*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 12507.doc*
 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  St.,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2  TTY  202  /  418-  2  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc  ftp  fcc 
 DA  01-  2546 
 Released:  October  31,  20001 


 EX  PARTE  TREATMENT  OF  PETITION  FOR  WAIVER  OF  THE  BENCHMARK  SETTLEMENT  RATE 
 FOR  GUYANA  IB  Docket  No.  96-  261 


 On  July  6,  2001,  Atlantic  Tele-  Network,  Inc.  (“  ATN”),  the  majority  owner  of  Guyana  Telephone 
 &  Telegraph  Ltd.  (“  GT&  T”),  which  is  the  incumbent  telecommunication  service  provider  in  Guyana, 
 filed  a  petition  for  waiver  of  the  Commission’s  benchmark  settlement  rate  of  23¢  for  service  on  the  U.  S.  -Guyana 
 route.  ATN  requests  a  waiver  of  the  benchmark  settlement  rate  for  a  period  of  five  years  or  until 
 Guyana’s  teledensity  reaches  23  telephones,  whichever  occurs  first. 


 The  Commission  issued  a  Public  Notice  on  July  17,  2001,  1  setting  dates  for  public  comment  on 
 the  waiver  request.  That  Public  Notice  did  not  address  the  ex  parte  treatment  for  this  proceeding.  As  a 
 waiver  proceeding,  pursuant  to  section  1.1208  of  the  Commission's  rules,  2  this  proceeding  is  thus  treated 
 as  a  restricted  proceeding  for  purposes  of  the  Commission's  ex  parte  rules. 


 Pursuant  to  section  1.1200(  a)  of  the  Commission's  rules,  3  we  find  that  the  issues  before  us  in  this 
 proceeding  have  applicability  beyond  the  parties  immediately  involved  in  this  proceeding.  Accordingly, 
 we  find  that  it  would  serve  the  public  interest  to  facilitate  the  participation  of  interested  members  of  the 
 public  by  reclassifying  this  proceeding  as  permit-  but-  disclose  for  purposes  of  the  ex  parte  rules.  4 
 Therefore,  effective  with  the  release  of  this  Public  Notice,  ex  parte  presentations  are  permitted  in  this 
 proceeding,  provided  they  are  disclosed  as  provided  in  the  Commission's  rules.  5 


 For  further  information,  please  contact  Ken  Stanley  or  Lisa  Choi,  Telecommunications 
 Division,  International  Bureau,  (202)  418-  1460. 


 1  Petition  for  Waiver  of  the  Benchmark  Settlement  Rate  for  Guyana,  IB  Docket  No.  96-  261,  Public  Notice, 
 DA  01-  1714  (rel.  July  17,  2001). 
 2  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.  1208 


 3  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.  1200(  a). 
 4  See  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.  1206 
 5  Id. 
1

2