Federal Communications Commission DA 14-1552
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
In the Matter of
Iowa Wireless Services, LLC, d/b/a i wireless
South Slope Cooperative Telephone Co., Inc., 
d/b/a South Slope Wireless
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File No.:  EB-SED-13-00012739
1
NAL/Acct. No.:  200832100024
FRN:  0002576874
File No.:  EB-SED-13-00012741
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NAL/Acct. No.:  200832100023
FRN:  0002587863
ORDER
Adopted:  October 27, 2014 Released:  October 27, 2014
By the Chief, Enforcement Bureau:
1. We find that no forfeiture penalty should be imposed on Iowa Wireless Services, LLC, 
d/b/a i wireless (Iowa Wireless) or on South Slope Cooperative Telephone Co., Inc., d/b/a South Slope 
Wireless (South Slope) for previously identified apparent noncompliance with the Commission’s hearing 
aid-compatible handset deployment rules.  The Commission adopted the hearing aid compatibility rules to 
enhance the ability of consumers with hearing loss to access digital wireless telecommunications.  Both 
Iowa Wireless and South Slope were required under the Commission’s rules to offer consumers, by 
September 18, 2006, at least two digital wireless handset models per digital air interface that were 
certified as meeting at least a T3 rating.
3
  Both carriers failed to meet this deadline, claiming difficulty in 
securing compatible handset models from manufacturers, and they did not offer for sale the required 
number of handset models until March 22, 2007.  Although both carriers filed petitions for waiver of the 
hearing aid-compatible handset deployment requirements in order to allow them additional time to 
comply, the Commission denied the waiver requests on February 27, 2008, and subsequently referred 
these matters to the Enforcement Bureau (Bureau) for investigation.
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2. In March 2008, the Bureau issued Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (NALs) to 
Iowa Wireless and to South Slope, proposing forfeitures of $22,500 and $15,000, respectively, for the 
carriers’ apparent failure to offer the requisite number of hearing aid-compatible handset models during 
the 2006 reporting period.
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  In each of the NALs, the Bureau provided Iowa Wireless and South Slope an 
                                                     
1
The investigation initiated under EB-08-SE-111 was subsequently assigned File No. EB-SED-13-00012739.  Any 
future correspondence with the Commission concerning this matter should reflect the new case number.  
2
The investigation initiated under EB-08-SE-110 was subsequently assigned File No. EB-SED-13-00012741.  Any 
future correspondence with the Commission concerning this matter should reflect the new case number.  
3
See 47 C.F.R. § 20.19(d)(2) (2006).  In 2008, as part of a comprehensive reconsideration of the effectiveness of the 
hearing aid compatibility rules, the Commission made several changes to this and other rules.  See Amendment of the 
Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Mobile Handsets, WT Docket No. 07-250, First Report 
and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 3406 (2008), Order on Reconsideration and Erratum, 23 FCC Rcd 7249 (2008).  
4
See Section 68.4(a) of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Telephones, Petitions for 
Waiver of Section 20.19 of the Commission’s Rules, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 3352 (2008). 
5
See Iowa Wireless Services, LLC dba i wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, 23 FCC Rcd 4735 (Enf. 
Bur. 2008); South Slope Cooperative Telephone Company d/b/a South Slope Wireless, Notice of Apparent Liability for 
Forfeiture, 23 FCC Rcd 4706 (Enf. Bur. 2008).  The NALs include a more complete recitation of the facts of each 
case and are incorporated herein by reference.    
Federal Communications Commission DA 14-1552
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opportunity to show, in writing, why either no forfeiture or a lower forfeiture should be imposed for the 
apparent violations.  Iowa Wireless and South Slope filed responses to the NALs on April 17, 2008, and 
May 5, 2008, respectively, and requested cancellation of the forfeitures.
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  They also informed the Bureau 
that they had filed Petitions for Reconsideration of the Commission’s denial of their waiver requests.
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On 
August 14, 2012, the Commission granted the Petitions for Reconsideration, and afforded Iowa Wireless 
and South Slope waivers of the handset requirement that ran through March 22, 2007, the date on which 
they offered the required number of compatible handset models.
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3. As the grant of the Petitions for Reconsideration effectively renders both Iowa Wireless 
and South Slope compliant with respect to their handset model offerings during the 2006 reporting period, 
we find that no forfeiture penalty should be imposed against them for violation of Section 20.19(d)(2) of 
the Commission’s rules during that period.
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4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to Sections 4(i) and 504(b) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended,
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and Sections 0.111, 0.311, and 1.80 of the Commission’s 
rules,
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the forfeitures proposed in the NALs issued separately to Iowa Wireless Services, LLC, d/b/a i 
wireless, and to South Slope Cooperative Telephone Co., Inc., d/b/a South Slope Wireless, on March 21, 
2008, and March 20, 2008, respectively, WILL NOT BE IMPOSED.  
5. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a copy of this Order shall be sent by first class mail 
and certified mail, return receipt requested, to each of the captioned entities and their respective counsel 
of record.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Travis LeBlanc
Chief
Enforcement Bureau  
                                                     
6
Iowa Wireless Response to Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (Apr. 17, 2008) (on file in EB-SED-13-
00012739); South Slope Response to Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (May 5, 2008) (on file in EB-SED-
13-00012741).
7
See Section 68.4(a) of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Telephones, WT Docket No. 
01-309, Petition for Reconsideration by Iowa Wireless Services, LLC d/b/a i wireless (filed Mar. 26, 2008); Section 
68.4(a) of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Telephones, WT Docket No. 01-309, 
Petition for Reconsideration by South Slope Cooperative Telephone Co., Inc. d/b/a South Slope Wireless (filed Mar. 
27, 2008).
8
See Section 68.4(a) of the Commission’s Rules Governing Hearing Aid-Compatible Telephones, Petitions for 
Waiver of Section 20.19 of the Commission’s Rules, WT Docket No. 01-309, Order on Reconsideration, 27 FCC 
Rcd 9814 (2012). 
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47 C.F.R. § 20.19(d)(2) (2006).
10
47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 504(b).
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47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.311, 1.80.