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 09-1085 Released: May 18, 2009 DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF INDEPENDENT NETWORKS, L.C. TO RINGSTED COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY, INC. NON-STREAMLINED PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 09-60 Comments Due: June 1, 2009 Reply Comments Due: June 8, 2009 On April 24 2009, Ayrshire Telecom Inc., Northwest Communications, Inc., River Valley Telecommunications Cooperative, Ter-Tel Enterprises, Inc., Lone Rock Communications Company, Webb-Dickens Telephone Corporation, and Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative (collectively, Transferors) and Ringsted Communications Company, Inc. (Ringsted) (together, Applicants) filed an application pursuant to sections 63.03 and 63.04 of the Commission’s rules1 seeking approval for the transfer of control of Independent Networks, L.C. (Independent Networks) from Transferors to Ringsted. The Applicants do not seek streamlined treatment for this application under section 63.03(b) of the Commission’s rules.2 Independent Networks, an Iowa limited liability company, is currently owned by Transferors in equal 11.11 percent membership shares, except for River Valley Telecommunications Cooperative, which has a 22.22 percent membership share. In addition, Ringsted owns an 11.11 percent membership share in Independent Networks. Independent Networks provides competitive local exchange (LEC) services in competition with the incumbent LEC, Iowa Telecommunications Services, Inc., in a single exchange serving the town of Armstrong in Emmet County in rural northwestern Iowa. Independent Networks also owns a 12.5 percent interest in Local Long Distance, L.C., an Iowa limited liability company that does business as Local Alliance Network and resells long distance services to customers in and near Armstrong, Ayrshire, Havelock, Graettinger, Terril, Ringsted, Royal, and Lone Rock in northwestern Iowa. Ringsted, an Iowa corporation, presently provides wireless telecommunications services and is wholly owned by Ringsted Telephone Company (Ringsted Telephone), an Iowa corporation that provides incumbent LEC services in a single exchange serving the community of Ringsted, which is also in Emmet County, Iowa. Applicants state that the Ringsted Telephone exchange is adjacent to the Independent Networks Armstrong exchange. 1 47 C.F.R § 63.03-04; see 47 U.S.C. § 214. 2 47 C.F.R. § 63.03(b). The Transferors, all Iowa corporations, are incumbent LECs that serve rural portions of northwestern Iowa. Applicants state that no individual or entity owns 10 percent or more of the voting or equity interests of the Transferors.3 Ringsted Telephone Company has approximately 360 stockholders, all of whom are U.S. citizens. Applicants state that no individual or entity owns or controls more than three percent of the equity or voting interests of Ringsted Telephone. Ringsted also owns a 12.5 percent interest in Local Long Distance, L.C., and, after taking control of Independent Networks, will hold a non-controlling 25 percent interest in the long distance company.4 Pursuant to the terms of the proposed transaction, Ringsted will own 100 percent of the member interests of Independent Networks, and Independent Networks will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ringsted. Applicants assert that a grant of the application will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity because the proposed transaction will ensure that the existing and prospective rural Iowa customers of Independent Networks will continue to have access to an established, competing provider of high-quality, state-of-the-art services at affordable rates. GENERAL INFORMATION The transfer of control identified herein has been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing as a non-streamlined application. The Commission reserves the right to return any transfer of control application if, upon further examination, it is determined to be defective and not in conformance with the Commission’s rules and policies. Pursuant to section 63.03(a) of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 63.03(a), interested parties may file comments on or before June 1, 2009 and reply comments on or before June 8, 2009. Comments may be filed using: (1) the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal Government’s e-Rulemaking Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ or the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting comments. § For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one electronic copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, filers should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, and include the following words in the body of the message, “get form.” A sample form and directions will be sent in response. 3 Applicants state that Independent Networks has an 11.11 percent ownership interest in Northern Iowa Communications Partners, L.L.C. that operates a tandem soft switch in Spencer, Iowa, and a 7.14 percent interest in Lakes Area Wireless, L.C. that provides wireless service in Emmet and Dickinson Counties in northwestern Iowa. 4 Applicants state that Ringsted also has an 11.11 percent ownership interest in Northern Iowa Communications Partners, L.L.C. and a 12.5 percent interest in Northwest Communications Network that provides fiber transport services in Kossuth, Palo Alto, and Clay Counties in Iowa. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and four copies of each filing. If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first- class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. The Commission’s contractor will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20002. The filing hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 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, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington D.C. 20554. People with Disabilities: To request materials 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 & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty). In addition, one copy of each pleading must be sent to each of the following: 1) The Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554, www.bcpiweb.com; phone: (202) 488-5300 fax: (202) 488-5563; 2) The Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., fcc@bcpiweb.com; phone: (202) 488-5300; fax: (202) 488-5563; 3) Tracey Wilson-Parker, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, tracey.wilson-parker@fcc.gov; 4) Jodie May, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, jodie.may@fcc.gov; 5) Jim Bird, Office of General Counsel, jim.bird@fcc.gov. Filings and comments are available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554. They may also be purchased from the Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554; telephone: (202) 488-5300; fax: (202) 488-5563; e-mail: fcc@bcpiweb.com; url: www.bcpiweb.com. People with Disabilities: To request materials 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 & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty). For further information, please contact Tracey Wilson-Parker at (202) 418-1394 or Jodie May at (202) 418-0913. - FCC -