Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Comment and Reply Comment Dates Established for Comprehensive Universal Service Fund and Intercarrier Compensation Reform NPRM

DA  11-411 Released:  March 2, 2011

COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DATES ESTABLISHED FOR COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND AND INTERCARRIER COMPENSATION REFORM NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING AND FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING

CC Docket Nos. 96-45, 01-92,
WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135, 10-90 and
GN Docket No. 09-51

Comments Due for Section XV:  April 1, 2011
Reply Comments Due for Section XV:  April 18, 2011
Comments Due for Remaining Sections:  April 18, 2011
Comments Due for State Members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service:  May 2, 2011
Reply Comments Due for Remaining Sections:  May 23, 2011

           On February 8, 2011, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on proposals to fundamentally modernize the Commission's universal service fund and intercarrier compensation system.[1]  The Commission set the comment and reply comment deadlines for Section XV of the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM ("Reducing Inefficiencies and Waste By Curbing Arbitrage Opportunities")[2] at 30 days and 45 days after publication of a summary of the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM in the Federal Register respectively, and set the deadlines for comments and reply comments on the remaining sections at 45 days and 80 days after publication respectively.  For state members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service commenting on the remaining sections, the Commission set the comment deadline at 59 days after publication.[3]  A summary of the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM was published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2011.[4]  Accordingly, comments and reply comments are due on the following dates:

·         Comments on Section XV are due April 1, 2011 and reply comments are due April 18, 2011.       

·         Comments on the remaining sections are due April 18, 2011.

·         Comments on the remaining sections from state members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service are due May 2, 2011.

·         Reply comments on the remaining sections are due May 23, 2011.

 

            On February 17, 2011, State Members of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service held a workshop to assist in the preparation of their joint comments in response to the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM.[5]  In addition to discussing the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM, the State Members and workshop participants discussed a series of proposals and related white papers prepared by State staff.[6]  Interested parties may incorporate any discussion of issues raised in the State staff white papers in their comments and reply comments submitted in response to the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM.

            Comment and reply comment filing requirements are described in the USF/ICC Transformation NPRM.[7]  For further information on intercarrier compensation issues related to this proceeding, please contact Victoria Goldberg, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7353.  For further information on universal service issues related to this proceeding, please contact Joseph Cavender of the Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400. 

- FCC -


[1] See Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, A National Broadband Plan for Our Future, GN Docket No. 09-51, Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers, WC Docket No. 07-135, High-Cost Universal Service Support, WC Docket No. 05-337, Developing an Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime, CC Docket No. 01-92), Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45), Lifeline and Link-Up, WC Docket No. 03-109, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 11-13 (rel. Feb. 9, 2011) (USF/ICC Transformation NPRM).

[2] Id. at para. 603.

[3] Id.

[4] 76 Fed. Reg. 11632 (March 2, 2011).

[5] A video recording of the workshop is available at:  http://reboot.fcc.gov/video-archives (last visited March 2, 2011).

[6] The State staff white papers are available at:  http://www.naruc.org/special/  (last visited Feb. 18, 2011).

[7] USF/ICC Transformation NPRM at paras. 690-697.  


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