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 10-300 Release Date: February 24, 2010 COMMENT SOUGHT ON THE JOINT PETITION OF VERIZON CALIFORNIA INC., VERIZON SOUTH INC., AND FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION TO WAIVE THE STUDY AREA BOUNDARY FREEZE AS CODIFIED IN PART 36 OF THE COMMISSION’S RULES WC Docket No. 09-95 Comment Date: March 26, 2010 Reply Comment Date: April 12, 2010 On January 20, 2010, Verizon California Inc. (Verizon California), Verizon South Inc. (Verizon South), and Frontier Communications Corporation (Frontier) filed a joint petition for waiver of the study area boundary freeze.1 Verizon California and Frontier seek a waiver of the study area boundary freeze to transfer seven exchanges from Verizon California’s existing California study area to a newly created Frontier study area in California.2 Verizon South and Frontier also seek a waiver of the study area boundary freeze to transfer all exchanges, with the exception of the Knotts Islands exchange, from Verizon South’s existing North Carolina study area to a newly created Frontier study area in North Carolina.3 The study area waiver requests are in connection with the transaction in which Verizon proposes to transfer operating companies in a number of states to Frontier.4 Interested parties may file comments on or before March 26, 2010, and reply comments on or before April 12, 2010. All pleadings are to reference WC Docket No. 09-95. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), or by filing paper copies.5 1 Verizon California Inc., Verizon South Inc., and Frontier Communications Corporation, Joint Petition for Waiver of the Definition of “Study Area” Contained in Part 36, Appendix-Glossary of the Commission’s Rules (filed Jan. 10, 2010) (Petition); 47 C.F.R. Part 36 App. (defining “study area”). 2 See Petition at 2-3. The seven exchanges to be transferred are Alpine, Coleville, Earp Big River, Havasu Landing, Parker Dam, Blythe, and Palo Verde. Id. at 2. Frontier requests that its newly created study area be operated separate from its existing California study areas. Id. at 3. 3 Id. at 3. Verizon South will continue to operate a study area in North Carolina consisting solely of the Knotts Island exchange. Id. 4 See Verizon Communications Inc. and Frontier Communications Corp. Application for Consent to Assign and Transfer Control of Authority to Provide Global Facilities-Based and Global Resale International Telecommunications Services and to Assign and Transfer Control of Domestic Common Carrier Transmission Lines, Consolidated Application for Transfer of Control and Assignment of International and Domestic Section 214 Authority, as Amended, WC Docket No. 09-95 (filed July 30, 2009). 5 See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, GC Docket No. 97-113, Report and Order, 13 FCC Rcd 11322 (1998). 2 § 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. 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) Gary Seigel, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-C408, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail: Gary.Seigel@fcc.gov; (3) Katie King, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-B544, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail: Katie.King@fcc.gov; and (4) 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.6 Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda 6 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200 et seq. 3 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.7 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.8 For further information, please contact Gary Seigel, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484. - FCC - 7 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b)(2). 8 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).