Federal Communications Commission	DA 18-1288



DA 18-1288
Released:  December 20, 2018

NOTICE OF NON-STREAMLINED 
DOMESTIC SECTION 214 AUTHORIZATIONS GRANTED

WC Docket Nos. 18-107, 18-108, 18-109, 18-110, 18-111, 18-112, 18-317, 18-318

	By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) grants the applications listed below and filed by various interexchange resellers (collectively, Licensees) and the Estate of Martin J. Tibbitts (Estate, together with Licensees, Applicants), pursuant to section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and sections 63.03-04 of the Commission’s rules, requesting consent to the transfer of control of the Licensees to the Estate.  47 U.S.C. § 214; 47 CFR §§ 63.03-04.  Action on these domestic section 214 applications is without prejudice to Commission action on other related applications.  On October 15, 2018, Applicants amended certain of their domestic section 214 applications to change the designated transferee from Martin J. Tibbitts to the Estate of Martin J. Tibbitts, following the death of Mr. Tibbitts on July 20, 2018.  Letter from Cheng-yi Liu and Mark C. DeSantis, Counsel to the Estate of Martin J. Tibbitts, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 18-107, 18-108, 18-109, 18-110, 18-111, 18-112 (filed Oct. 15, 2018).  On October 25, 2018, the Bureau granted the Estate special temporary authority to operate Licensees as a result of unauthorized transactions that took place in 2017.  See Letter from Cheng-yi Liu and Mark C. DeSantis, Counsel to the Estate of Martin J. Tibbitts, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 18-107, 18-108, 18-109, 18-110, 18-111, 18-112, 18-317, 18-318 (filed Sept. 25, 2018).  A grant of the applications is without prejudice to any enforcement action by the Commission for non-compliance with the Act or the Commission's rules.
  No commenter opposed grant of the applications.  

	The Bureau finds, upon consideration of the record, that the proposed transfers will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity and, therefore, grants the requested authorizations.  47 CFR § 63.03(b); Implementation of Further Streamlining for Domestic Section 214 Authorizations, CC Docket 01-150, Report and Order, 17 FCC Rcd 5517, 5531-33, paras. 28-29 (2002) (delegating authority to the Bureau to grant certain domestic 214 applications that are not likely to raise public interest concerns). 

  Pursuant to section 1.103 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 1.103, the consent granted herein is effective upon the release of the Public Notice.  Petitions for reconsideration under section 1.106 or applications for review under section 1.115 of the Commission’s rules may be filed within 30 days of the date of this Public Notice.47 CFR §§ 1.106, 1.115. 


Domestic Section 214 Applications Filed for the Transfer of Control of Interexchange Resellers to Martin Tibbitts, WC Docket Nos. 18-107, 18-108, 18-109, 18-110, 18-111, 18-112, Public Notice, DA 18-725 (WCB July 12, 2018).

Domestic Section 214 Applications Filed for the Transfer of Control of Interexchange Resellers to the Estate of Martin J. Tibbitts, WC Docket Nos. 18-317, 18-318, Public Notice, DA 18-1135  (WCB Nov. 6, 2018).

For further information, please contact Tracey Wilson at (202) 418-1394, or Alex Johns at (202) 418-1167, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau.


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