********************* ********************* ************** NOTICE ********************* ********************* ************** This document was converted from WordPerfect or Word to ASCII Text format. Content from the original version of the document such as headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers will not show up in this text version. All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the original document will not show up in this text version. Features of the original document layout such as columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins will not be preserved in the text version. If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ********************* ********************* ********************* ** PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 445 12th STREET, S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 00-1705 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: August 1, 2000 COMMON CARRIER BUREAU RELEASES LIST OF CARRIERS FILING RURAL CERTIFICATION LETTERS AND NOTIFICATIONS OF CHANGES IN STATUS CC Docket No. 96-45 On October 21, 1999, the Commission required rural carriers serving study areas with more than 100,000 access lines to file certification letters by July 1, 2000. The Commission required such carriers to explain how they meet the criteria set forth in the definition of "rural telephone company" in section 153(37) of the Communications Act, as amended. Specifically, the Commission required a carrier self- certifying as a rural telephone company as defined in section 153(37)(A) to include a description of the study areas in which it provides service and the basis for its assertion that it meets the requirements of this subsection. Similarly, the Commission required a carrier self-certifying as a rural telephone company as defined in section 153(37)(D) to include a list of all communities to which it provides service, the population of those communities, the number of its access lines serving those communities, and the total number of access lines it serves. In subsequent years, carriers serving study areas with more than 100,000 access lines need only file certification letters if their status changes. As of July 3, 2000, the following carriers serving filed rural certification letters stating they meet the criteria in section 153(37)(D): ALLTEL Arkansas ALLTEL Carolina (North) ALLTEL Georgia ALLTEL New York ALLTEL Pennsylvania Western Reserve Telephone Company (ALLTEL) CenturyTel of Washington Citizens Telecommunications Company of New York Commonwealth Telephone Company (Pennsylvania) Concord Telephone Company (North Carolina) Frontier Communications of Minnesota GTE Arkansas (Contel) GTE Kentucky (Contel) GTE Midwest Iowa GTE Northwest Idaho Carolina Telephone and Telegraph (Sprint North Carolina) Central Telephone Company (North Carolina Division Sprint) Central Telephone Company of Texas (Sprint) Central Telephone Company of Virginia (Sprint) Sprint-Florida Sprint Minnesota Sprint Missouri United Telephone Company of the Carolinas (Sprint South Carolina) United Telephone Company of Indiana (Sprint) United Telephone Company of Kansas (Sprint) United Telephone Company of Eastern Kansas (Sprint) United Telephone Company of Southcentral Kansas (Sprint) United Telephone Company of Southeastern Kansas (Sprint) United Telephone Company of New Jersey (Sprint) United Telephone Company of the Northwest (Sprint Washington and Oregon) United Telephone Company of Ohio (Sprint) United Telephone Company of Pennsylvania (Sprint) United Telephone Company Southeast (Sprint Tennessee and Virginia) United Telephone Company of Texas (Sprint) United Telephone Company of the West (Sprint Wyoming and Nebraska) TXU Communications Telephone Company (Lufkin-Conroe Telephone Exchange) Valor Telecommunications of New Mexico Valor Telecommunications of Texas In addition, GTE Northwest Washington (Contel), filed a letter notifying the Commission that it now has more than 100,000 access lines and its status has changed from a rural telephone company to a non-rural company. These certification and notification letters have been filed with the Secretary and placed on the record in CC Docket No. 96-45. The full text of these letters and this document are available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC, 20554. This document may also be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS), 1231 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, telephone 202-857-3800, facsimile 202- 857-3805. For further information, contact Katie King, Accounting Policy Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-7400, TTY (202) 418-0484.