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 16-839 
Released:  July 25, 2016
WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU RELEASES ADDITIONAL PEER REVIEW 
MATERIALS IN BUSINESS DATA SERVICES (SPECIAL ACCESS) RULEMAKING 
PROCEEDING
WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, and 05-25; RM-10593
The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) released a Tariff Investigation Order 
and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on May 2, 2016 in the business data services proceeding that 
included a white paper by Professor Marc Rysman, entitled “Empirics of Business Data Services” 
(Rysman Paper).1 In accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) peer review 
guidelines, the Commission engaged outside experts to peer review the Rysman Paper.2 On June 28, 
2016, the Commission submitted into the record materials related to the peer review, including charge 
memoranda, peer review reports, a revised Rysman Paper, and a Commission staff memorandum.3  
The revised Rysman Paper and the Commission staff memorandum addressed not only feedback 
received from the peer reviewers but also further analyzed the impact of supplemented data submissions 
by certain large cable companies on the results of Professor Rysman’s prior analysis.  The Commission 
provided both the revised Rysman Paper and Commission staff memorandum to the peer reviewers and 
invited them to amend or add to their earlier peer review reports.  Both peer reviewers have supplemented 
their responses.  Today, the Commission incorporated the peer reviewer’s responses as well as letters 
from Commission staff to the peer reviewers inviting additional review into the relevant dockets in the 
  
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, 4919, Appx. B, Dr. Marc 
Rysman, Empirics of Business Data Services (Apr. 2016) (Rysman Paper) (2016). 
2 See id. at 4792-95, para. 164; Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review, OMB, 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).
3 Letter from William Layton, Assistant Division Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau 
(WCB), FCC, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, 05-25, RM-10593 (dated 
June 28, 2016).  The Commission added a corrected Attachment 3 to the Commission staff memorandum to the 
record on July 8, 2016. See Letter from Deena M. Shetler, Associate Bureau Chief, WCB, to Marlene H. Dortch, 
Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, 05-25, RM-10593 (dated July 8, 2016).
2business data services proceeding.4 In addition, these materials are publically available on the 
Commission’s Peer Review Agenda webpage.5  
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 -
  
4 Letter from William Layton, Assistant Division Chief, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau,
FCC, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 16-143, 15-247, 05-25, RM-10593 (dated July 25, 
2016).
5 Peer Review of Business Data Services Industry White Paper, https://www.fcc.gov/peer-review-business-data-
services-industry-white-paper.