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 13-1901 Released: September 16, 2013 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON PETITIONS FOR DESIGNATION AS LOW-INCOME ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS BY SAGE TELECOM, BLUE WIRELESS, AND I-WIRELESS WC Docket No. 09-197 Comment Date: October 16, 2013 Reply Comment Date: October 31, 2013 The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on petitions filed by Sage Telecom Communications, LLC (Sage Telecom),1 Buffalo-Lake Erie Wireless Systems Co., LLC d/b/a Blue Wireless (Blue Wireless),2 and i-wireless, LLC (i-wireless)3 for limited designation as an eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) for the provision of Lifeline service. Sage Telecom seeks designation for the limited purpose of providing wireless services supported by the Lifeline program in the jurisdictions of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.4 Blue Wireless describes itself as a facilities-based telecommunications carrier5 and seeks designation as a wireless Lifeline ETC in the state of New York, including the Tribal lands of the Allegany Indian Reservation and the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation.6 i- wireless seeks designation for the limited purpose of providing wireless services supported by the Lifeline program in Maine and seeks to expand its designated service area in the state of Texas.7 The Texas 1 Sage Telecom Communications, LLC Petition for Limited Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, WC Docket No. 09-197 (filed on Aug. 8, 2013) (Sage Telecom Petition). The Wireline Competition Bureau has approved Sage Telecom’s compliance plan. See Wireline Competition Bureau Approves the Compliance Plans of AirVoice Wireless, AmeriMex Communications, Blue Jay Wireless, Millennium 2000, Nexus Communications, PlatinumTel Communications, Sage Telecom, Telrite, and Telscape Communications, WC Docket Nos. 09-197 and 11-42, 27 FCC Rcd 15927 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2012); see also Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization et al., WC Docket Nos. 11-42 et al., Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 27 FCC Rcd 6656, 6816, para. 380 (2012) (Lifeline Reform Order). 2 Petition for Designation as a Low-Income Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in New York, Including Tribal Areas, WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 09-197 (filed Aug. 16, 2013) (Blue Wireless Petition). 3 Petition for Limited Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in the State of Maine and Expansion of Designated Service Area in the State of Texas, WC Docket No. 09-197 (filed Sept. 9, 2013) (i-wireless Petition). 4 Sage Telecom Petition at 5. 5 Blue Wireless Petition at 8. 6 Id. at 2-3, 4. 7 i-wireless Petition at 1. The Wireline Competition Bureau approved the compliance plan of i-wireless in 2011. See In the Matter of Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, i-wireless, LLC Petition for Forbearance from 47 U.S.C. § 214(e)(1)(A), WC Docket Nos. 96-45, 09-197, Order, 26 FCC Rcd 14508 (2011). The Bureau also granted i-wireless’s petition for designation as an ETC in 10 jurisdictions. See In the Matter of Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, i-wireless, LLC Amended Petition for Designation as an Eligible Telecommunications 2Public Utilities Commission, which no longer designates CMRS resellers as ETCs,8 previously designated i-wireless in the non-rural areas of the state and i-wireless now seeks to expand its designation into rural areas of Texas.9 Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated above. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), or by filing paper copies.10 · 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 one copy of each filing. 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. o 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, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. o 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. o U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 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). Additional Copies. In addition, we request that you send one copy of each pleading to: 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. The proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules.11 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a Carrier in the States of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Tennessee, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, et al., WC Docket No. 09-197, Order, 27 FCC Rcd at 6263 (2012). 8 i-wireless Petition at 9. 9 Id. at 4. 10 See 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.415, 1.419; Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). 11 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200 et seq. 3copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information, please contact Michelle Schaefer, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484. - FCC -