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 10-50 Released: January 12, 2010 COMMENT SOUGHT ON THE PETITION OF PARTNER COMMUNICATIONS COOPERATIVE FOR FORBEARANCE FROM SECTION 54.305(b) and (d) OF THE COMMISSION’S UNIVERSAL SERVICE HIGH-COST SUPPORT RULES WC Docket No. 05-337 Comment Date: February 11, 2010 Reply Comment Date: February 26, 2010 On December 2, 2009, Partner Communications Cooperative (Partner), pursuant to section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, filed a petition for forbearance from section 54.305(b) and (d) of the Commission’s rules.1 Specifically, Partner requests that the Commission forbear from enforcing section 54.305(b) and (d) of the Commission’s rules so that Partner may receive additional universal service high-cost support and local switching support for four exchanges it acquired in 2006.2 Partner states that grant of its petition will allow Partner to upgrade its telephone network and provide the platform for eventual ubiquitous broadband coverage in the four acquired high-cost exchanges, as well as in its two original exchanges.3 The Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on Partner’s petition. Interested parties may file comments on or before February 11, 2010 and reply comments on or before February 26, 2010. All pleadings are to reference WC Docket No. 05-337. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), or by filing paper copies.4 1 See 47 U.S.C. § 160(c); Petition of Partner Communications Cooperative for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c), WC Docket No. 05-337 (filed Dec. 2, 2009) (Petition); 47 C.F.R. § 54.305(b) and (d). Partner has requested, pursuant to section 0.459 of the Commission’s rules, that certain financial data be treated as confidential and be withheld from public inspection. See Petition of Partner Communications Cooperative for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c), Request that Materials and Information Submitted to the Commission Be Withheld from Public Inspection, WC Docket No. 05-337 (filed Dec. 2, 2009) (Request for Confidential Treatment); 47 C.F.R. § 0.459. We address this request in a separate order. See Petition of Partner Communications Cooperative for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c); Protective Order, WC Docket No. 05-337, Order, DA 10-47 (Wireline Comp. Bur. rel. Jan. 12, 2010). 2 See Petition at 1. Section 54.305 of the Commission’s rules limits support for exchanges acquired by a rural incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) to the per-line support received by the selling carrier prior to the sale. See 47 C.F.R. § 54.305. 3 Petition at 1. 4 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; (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.5 Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentations must contain summaries of the substance of the presentation and not 5 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200 et seq. 3 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 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.7 For further information, please contact Gary Seigel, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at 202-418-7400 or TTY 202-418-0484. - FCC - 6 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b)(2). 7 47 C.F.R. § 1.1206(b).