PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 445 12th STREET, S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 00-743 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov GTE MIDWEST INCORPORATED AND SPECTRA COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, LLC SEEK A WAIVER OF THE DEFINITION OF "STUDY AREA" IN PART 36 AND SECTIONS 69.3(E)(9) AND 61.41(C) OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED CC Docket No. 96-45 Release Date: April 3, 2000 Comment Date: April 24, 2000 Reply Comment Date: May 1, 2000 On March 17, 2000, GTE Midwest Incorporated (GTE) and Spectra Communications Group, LLC (Spectra) filed a joint petition for waiver of the definition of "study area" as set forth in Part 36 of the Commission's rules. That definition constitutes a rule freezing all study area boundaries. The requested waivers would allow GTE to alter the boundaries of its existing Missouri study area and allow Spectra to establish a single new study area in Missouri when transferring 107 telephone exchanges (116,149 access lines) from GTE to Spectra. The petitioners submitted a letter from the Missouri Public Service Commission indicating that it has no objection to the granting of an interstate study area waiver to Spectra. Spectra also seeks waiver of section 61.41(c) of the Commission's price cap rules, 47 C.F.R.  61.41, to exempt it from the price cap "all or nothing" rule. Section 61.41(c) requires non-price cap companies, and the telephone companies with which they are affiliated, to become subject to price cap regulation after acquiring a price cap company or any part thereof. The requested waiver would permit Spectra to continue operating under rate-of-return regulation after acquiring the GTE exchanges that are currently under price cap regulation. In addition, to the extent required by section 69.3(g)(3), Spectra seeks waiver of section 69.3(e)(9) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  69.3(e)(9), to return the purchased access lines to the National Exchange Carrier Association's common line pool after acquiring them from GTE. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before April 24, 2000, and reply comments on or before May 1, 2000. 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 Fed. Reg. 24,121 (1998). Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to . Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. If multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, however, commenters must transmit one electronic copy of the comments to each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit electronic comments by Internet e-mail. To receive filing instructions for e-mail comments, commenters should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, and should include the following words in the body of the message, "get form