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 11-733 Released: April 22, 2011 DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF SHOREHAM TELEPHONE COMPANY, INC. TO OTELCO INC. STREAMLINED PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 11-70 Comments Due: May 6, 2011 Reply Comments Due: May 13, 2011 On April 13, 2011, Shoreham Telephone Company, Inc. (Shoreham) and Otelco Inc. (Otelco) (collectively, Applicants), filed an application pursuant to section 63.03 of the Commission’s rules1 seeking approval to transfer control of Shoreham to Otelco. Otelco, a publicly-held Delaware corporation, offers, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, a wide array of communications services including local exchange, long distance and other services in areas of Alabama, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire and West Virginia. Otelco is the ultimate parent of the following rural incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs): Otelco Telephone LLC operating in Blount County, Alabama; Brindlee Mountain Telephone Company operating in three exchanges in Blount, Marshall, Morgan and Cullman counties, Alabama; Hopper Telecommunications Company, Inc., operating in Blount and Etowah counties, Alabama; Blountsville Telephone Company, Inc., operating in two exchanges in Blount County, Alabama; Mid-Missouri Telephone Company operating in twelve exchanges in Cooper, Moniteau, Morgan, Pettis and Saline counties, Missouri; Mid-Maine Telecom, Inc. operating in the exchanges of Levant, Plymouth, Alton, Old Town Rural and West Enfield, Maine; The Pine Tree Telephone and Telegraph Company operating in New Gloucester and Gray (Cumberland County), Maine; Saco River Telegraph and Telephone Company operating in Bar Mills, Hollis, Buxton and Waterboro (York County), Maine; War Acquisition Corp. operating in War (McDowell County), West Virginia; The Granby Telephone and Telegraph Company of Massachusetts, Inc. operating in Granby (Hampshire County), Massachusetts. Each of these incumbent LECs offer basic local exchange, exchange access, DSL and other services to its customers. Otelco is the direct parent of two interexchange carriers, Otelco Telecommunications LLC (Otelco Telecommunications) and Communications Design Acquisition Corporation (CDAC), serving customers in a number of Otelco’s LEC service areas. Otelco Telecommunications offers its services to customers of Otelco’s four Alabama rural local exchange carriers. CDAC offers its services to customers of the Otelco affiliates in West Virginia, Maine and Massachusetts. Otelco wholly owns Mid-Maine Telplus and CRC Communications 1 47 C.F.R § 63.03; see 47 U.S.C. § 214. Applicants are also filing applications for transfer of control associated with authorization for international services. Any action on this domestic section 214 application is without prejudice to Commission action on other related, pending applications. of Maine, Inc. (CRC), which are competitive local exchange carriers providing competitive voice and data services within the incumbent territory of the dominant carrier FairPoint. Shoreham, a Vermont corporation, is a rural incumbent local exchange carrier operating in Shoreham, Vermont. Shoreham provides local exchange, intra- and interLATA toll, Internet, and ancillary services to approximately 4,975 access line equivalents in the towns of Shoreham, Benson, Cornwall, Hubbardton, Orwell, and Whiting. Applicants state that Otelco, including its incumbent LEC subsidiaries, and Shoreham have no overlapping or adjacent incumbent LEC service areas. Pursuant to the proposed transaction, a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Otelco, Shoreham Telephone LLC (Shoreham Telephone), will purchase all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Shoreham. As a result, Shoreham will become an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Otelco. Immediately after the close of the proposed transaction, Shoreham will merge with and into Shoreham Telephone, with Shoreham Telephone being the surviving entity. Shoreham Telephone will continue to serve the former Shoreham customers pursuant to the same rates, terms and conditions. Applicants assert that the proposed transaction is entitled to presumptive streamlined treatment under section 63.03(b)(2)(iii) of the Commission’s rules and that a grant of the application will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.2 Domestic Section 214 Application Filed for the Transfer of Control of Shoreham Telephone Company, Inc. to Otelco, Inc., WC Docket No. 11-70 (filed Apr. 13, 2011). GENERAL INFORMATION The transfer of control identified herein has been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing as a streamlined application. The Commission reserves the right to return any transfer 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 May 6, 2011, and reply comments on or before May 13, 2011. Unless otherwise notified by the Commission, the Applicants may transfer control on the 31st day after the date of this notice.3 Comments must be filed electronically using (1) the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or (2) the Federal Government’s e-Rulemaking Portal. See 47 C.F.R. § 63.03(a) (“All comments on streamlined applications shall be filed electronically . . . .”); Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § 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. 2 47 C.F.R. § 63.03(b)(2)(iii). 3 Such authorization is conditioned upon receipt of any other necessary approvals from the Commission in connection with the proposed transaction. In addition, e-mail one copy of each pleading to each of the following: 1) The Commission’s duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., fcc@bcpiweb.com; phone: (202) 488-5300; fax: (202) 488-5563; 2) Tracey Wilson, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, tracey.wilson@fcc.gov; 3) Dennis Johnson, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, dennis.johnson@fcc.gov; 4) David Krech, Policy Division, International Bureau, david.krech@fcc.gov; and 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 at (202) 418-1394 or Dennis Johnson at (202) 418-0809. - FCC -