*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 16358* PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12 th St., S. W. Washington, D. C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418- 0500 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov TTY: 1- 888- 835- 5322 DA 02- 746 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON RCC HOLDINGS, INC. PETITION FOR DESIGNATION AS AN ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIER THROUGHOUT ITS LICENSED SERVICE AREA IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED CC Docket No. 96- 45 Release Date: April 2, 2002 Comment Date: 30 days after publication in Federal Register Reply Comment Date: 45 days after publication in Federal Register On March 19, 2002, RCC Holdings, Inc. (RCC Holdings) filed with the Commission a petition pursuant to section 214( e)( 6) seeking designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) to receive federal universal service support for service offered throughout its licensed service area in the state of Alabama. 1 Specifically, RCC Holdings contends that: 1) the Alabama Public Service Commission has provided an affirmative statement that it does not regulate commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) carriers, 2) RCC Holdings meets all the statutory and regulatory prerequisites for ETC designation, and 3) designating RCC Holdings as an ETC will serve the public interest. 2 Pursuant to section 54.207( c) of the Commission’s rules, 3 RCC Holdings also requests that the Commission redefine the service areas of the following rural incumbent local exchange carriers: 1) Butler Telephone Company Inc., 2) Alltel of Alabama, 3) Frontier Communications of the South, Inc., 4) Frontier Communications of Alabama, Inc., 5) Interstate Telephone 1 See RCC Holdings, Inc. Petition for Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in the State of Alabama, filed March 19, 2002 (RCC Holdings Petition). 2 See RCC Holdings Petition at 1- 10, 13- 16, Amendment at 1- 2. 3 See 47 C. F. R. § 54.207( c) (outlining the requirements for petitions seeking to redefine a service area of a rural telephone company). 1 2 Company, 6) Millry Telephone Company, and 7) Mon- cre Telephone Cooperative Inc. (collectively “Rural ILECs”). 4 RCC Holdings states that it is not licensed to serve the service areas of the Rural ILECs in their entirety. 5 RCC Holdings seeks redefinition of the service areas of the Rural ILECs in order to be designated an ETC only where RCC Holdings is licensed to provide CMRS in the state of Alabama. 6 The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on the RCC Holdings Petition, including the requested service area redefinition. The petitioner must provide copies of its petition to the Alabama Public Service Commission at the time of filing with the Commission. The Commission will also send a copy of this Public Notice to the Alabama Public Service Commission by overnight express mail to ensure that the Alabama Public Service Commission is notified of the notice and comment period. 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 as follows: comments are due 30 days after publication of the Public Notice in the Federal Register and reply comments are due 45 days after publication of the Public Notice in the Federal Register. 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. 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