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 12-175 Released: February 9, 2012 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF DPI TELECONNECT, LLC TO AMVENSYS CAPITAL GROUP, LLC, F/K/A AMVENSYS TELECOM HOLDINGS, LLC STREAMLINED PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 12-32 Comments Due: February 23, 2012 Reply Comments Due: March 1, 2012 On February 3, 2012, dPi Teleconnect, LLC (dPi Teleconnect) and Amvensys Capital Group, LLC, f/k/a Amvensys Telecom Holdings, LLC (Amvensys, together with dPi Teleconnect, the Applicants) filed an application, pursuant to section 63.03 of the Commission’s rules,1 requesting authority for the transfer of control of dPi Teleconnect to Amvensys. On November 17, 2009 (the Closing Date), without prior approval from the Commission, Amvensys acquired all of the membership interests in dPi Teleconnect from dPi Teleconnect’s then-current owner, Rent-A-Center East, Inc. (Rent- A-Center).2 dPi Teleconnect, a Delaware limited liability company, provides local and long distance services on a resale basis to residential customers in 31 states.3 dPi Teleconnect is a competitive local exchange carrier (LEC) and interexchange carrier (IXC) that provides pre-paid residential local telephone, domestic long distance, and dial-up Internet access services. While dPi Teleconnect does not own or operate its own network equipment, fiber, IRUs, or other transmission facilities, it leases transmission lines 1 47 C.F.R § 63.03; see 47 U.S.C. § 214. Applicants also filed a request for special temporary authority (STA) with the Wireline Competition Bureau to allow dPi Teleconnect to continue to provide service to customers while its section 214 application is pending. On February 8, 2012, Applicants filed a supplement to their original application and a revised STA request. On February 9, 2012, the Wireline Competition Bureau granted the STA for the domestic authorization for a period of 60 days. A grant of the application will be without prejudice to any enforcement action by the Commission for non-compliance with the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, or the Commission’s rules. 2 Applicants state that Rent-A-Center is currently a Delaware corporation and an operator in the rent-to-own industry. 3 dPi Teleconnect provides services in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. (including access circuits) from other carriers. Further, dPi Teleconnect is an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) that is authorized to provide pre-paid, Lifeline-supported residential telephone services to qualifying low income residential consumers in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Amvensys, a Texas limited liability company provides, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, business outsourcing services, including receivables and document management services, database services, bill payment and processing services, and third-party verification services to various companies across several sectors, including the energy and telecommunications industries. TAG Mobile, LLC, formerly known as dPi Mobile (TAG Mobile), is a Texas limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amvensys. As an ETC, TAG Mobile provides Lifeline-supported domestic wireless telephone services to low-income residential customers in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Voicecom Telecommunications, LLC d/b/a Intelliverse, a Delaware limited liability company and an indirect subsidiary of Amvensys, provides calling card services, conferencing calling, voice messaging, interactive voice response, and other call answering applications primarily to business customers throughout the U.S. Unity III Telecom, LLC, a Texas limited liability company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amvensys, filed for certificates of public convenience and necessity or equivalent authorizations to provide local, interexchange and/or other intrastate telecommunications services on a competitive basis in the following states: Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Applicants state that no other subsidiaries or affiliates of Amvensys provide domestic telecommunications services, or hold authorizations to provide such services. Z. Ed Lateef and his wife, Lubna Lateef, both U.S. citizens, each hold 50 percent of the membership interest in Amvensys. On October 16, 2009, Rent-A-Center, dPi Teleconnect, and Amvensys Technologies, Inc. (Amvensys Tech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amvensys) entered into an Ownership Interest Purchase Agreement (Agreement) whereby Amvensys Tech agreed to purchase all of the membership interests in dPi Teleconnect. The Agreement was consummated and Amvensys took control of dPi Teleconnect on the Closing Date.4 Applicants assert that the proposed transaction is entitled to presumptive streamlined treatment under section 63.03(b)(2)(i) of the Commission’s rules and that a grant of the application will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.5 Domestic Section 214 Application Filed for the Transfer of Control of dPi Teleconnect, LLC to Amvensys Capital Group, LLC, f/k/a Amvensys Telecom Holdings, LLC, WC Docket No. 12-32 (filed February 3, 2012). 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 February 23, 2012, and reply comments on or before March 1, 2012. Unless otherwise notified by the Commission, the Applicants may transfer control on the 31st day after the date of this notice.6 Comments should be filed using the Commission’s 4 Amvensys Tech assigned its ownership interests in dPi Teleconnect to Amvensys simultaneous with closing on the purchase of dPi Teleconnect from Rent-A-Center. 5 47 C.F.R. § 63.03(b)(2)(i). 6 Such authorization is conditioned upon receipt of any other necessary approvals from the Commission in connection with the proposed transaction. Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. 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 -