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 11-751 Released: April 27, 2011 FCC ANNOUNCES MAY 18 FIELD WORKSHOP IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND/INTERCARRIER COMPENSATION REFORM Third Workshop in FCC’s Rulemaking Will Focus on State/Federal Roles 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 to fundamentally modernize the intercarrier compensation (ICC) and Universal Service Fund (USF) systems to bring broadband to all Americans while eliminating waste and inefficiencies.1 In a joint blog post on March 15, Chairman Genachowski and Commissioners Copps, McDowell, Clyburn, and Baker announced plans for a series of workshops to identify solutions for reform and to promote an open dialogue. 2 Today, the Commission announces that the third workshop will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in Omaha, Nebraska. Additional details on the specific location and time of the event will be provided soon. The May 18th workshop will primarily focus on the appropriate roles and balance of responsibilities of the states and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for universal service and intercarrier compensation in a broadband world. A range of USF topics will be discussed, including the designation of eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs), broadband provider-of-last-resort obligations, enforcement of broadband performance requirements, appropriate geographic areas for targeting broadband support, and the optimal method for providing long-term Connect America Fund (CAF) support. ICC issues will also be discussed, focusing on the role of the states and the FCC as the ICC reform process moves forward, including state reform efforts and incentives. 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 request. The request should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed and contact 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). 2 http://reboot.fcc.gov/blog?entryId=1335527. 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 Patrick Halley in the Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-1500, or via e-mail at Patrick.Halley@fcc.gov. - FCC -