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 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov 
 DA  05-  412 
 WIRELINE  COMPETITION  BUREAU  SEEKS  COMMENT  ON  THE  JOINT  PETITION  OF  THE  WYOMING  PUBLIC  SERVICE  COMMISSION 
 AND  THE  WYOMING  OFFICE  OF  CONSUMER  ADVOCATE  FOR  SUPPLEMENTAL  FEDERAL  NON-  RURAL  UNIVERSAL  SERVICE  SUPPORT 


 PLEADING  CYCLE  ESTABLISHED 
 CC  Docket  No.  96-  45 


 Released  Date:  February  14,  2005 
 Comment  Date:  March  7,  2005  Reply  Comment  Date:  March  21,  2005 


 The  Wireline  Competition  Bureau  seeks  comment  on  the  December  21,  2004,  Joint  Petition  filed  by  the  Wyoming  Public  Service  Commission  (WPSC)  and  the  Wyoming  Office  of 
 Consumer  Advocate  for  supplemental  universal  service  funding  for  customers  of  Wyoming’s  only  non-  rural  incumbent  local  exchange  carrier,  Qwest  Corporation.  1  On  October  27,  2003,  the 
 Commission  released  its  decision  in  the  Ninth  Report  and  Order  Remand  proceeding.  2  Among  others  things,  the  Commission  adopted  the  recommendation  of  the  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on 
 Universal  Service  to  permit  states  to  request  further  federal  action,  including  additional  targeted  federal  support,  based  on  a  demonstration  that  the  state’s  rates  in  rural,  high-  cost  areas  served  by 
 non-  rural  carriers  are  not  reasonably  comparable  to  urban  rates  nationwide  and  that  the  state  has 


 1  Joint  Petition  for  Supplemental  Federal  Universal  Service  Funds  for  Customers  of  Wyoming’s  Non-Rural 
 Incumbent  Local  Exchange  Carrier,  by  the  Wyoming  Public  Service  Commission  and  the  Wyoming  Office  of  Consumer  Advocate,  CC  Docket  No.  96-  45,  filed  December  21,  2004  (Joint  Petition). 


 2  See  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service,  Order  on  Remand,  Further  Notice  of  Proposed 
 Rulemaking,  and  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  CC  Docket  96-  45,  18  FCC  Rcd  22559  (2003)  (Ninth  Report  Remand  Order),  appeal  pending  sub  nom.  Qwest  Communications  International  Inc.  v.  FCC  & 


 USA,  Tenth  Cir.  No.  03-  9617;  SBC  Communications  Inc.  v.  FCC  &  USA,  Tenth  Cir.  No.  04-  9518;  and  Vermont  Public  Service  Board  v.  FCC  &  USA,  Tenth  Cir.  No.  04-  9519.  The  Ninth  Order  Remand  Order 
 also  denied  the  WPSC’s  petition  for  reconsideration  of  the  Ninth  Report  and  Order.  See  id.  at  22639-  40,  paras.  143-  44. 
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