; Badlands Cellular of North
Dakota Limited Partnership; North Dakota 5-Kidder Limited Partnership;
and Bismarck MSA Limited Partnership for a waiver of the September 30,
2004 data submission reporting deadline set forth in section 54.307(c)
of the Commission's rules.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant a request from Pine Belt Cellular, Inc. for a waiver of the October
1, 2004 annual certification filing deadline set forth in section 54.313
of the Commission's rules.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant a request from Centennial Cellular Tri-State Operating Partnership
and Centennial Claiborne Cellular Corp. for waiver of the April 1, 2004
and October 1, 2004 certification deadlines in section 54.314(d) of the
Commision's rules. Mississippi Public Service Commission was also granted
a request for a waiver of the January 1, 2005 certification deadline.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant a request from Cellular South Licenses, Inc. for a waiver of the
December 31, 2003, filing deadline for interstate access universal service
support set forth in section 54.802(a) of the Commission's rules.
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8/14/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant the petition of North Carolina RSA 3 Cellular Telephone Company
d/b/a Carolina West Wireless to be designated as an eligible telecommunications
carrier in portions of its licensd service area in the state of North
Carolina.
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8/11/06
Public Notice: The Telecommunications
Access Policy Division of the Wireline Competition Bureau granted the
petitions for waiver of certain filing deadlines for the receipt of universal
service support for the following Petitioners: Highland Cellular, Inc.,
Megagate, American Cellular Corp., and NPCR, Inc.
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8/10/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by CTIA-The Wireless Association
and a petition filed by Cingular Wireless LLC requesting declaratory
rulings regarding certain aspects of the 2006 Contribution Methodology
Reform Order and previous Commission and Bureau-level Orders. Comments
Due: September 11, 2006 and Reply Comments Due: September 26, 2006.
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8/7/06
Order: The Commission grant requests
for review filed by Darien Telephone Company, Inc., Logal elephone Cooperative,
Inc., and Roanoke & Botetourt Telephone Company pursuant to sections
54.719 and 54.722 of the Commission's rules.
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7/25/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on the petition of Gorham Telephone Company, Inc.,
and Rural Telephone Service Company, Inc., to waive the study area boundary
freeze, as codified, in Part 36, and Gorham Telephone Company's request
for waiver of section 69.3(e)(11) of the Commission's rules. Comments
Due: August 8, 2006 and Reply Comments Due: August 15, 2006.
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7/12/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Verizon Communications, Inc.
seeking waiver of the quarterly line count filing deadline associated
with the receipt of universal service interstate access support pursuant
to section 54.802(a) of the Commission's rules. Comments Due: July 26,
2006 and Reply Comments Due: August 2, 2006.
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7/18/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on the petition of Accipiter Communications, Inc.,
and Qwest Cororation to waive the study area boundary freeze, as codified
in part 36, and section 69.3(e)(11) of the Commission's rules. Comments
Due: July 24, 2006 and Reply Comments Due: July 31, 2006.
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6/30/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on petitions filed by Pine Belt Cellular, Inc.,
Sagebrush Cellular, Inc., and Cedar Valley Communications, Inc. seeking
waivers of various filing deadlines associated with the receipt of universal
service support pursuant to the Commission's rules. Comment Date: July
14, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: July 21, 2006.
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6/2/06
Public Notice: IOWA TELECOM SERVICES,
INC. SEEKS FORBEARANCE FROM OR WAIVER OF THE COMMISSION’S UNIVERSAL SERVICE
RULES TO PERMIT IT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT UNDER
THE HIGH-COST MECHANISM FOR NON-RURAL CARRIERS PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED.
Comment Date: July 3, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: July 18, 2006.
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6/2/06
Public Notice: QWEST CORPORATION, PINE
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS, INC., AND OREGON TELEPHONE CORPORATION SEEK WAIVER
OF THE STUDY AREA BOUNDARY FREEZE AS CODIFIED IN PART 36 - PLEADING CYCLE
ESTABLISHED. Comment Date: June 16, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: June
23, 2006.
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6/2/06
Public Notice: The Commission extend
the high-cost universal service support rules adopted in the Rural Task
Force Order on an interim basis until the Commission concludes its rural
review proceeding and adopts changes, if any, to those rules as a result
of that proceeding.
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4/27/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
conditionally grant a joint request from Lost Nation-Elwood elephone
Company and Iowa Telecom for a waiver of the study area boundary freeze
codified in the Appendix-Glossary of Part 36 of the Commission's rules.
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4/27/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
conditionally grant a joint request from Partner Communications Cooperative
and Iowa Telecommunications Services, Inc., d/b/a Iowa Telecom for a
waiver of the study area boundary freeze codified in the Appendix-Glossary
of Part 36 of the Commission's rules.
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4/14/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on the petition, filed on March 15, 2006, by Cellular
Network Partnership d/b/a Pioneer Cellular for waiver of the Septmber
30, 2005 filing deadline set forth in section 54.307(c) of the Commission's
rules. Comments are due April 28, 2006 and reply comments are due May
5, 2006.
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4/14/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petition, filed by North Dakota Network Company
pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules, requesting the
Commission's agreement with the decision of the North Dakota Public Service
Commission to redefine the service areas of rural telephone companies
in North Dakota at the wire center level. Comment Date: May 5, 2006 and
Reply Comment Date: May 19, 2006
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3/17/06
Public Notice: Parties are invited
to comment on the petition filed by Pine Belt Cellular, Inc. seeking
designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier in the state of
Alabama pursuant to section 214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of 1934.
Comment Date: April 6, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: April 21, 2006
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3/17/06
Public Notice: Parties are invited
to comment on the petition filed by Hopi Telecommunications, Inc. seeking
designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier in the Hopi and
Navajo Reservations in the state of Arizona pursuant to section 214(e)(6)
of the Communications Act of 1934. Comment Date: April 6, 2006 and Reply
Comment Date: April 21, 2006
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3/17/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Mark Twain Communications
Company pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules, requesting
the Commission's agreement with the decision of the Missouri Public Service
Commission to redefine the service area of Spectra Communications Group,
a rural incumbent local exchange carrier. Comment Date: April 7, 2006
and Reply Comment Date: April 21, 2006
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3/15/06
Order: The Commission conditionally
grant a joint request from Heart of Iowa Communications Cooperative and
Iowa Telecommunications Services, Inc., d/b/a Iowa elecom for a waiver
of the study area boundary freeze codified in the Appendix-Glossary of
Part 36 of the Commission's rules.
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3/10/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Buerau seeks comment on a petition filed by the South Dakota Public Utilities
Commission pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules, requesting
the Commission's agreement with its decision to redefine the service
areas of rural incumbent local exchange carriers for the purposes of
designating Brookings Municipal Utilities d/b/a Swiftel Communications
as an eligible telecommunications carrier. Comment Date: March 31, 2006
and Reply Comment Date: April 14, 2006.
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3/6/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Buerau seeks comment on petitions filed by Pembroke Telephone Cooperative,
North River Telephone Cooperative, Nebraska Technology & Telecommunications,
Inc., and Great Lakes of Iowa, Inc. seeking waivers of various filing
deadlines associated with the receipt of unviersal service support pursuant
to the Commission's rules. Comment Date: March 20, 2006 and Reply Comment
Date: March 27, 2006.
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3/15/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petitions filed by American Cellular Corporation
pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules, requesting the
Commission's agreement with the decision of the Minnesota Public Service
Commission to redefine the service areas of rural incumbent local exchange
carrier service areas. Comment Date: March 17, 2006 and Reply Comment
Date: March 31, 2006.
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2/23/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant requests by Dixon Telephone Company, Lexcom Telephone Company,
and Citizens Telephone Company of Higginsville, Missouri - incumbent
local exchange carriers that have been designated as eligible telecommunications
carriers - for a waiver of the data submission reporting deadline set
forth in section 54.301(b) of the Commission's rules for local switching
support.
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2/3/06
Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau
grant the petition of Corr Wireless Communications, LLC, as amended,
to be designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier in portions
of its licensed service area in the state of Alabama, pursuant to section
214(e)(6) of the Communications Act of 1934.
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1/20/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by N.E. Colorado Cellular, Inc.
d/b/a Viaero Wireless pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's
rules, requesting the Commission's agreement with the decision of the
Nebraska Public Service Commission to redefine the service areas of rural
incumbent local exchange carrier service aras. Comment Date: February
6, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: February 21, 2006.
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1/12/06
Order: The Commission approved the
Universal Service Administrative Company's modified local switching support
formula and, with respect to Part 36 high-cost support, adopted the National
Exchange Carrier Association's cost per loop (CPL) formula.
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1/12/06
Public Notice: The Wireline Competition
Bureau provides notice that it is initiating a proceeding to consider
petitions filed by RSA 7 Limited Partnership, Iowa 8 - Monona Limited
Partnership, and Iowa RSA 10 General Partnership and Midwest Wireless
Iowa, L.L.C. pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission's rules. Comment
Date: January 27, 2006 and Reply Comment Date: February 13, 2006.
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