*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 8491.doc* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 DA 01- 1059 April 24, 2001 COMMENTS INVITED ON GALLATIN RIVER COMMUNICATIONS, LLC APPLICATION TO DISCONTINUE DOMESTIC SERVICES IN STAUNTON AND LIVINGSTON, ILLINOIS NSD File No. W- P- D- 486 Section 214 Application Applicant: Gallatin River Communications, LLC On March 8, 2001, Gallatin River Communications, LLC (“ Gallatin River”) filed an application requesting authority under section 214( a) of the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U. S. C. § 214( a), and section 63.71 of the Federal Communications Commission's rules, 47 C. F. R. § 63.71, to discont inue service to cert ain local exchange facilit ies in connect ion wit h a proposed sale of such facilit ies to Madison Telephone Company, LLC (“ Madison Telephone”). The application states that Gallatin River requests authorization to discontinue the provision of intra-and interstate telecommunications services in the Staunton and Livingston exchanges in the state of Illinois. Gallat in River is selling, and Madison Telephone Company (“ Madison Telephone”) is acquiring, these exchanges in an asset purchase and sale transaction. The Staunton and Livingston exchanges are locat ed in sout h cent ral Illinois. Gallat in River proposes t o discont inue service as of t he closing date of the purchase and sale transaction, which is stated to be scheduled for mid- April, 2001. Madison Telephone will provide service subject to its own tariffed rates. The existing local and intraLATA calling rates will be maintained. The service areas affected include rural communities consisting primarily of residential and small business end users. These areas are contiguous with Madison Telephone’s existing exchanges in Worden, Hamil and Prairietown. The affected service areas consist of approximately 3,380 access lines in the Staunton exchange and 870 access lines in the Livingston exchange. No other carriers currently provide local exchange or exchange access service in the subject exchanges. The parties have applied jointly to the Illinois Commerce Commission for authorization to complete the proposed transaction. In accordance with 47 C. F. R. § 63.71( c), an application such as this is deemed to be automatically granted on the 60th day after the release date of this notice without any Commission notification to the applicant , unless the Commission has not ified the applicant t hat t he grant will not be aut omat ically effect ive. The FCC will normally aut horize proposed discont inuances of service unless it is shown that customers or other end users would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from News media information 202 / 418- 0500 Fax- On- Demand 202 / 418- 2830 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY 202 / 418- 2555 1 another carrier, or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. In this inst ance, the applicant is hereby not ified that the grant of its applicat ion will not be aut omat ically effect ive on the 60t h day aft er the release dat e of this not ice but will inst ead be aut omat ically grant ed on the dat e that the Illinois Commerce Commission authorizes the parties to complete the proposed transaction. Comment s object ing to this applicat ion must be filed wit h t he Commission by May 8, 2001. Comments should refer to application file number W- P- D- 486. Comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance on the commenter, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service. Comments should be sent to the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Room TW- A325, Washington, DC 20554. Two copies of the comments should also be sent to the Network Services Division, 445 12th Street, SW, Room 6- A207, Washington, DC 20554. The application will be available for review and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY- A257, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418- 0270. The application 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, TTY 202- 293- 8810. For further information, contact Carmell Weathers, (202) 418- 2325 (voice), cweather@ fcc. gov, or Mart y Schwimmer, (202) 418- 2320 (voice), mschwimm@ fcc. gov, of the Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau. The TTY number is (202) 418- 0484. For further information on Section 214s please visit our web site at: http:// www. fcc. gov/ ccb/ nsd/ documents/ 214.html. -FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION- 2