PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 07-3388 Released: July 24, 2007 REQUESTS BY BRAZOS TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.; CAP ROCK TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.; CUMBY TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.; FIVE AREA TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.; NORTH CENTRAL TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC.; AND WES-TEX TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE, INC. FOR AUTHORITY TO INCLUDE IN THEIR RATE BASES THE INTERSTATE PORTION OF PREPAID POST-RETIREMENT HEALTH BENEFITS PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 07-150 COMMENTS DUE: August 8, 2007 REPLY COMMENTS DUE: August 20, 2007 Six rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers separately filed letters requesting authority to include in their rate bases the interstate portion of the prepaid post-retirement health benefits recorded in Account 1410, Other noncurrent assets.1 The carriers -- Brazos Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Cap Rock Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Cumby Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Five Area Telephone Cooperative, Inc., North Central Telephone Cooperative, Inc., and Wes-Tex Telephone Cooperative, Inc. -- each use a pre-funded trust for these retirement benefits, and the trusts have various pre-paid balances relating to post-retirement health benefits as of December 31, 2006.2 1 Letter from Richard D. Adams, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Brazos Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated May 30, 2007); Jim Whitefield, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Cap Rock Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated June 7, 2007); Letter from Karen Zimmerman, General Manager, Cumby Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated June 5, 2007); Letter from Sandy Vandevender, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Five Area Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated May 31, 2007); Letter from F. Thomas Rowland, President/CEO, North Central Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated May 29, 2007); Letter from Bob Wilson, Manager, Wes-Tex Telephone Cooperative, Inc., to Albert Lewis, Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Federal Communications Commission (dated May 30, 2007). 2 See id. 2 Interested parties may file comments on or before August 8, 2007, and reply comments on or before August 20, 2007. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies.3 Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed.4 In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number, in this case WC Docket No. 07-150. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get 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 .” A sample form and directions will be sent in reply. Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four copies of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). Parties are strongly encouraged to file comments electronically using the Commission’s ECFS. The Commission's contractor, Natek, Inc., will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, Suite 110, Washington, DC 20002. · The filing hours at this location are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. · All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. · Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. · Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. · U.S. Postal Service first-class mail, Express Mail, and Priority Mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, Marlene H. Dortch, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Room TW-A325, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. Parties should also send a copy of their filings to Douglas Slotten, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, Room 5-A233, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20554, or by e-mail to douglas.slotten@fcc.gov. Parties shall also serve one copy with the Commission’s copy contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Room CY-B402, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 488-5300, or via e-mail to fcc@bcpiweb.com. Documents filed in this proceeding will be available for public inspection and copying during business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th St., SW, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554. The documents may also be purchased from BCPI, telephone (202) 488-5300, facsimile (202) 488-5563, TTY (202) 488-5562, or by e-mail at fcc@bcpiweb.com. To request materials 3 See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998). 4 If multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of a proceeding, however, commenters must transmit one electronic copy of the comments to each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. Similarly, commenters filing paper copies must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. 3 in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY). This matter shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules.5 Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentations must contain summaries of the substance of the presentations and not merely a listing of the subjects discussed. More than a one- or two-sentence description of the views and arguments presented generally is required.6 Other requirements pertaining to oral and written ex parte presentations are set forth in section 1.1206(b) of the Commission’s rules.7 For further information, contact Douglas Slotten of the Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-1572. - FCC - 5 See 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200, 1.1206. 6 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b)(2). 7 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).