 Universal
Service Program for High Cost Areas
The Universal Service High-Cost program is designed to ensure that consumers
in rural, insular, and high-cost areas have access to telecommunications
services at rates that are affordable and reasonably comparable to those
in urban areas. The program fulfills this universal service goal by allowing
eligible carriers who serve these areas to recover some of their operating
costs from the federal Universal Service Fund.
For statistical information on the High-Cost program, see Section Three
of the annual Monitoring
Report.
HEADLINES
6/10/09
Centennial Communications Corp.: The Wireline Competition Bureau denies a request filed by Centennial Communications Corp. for waivers of the September 30, 2005, June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, filing deadlines for universal service Interstate Access Support (IAS) set forth in section 54.802(a) of the Commission's rules. Centennial argues that it was confused by the language in its Louisiana ETC designation order, which was granted in March 2004, and therefore did not file IAS annual certifications or line counts until February 2008. Centennial seeks a waiver to permit it to receive IAS funds for the first and second quarters of 2008, and a further waiver to permit it to receive retroactive payments beginning October 1, 2005 through the end of 2007. The order provides that even though we deny Centennial’s request for waiver, the amount of IAS that Centennial would have been able to receive in March 2008 if it had not missed the filing deadlines will be included in the capped level of support available to competitive ETCs in Louisiana pursuant to the Commission’s Interim Cap Order.
Order: Word | PDF | text
6/8/09
Virginia Cellular ETC Relinquishment Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau accepts the relinquishment of the eligible telecommunications carrier designation of Virginia Cellular, LLC in the Williamsville wire center in the study area of MGW Telephone Company in Virginia.
Order: Word | PDF | Text
6/5/09
Accipiter/Qwest Joint Petition for Study Area Waiver: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a joint petition filed by Accipiter and Qwest for a study area waiver in Arizona. On April 30, 2009, Accipiter Communication, Inc. d/b/a Zona Communications (Accipiter) and Qwest Corporation (Qwest) filed a joint petition for waiver of the study area boundary freeze as codified in the Appendix-Glossary of Part 36 of the Commission’s rules. The requested waiver would permit Accipiter and Qwest to exchange territories and add those exchanged territories to their existing study areas in Arizona. Comments are due July 6, 2009 and reply comments are due July 20, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
6/5/09
WorldNet Telecommunications, Inc. Request for Waiver: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by WorldNet Telecommunications, Inc., a CETC in Puerto Rico, for waiver of the December 30, 2008 line count filing deadline for Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS). Comments are due July 6, 2009 and reply comments are due July 20, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
6/5/09
Long Lines and OTZ High-Cost Waiver Requests
: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on: (i) a request by Long Lines Wireless, LLC for waiver of the September 30, 2008 line count filing deadlines for High-Cost Model Support and Interstate Access Support (IAS); and (ii) a request by OTZ Telecommunications, Inc. for waiver of the December 30, 2008 and March 30, 2009 line count filing deadlines for high cost support. Comments are due July 6, 2009 and reply comments are due July 20, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
5/6/09
DTS NECA and Universal Service Support Waiver Petition
: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by DTS of California seeking a waiver to allow DTS to become a member of the National Exchange Carrier Association and to immediately receive universal service high-cost loop support initially based on its forecasted costs rather than its historical costs. Comments are due June 5, 2009 and reply comments are due June 22, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
5/4/09
Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Posting of Cost Model
: The Wireline Competition Bureau announces that the publicly-available version of the High-Cost Proxy Model on the FCC's website has been updated to work with the Commission's current computer operating systems (Microsoft Windows XP Operating System, Service Pack 2 or greater, and Microsoft Office Suite 2003, Service Pack 3 or greater).
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
4/21/09
Centennial USVI High-Cost Waiver Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau acts on a request from Centennial USVI Operations Corp. for a waiver of high-cost universal service support filing deadlines.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/21/09
Northeast Iowa High-Cost Waiver Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau grants a request by ICORE, Inc. on behalf of Northeast Iowa Telephone Company for a waiver of the data submission reporting deadline for local switching universal service support.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/21/09
Xfone High-Cost Waiver Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau grants in part and denies in part a request filed by Xfone USA, Inc. for waivers of high-cost universal service support filing deadlines.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/21/09
LBH et al. High-Cost Waiver Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau denies three requests, filed by LBH, LLC; Knology of the Black Hills, LLC; and USCOC of Cumberland Inc. Hardy Cellular Telephone Company for waivers of high-cost universal service support filing deadlines.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/21/09
Grande Communications Networks et al High-Cost Waiver Order: The Wireline Competition Bureau acts on nine requests for waivers of various high-cost universal service support filing deadlines filed by Grande Communications Networks, Inc.; Hardy Telecommunications, Inc.; iBroadband Network, Inc.; IT&E Overseas, Inc.; Micronesian Telecommunications Company; Pattersonville Telephone Company; PTI Pacifica, Inc.; Texas RSA 8 South Limited Partnership dba Westex Wireless; and Thumb Cellular, LLC.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/9/09
Corr Wireless Request for Review: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on Corr Wireless Communication's (Corr) request for review of a decision by the Universal Service Administrative Corporation (USAC). Corr challenges USAC’s failure to include universal service high-cost support funds disclaimed by ALLTEL and Verizon in connection with their merger last year in the pool of funds available for distribution under the competitive eligible telecommunications carrier interim cap on high-cost universal service support. Comments are due May 11, 2009 and reply comments are due May 26, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
4/9/09
Twin Valley Telephone, Inc.: The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) grants Twin Valley's request to withdraw its application for review of the Bureau's prior decision to deny Twin Valley's petition for clarification or expedited waiver of section 54.305 of the Commission's rules.
Order: Word | PDF | text
4/8/09
High Cost Non-Rural Support Notice of Inquiry: The
Commission seeks to refresh the record regarding the issues raised by the
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (Tenth Circuit) in
the Qwest II decision. In that decision the Tenth Circuit invalidated the
Commission’s high-cost universal service support mechanism for non-rural carriers, which determines the amount of support to be provided to each state by comparing the statewide average forward-looking cost per line for non-rural carriers to a nationwide cost benchmark. Comments are due by May 8, 2009 and reply comments are due by June 8, 2009.
Notice of Inquiry: Word | PDF | text
4/3/09
Cellular Properties, Inc.: : The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Cellular Properties, Inc., pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission’s rules, requesting the Commission’s agreement with the decision of the Illinois Commerce Commission to redefine the service area of Illinois Consolidated Telephone Company. Comments on the petition are due by May 4, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 19, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
4/3/09
Cellular Properties, Inc.: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Cellular Properties, Inc., pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission’s rules, requesting the Commission’s agreement with the decision of the Illinois Commerce Commission to redefine the service area of Wabash Telephone Cooperative Inc. Comments on the petition are due by May 4, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 19, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/30/09
Minerva Valley Telephone Company: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by Minerva Telephone Company, an ILEC in Iowa, for waiver of the June 30, 2008 annual certification filing deadline for Interstate Common Line Support (ICLS). This petition does not affect the amount of support available to competitive ETCs pursuant to the Interim Cap Order because it does not affect support received in March 2008. Comments are due by April 29, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 14, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
Coalition for Equity in Switching Support: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Coalition for clarification of sections 36.125 and 54.301 of the Commission's rules. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
Midstate Telecom, Inc.: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Midstate Telecom, Inc. seeking waiver of filing deadlines associated with the receipt of universal service funds, pursuant to sections 54.307(c) and 54.802(a) of the Commission's rules. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
Hargray Telephone Company High-Cost Waivers: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by Hargray Telephone Company, a South Carolina ILEC, for waiver of the October 1, 2006 and October 1, 2007 projected-data filing deadlines for local switching support (LSS). Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
General Communication, Inc. Declaratory Ruling Regarding CETC Wireless Lines: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by GCI for a declaratory ruling finding that its wireless subsidiaries in Alaska: (i) are correctly reporting prepaid wireless lines based on a local address or point of sale address; and (ii) are correctly reporting wireless business lines based on the address to which a service invoice is sent rather than a separate or third-party address from where payments are processed. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
T-Mobile USA, Inc.: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a request by T-Mobile for a waiver of the December 30, 2008 line count filing deadline to allow it to receive universal service high-cost support. This petition does not affect the amount of support available to competitive ETCs pursuant to the Interim Cap Order because it does not affect support received in March 2008. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
Centennial Communications Corp. Interim Cap Data Deadline Waiver: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Centennial and its subsidiaries seeking a waiver of the December 31, 2008 deadline for submitting to Universal Service Administrative Company changes to the March 2008 data on which interim universal service high-cost capped support is based. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/19/09
Eagle Telephone System, Inc. and Midvale Telephone Exchange, Incorporated Study Area Waiver: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a joint petition for waiver of the study area boundary freeze filed by Eagle and Midvale. Eagle and Midvale seek a waiver of the study area boundary freeze to remove territory from Midvale's Idaho study area and recognize such territory as part of Eagle's Oregon study area. Comments are due by April 20, 2009 and reply comments are due by May 5, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/13/09
Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative Redefinition: The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition filed by Leaco Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc., pursuant to section 54.207 of the Commission’s rules, requesting the Commission’s agreement with the decision of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission to redefine the service areas of certain rural local exchange carriers. Comments are due by April 13, 2009 and reply comments are due by April 28, 2009.
Public Notice: Word | PDF | text
3/5/09
Competitive ETC Interim Cap Alaska Native Regions/Tribal Lands Exception Waiver Order: The Commission waives on its own motion the limitation on the availability of uncapped high-cost universal service support for competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) serving tribal lands or Alaska Native regions (Covered Locations). Specifically, for the period in which the interim cap is in effect, the Commission waives the restriction in paragraph 33 of the Interim Cap Order limiting the availability of uncapped per line support to competitive ETCs serving Covered Locations "to one payment per each residential account."
Order: Word | PDF | text
2/27/09
U.S. Virgin Islands Telephone Corp. High-Cost Abeyance Request: This letter directs USAC to hold in abeyance until May 31, 2009, any adjustments in universal service fund high-cost loop support for the Virgin Islands Telephone Corporation.
Letter: Word | PDF | text
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