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 10-2360 Release Date: December 16, 2010 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON AMERICAN PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS COUNCIL PETITIONS REGARDING UNIVERSAL SERVICE AND PAYPHONE ISSUES CC Docket No. 96-45; WC Docket No. 03-109 Comment Date: January 18, 2011 Reply Comment Date: February 2, 2011 The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on a petition for interim relief and a petition for rulemaking filed on December 6, 2010, by American Public Communications Council (APCC).1 Specifically, the APCC petition for interim relief seeks “immediate” action by the Commission to allow eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to receive Lifeline support from the Universal Service Fund (USF) for the payphone line service they currently provide.2 APCC proposes that payphone line service be eligible for Lifeline support at $10 per month per line for all publicly available phones.3 Further, the APCC petition for rulemaking requests the Commission to create a new Lifeline Tier 5 “Payphone Service” level4 and to amend sections 54.400, 54.403, 54.407, and 54.410 of the Commission’s rules to make payphone lines permanently eligible for Lifeline support.5 Interested parties may file comments on or before January 18, 2011, and reply comments on or before February 2, 2011. All pleadings are to reference CC Docket No. 96-45 and WC Docket No. 03-109. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies.6 § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. § 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. 1 American Public Communications Council Emergency Petition for Interim Relief to Prevent the Disappearance of Payphones, CC Docket No. 96-45 (filed Dec. 6, 2010) (Petition for Interim Relief); American Public Communications Council Petition for Rulemaking to Provide Lifeline Support to Payphone Line Service, CC Docket No. 96-45 (filed Dec. 6, 2010) (Petition for Rulemaking). 2 See Petition for Interim Relief at 6-7. 3 Id. at 5; see also Petition for Rulemaking at 28-29. 4 Petition for Rulemaking at 29. 5 Petition for Rulemaking at 27-30, 32, Attachment. 6 See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998); see also FCC Announces Change in Filing Location for Paper Documents, DA 09-2529, Public Notice, 24 FCC Rcd 14312 (Dec. 3, 2009). 2 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. All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, D.C. 20554. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 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 must 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) Rebekah L. Bina, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-B521, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail: rebekah.bina@fcc.gov; (3) Charles Tyler, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-A452, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail: charles.tyler@fcc.gov. Filings and comments are also 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, or via e-mail www.bcpiweb.com. This matter shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules.7 Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentations must contain summaries of the substance of the presentation 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.8 Other rules pertaining to oral and written ex parte presentations in permit-but-disclose proceedings are set forth in section 1.1206(b) of the Commission’s rules.9 For further information, please contact Rebekah L. Bina, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7931 or TTY (202) 418-0484. - FCC - 7 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200 et seq. 8 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b)(2). 9 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).