PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12
th
St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 16-728
Released: June 28, 2016
WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU RELEASES PEER REVIEW MATERIALS IN 
BUSINESS DATA SERVICES (SPECIAL ACCESS) RULEMAKING PROCEEDING
WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, and 05-25; RM-10593
On May 2, 2016, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) released a Tariff 
Investigation Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the business data services (special 
access) rulemaking proceeding.
1
  The item included a white paper prepared by an outside econometrician
hired by the Commission, Dr. Marc Rysman, entitled “Empirics of Business Data Services” (Rysman 
Paper).
2
  The Rysman Paper “studied the market for business data services in the United States,” 
analyzing data collected by the Commission from providers and purchasers of business data services.
3
  
Consistent with Office of Management and Budget peer review guidelines,
4
the Commission 
initiated an external peer review of the Rysman Paper, seeking the analysis of qualified and impartial 
outside experts to peer review the Rysman Paper.
5
  The peer review charge memoranda directing the peer 
reviewers to conduct their analysis, the peer review reports that were received by the Commission, the 
revised Rysman Paper addressing the peer review reports, and a Commission staff memorandum 
separately addressing additional comments received from the peer reviewers are publically available on
the Commission’s Peer Review Agenda webpage: http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/peer-review-agenda.  
In addition to addressing feedback received from peer reviewers, the revised Rysman Paper and the 
Commission staff memorandum address and analyze the impact of the supplemented data submissions by 
certain large cable companies on the results from Professor Rysman’s prior analysis.  The Wireline 
                                                     
1
See Business Data Services in an Internet Protocol Environment Investigation of Certain Price Cap Local 
Exchange Carrier Business Data Services Tariff Pricing Plans; Special Access for Price Cap Local Exchange 
Carriers; AT&T Corporation Petition for Rulemaking to Reform Regulation of Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier 
Rates for Interstate Special Access Services, WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, 05-25, RM-10593, Tariff 
Investigation Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 31 FCC Rcd 4723 (2016) (Business Data Services 
Order or Business Data Services FNPRM). 
2
Id. at 4919, Appx. B, Dr. Marc Rysman, Empirics of Business Data Services (Apr. 2016) (Rysman Paper).
3
The data collected in 2015 is primarily from 2013.  Id. at 4740, paras. 36-37.
4
Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review, Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the 
President, 70 Fed. Reg. 2664 (Jan. 14, 2005) (requiring that influential scientific information on which a federal 
agency relies in a rulemaking proceeding be subject to peer review to enhance the quality and credibility of the 
government’s scientific information).
5
See Business Data Services FNPRM, 31 FCC Rcd at 4792-95, para. 164.  
Competition Bureau has incorporated these materials into the relevant dockets in the business data 
services proceeding.
6
  
For further information, please contact Christopher Koves, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline 
Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-8209 or via email at Christopher.Koves@fcc.gov.    
- FCC -
                                                     
6
See Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS): http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs.