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 08-2684 Release Date: December 10, 2008 MARCH 2008 CAPPED UNIVERSAL SERVICE HIGH-COST SUPPORT FOR COMPETITIVE ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS WC Docket No. 05-337 CC Docket No. 96-45 On May 1, 2008, the Commission released an order adopting an interim, emergency cap on the amount of universal service high-cost support that competitive eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) may receive.1 Specifically, as of the effective date of the Interim Cap Order, total annual competitive ETC support for each state is capped at the level of support that competitive ETCs in that state were eligible to receive during March 2008 on an annualized basis.2 The Interim Cap Order became effective on August 1, 2008.3 Information regarding competitive ETCs’ March 2008 high-cost support is available on the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) website.4 Competitive ETCs should confirm their March 2008 high-cost support amount information with USAC and file any corrections on or before December 31, 2008. Competitive ETCs may send questions or inquiries concerning their March 2008 high-cost support information to USAC at CETCCap@usac.org. To provide certainty regarding the amount of high-cost support available to competitive ETCs under the cap in each state, after December 31, 2008, USAC will not accept changes from competitive ETCs regarding the data on which their March 2008 high-cost support is based, absent grant of a waiver of this deadline by the Commission. For further information, please contact the Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484. - FCC - 1 High-Cost Universal Service Support; Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, WC Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45, Order, 23 FCC Rcd 8834 (2008) (Interim Cap Order). 2 Id. at 8834, para. 1. 3 High-Cost Universal Service Support; Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, 73 Fed. Reg. 37882 (July 2, 2008). 4 See USAC High-Cost website at http://usac.org/hc/tools/latest-news/default.aspx#120508a and http://usac.org/_res/documents/hc/xls/CETC%20Cap%20%20March%202008%20Baseline%20Report%2011-25- 08.xls.