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 15-968 Released: August 28, 2015 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU AUTHORIZES ADDITIONAL PRICE CAP CARRIERS TO RECEIVE ALMOST $950 MILLION IN PHASE II CONNECT AMERICA SUPPORT AT&T Services, Inc. to receive over $427.7 million, CenturyLink, Inc. to receive over $505.7 million, Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company LLC to receive over $2.2 million, and Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. to receive over $13.9 million WC Docket No. 10-90 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) authorizes AT&T Services, Inc. (AT&T), CenturyLink, Inc. (CenturyLink), Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company LLC (CBT), and Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. (Consolidated) to receive Connect America Phase II model- based support for the states identified below. On April 29, 2015, the Bureau released a public notice announcing the offers of model-based Phase II support to each price cap carrier to fund the deployment of voice and broadband-capable networks in their service territories.1 AT&T, CenturyLink, CBT, and Consolidated submitted letters to the Commission accepting model-based support for the states identified below and committing to satisfy the service obligations for Phase II.2 Accordingly, we authorize and direct the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to obligate and disburse from the Universal Service Fund the Phase II support amounts identified below for AT&T, CenturyLink, CBT, and Consolidated.3 As required by the Commission,4 consistent with their 1 Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Connect America Phase II Support Amounts Offered to Price Cap Carriers to Expand Rural Broadband, WC Docket No. 10-90, Public Notice, 30 FCC Rcd 3905 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2015). 2 Letter from James W. Cicconi, Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative Affairs, AT&T Services, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 27, 2015) (accepting support in the identified states and declining the Phase II offer of model-based support in Missouri, Nevada, and Oklahoma); Letter from Maxine Moreau, Executive Vice President Global Networks, CenturyLink, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 26, 2015) (accepting support in the identified states and declining the Phase II offer of model-based support in California, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Wyoming); Letter from Michael Shultz, Vice President, Regulatory & Public Policy, Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc., to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 10-90 (Aug. 27, 2015) (accepting support in all the states where it was offered model-based support); Letter from Michael S. Vanderwoude, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Consumer Markets, Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company LLC, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 10-90 (filed Aug. 26, 2015) (accepting support in all the states where it was offered model-based support). 3 If the Bureau determines that there is a discrepancy between the number of model-determined locations and the actual number of locations in a price cap carrier’s service area in a state, the Commission has delegated authority to 2election, we direct USAC to disburse to AT&T, CenturyLink, and CBT, from the broadband reserve account, a lump sum payment associated with January through July 2015 for those states where model- based support is greater than Phase I support. Consistent with Consolidated’s election, we direct USAC to disburse to Consolidated in the first quarter of calendar year 2016 a lump sum payment associated with January through July 2015 for Iowa, where model-based support is greater than Phase I support. the Bureau to adjust the number of funded locations and the associated funding levels on a pro rata basis. Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., Report and Order, 29 FCC Rcd 15644, 15659, para. 38 n.88 (2014). 4 Id. at 15678, para. 93 (providing carriers the option of receiving a lump sum payment for the prior months in the month after issuance of a public notice authorizing support, or deferring the lump sum payment until 2016). 3AT&T Services, Inc. State Number of Funded Locations Amount of Support AT&T Total 1,117,806 $ 427,706,650 AL 66,766 $ 23,161,780 AR 51,792 $ 21,350,835 CA 141,540 $ 60,240,434 FL 25,473 $ 8,485,813 GA 67,402 $ 25,345,199 IL 19,077 $ 8,932,507 IN 45,136 $ 17,576,788 KS 35,375 $ 18,942,367 KY 84,333 $ 30,962,548 LA 74,978 $ 27,907,591 MI 86,635 $ 29,750,677 MS 133,981 $ 49,772,592 NC 13,139 $ 3,498,889 OH 37,603 $ 14,802,500 SC 30,458 $ 9,689,453 TN 81,173 $ 26,137,862 TX 98,432 $ 42,078,424 WI 24,513 $ 9,070,392 CenturyLink, Inc. State Number of Funded Locations Amount of Support CenturyLink Total 1,174,142 $ 505,702,762 AL 48,865 $ 17,290,009 AR 45,708 $ 19,761,508 AZ 23,758 $ 10,089,092 CO 53,139 $ 26,509,143 FL 32,273 $ 10,916,671 GA 777 $ 269,719 IA 34,827 $ 17,893,887 ID 12,367 $ 6,279,869 IL 3,651 $ 2,093,982 IN 30,052 $ 10,736,352 KS 29,018 $ 16,501,327 LA 24,324 $ 9,471,015 4State Number of Funded Locations Amount of Support MI 25,230 $ 9,028,031 MN 114,739 $ 54,035,150 MO5 158,311 $ 77,850,608 MT 33,638 $ 15,195,628 NC 36,159 $ 10,008,390 ND 8,044 $ 5,656,741 NE 10,899 $ 6,888,416 NJ 1,881 $ 450,340 NM 25,308 $ 10,942,747 NV 2,265 $ 1,072,346 OH 47,707 $ 15,982,805 OR 41,785 $ 17,759,903 PA 30,297 $ 10,562,353 SC 8,551 $ 2,952,228 SD 15,071 $ 9,117,215 TN 5,791 $ 1,662,828 TX 27,184 $ 11,300,418 UT 4,366 $ 1,894,801 VA 49,993 $ 15,731,765 WA 58,961 $ 24,412,884 WI 129,203 $ 55,384,589 Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company State Number of Funded Locations Amount of Support Cincinnati Bell Total 7,084 $ 2,229,130 KY 6,339 $ 2,034,186 OH 745 $ 194,944 5 The amount of support that is authorized for Missouri is subject to adjustment, pending the outcome of the Commission’s resolution of the application for review of the decision in the Phase II Challenge Process Resolution Order to deny two challenges to the treatment of a number of census blocks in Missouri as unserved. See Application for Review of Co-Mo Comm Inc. and United Services, Inc., WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 14-93, at 2 (filed Apr. 29, 2015); see also Connect America Fund; High-Cost Universal Service Support, WC Docket Nos. 10- 90 and 14-93, Order, 30 FCC Rcd 2718 (Wireline Comp. Bur. 2015) (Phase II Challenge Process Resolution Order). 5Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc. State Number of Funded Locations Amount of Support Consolidated Total 24,698 $ 13,922,480 CA 71 $ 14,837 IA 3,019 $ 2,393,216 IL 12,079 $ 6,998,705 MN 4,266 $ 2,516,502 PA 175 $ 83,898 TX 5,088 $ 1,915,321 For additional information on this proceeding, contact Heidi Lankau (Heidi.Lankau@fcc.gov) of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, (202) 418-7400. – FCC –