PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0513 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 11-502 Released: March 15, 2011 FCC ANNOUNCES FIRST IN A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON INTERCARRIER COMPENSATION/ UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND REFORM FCC Commissioners Seek Public Input in Series of Workshops Aimed at Helping Shape Reforms CC Docket Nos. 96-45, 01-92, WC Docket Nos. 03-109, 05-337, 07-135, 10-90 and GN Docket No. 09-51 On February 8, 2011, the Commission unanimously adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on proposals to fundamentally modernize the Commission’s intercarrier compensation (ICC) system and Universal Service Fund Reform (USF).1 At that time, the Commission made clear its commitment to reforming USF and ICC. This week, in a joint blog post, Chairman Genachowski, and Commissioners Copps, McDowell, Clyburn, and Baker reiterated their commitment to reforming USF and ICC “as soon as possible” and to do so in “an open, public, and participatory process.” 2 To this end, the Commissioners announced that they all “look forward to moving to an Order within a few months” after the record is complete in late May. They also announced the first in a series of workshops to identify solutions for reform and promote an open dialogue. The first workshop is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305), 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. The April 6th workshop will focus on intercarrier compensation, including phantom traffic and access stimulation, the appropriate ICC framework for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) traffic, and options for developing a recovery mechanism as part of comprehensive reform. Panelists participating in the workshop are expected to come prepared to discuss responses to reform proposals, and are welcome to bring new ideas to the table. Additional details concerning the workshop agenda and panelists will be forthcoming. The workshop will be free and open to the public, and will also be streamed live at http://www.fcc.gov/live. Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon 1 See Connect America Fund, WC Docket No. 10-90, A National Broadband Plan for Our Future, GN Docket No. 09-51, Establishing Just and Reasonable Rates for Local Exchange Carriers, WC Docket No. 07-135, High-Cost Universal Service Support, WC Docket No. 05-337, Developing an Unified Intercarrier Compensation Regime, CC Docket No. 01-92), Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45), Lifeline and Link-Up, WC Docket No. 03-109, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 11-13 (rel. Feb. 9, 2011) (USF/ICC Transformation NPRM). The Chairman expressed his plan to move expeditiously, and recognized that “there will be ample opportunity for input from all, including through public workshops on key issues.” See id. at Attach. Separate Statement of Chairman Julius Genachowski 2 http://reboot.fcc.gov/blog?entryId=1335527. request. The request should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed and contact information. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible in order to allow the agency to satisfy such requests whenever possible. Send an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). For further information, contact Randy Clarke of the Wireline Competition Bureau or Victoria Goldberg in the Pricing Policy Division of the Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418- 1520, or via e-mail at randy.clarke@fcc.gov or victoria.goldberg@fcc.gov. .- FCC -