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 18-296 Released: March 27, 2018 NATIONAL EXCHANGE CARRIER ASSOCIATION, INC.’S PROPOSED 2017 INTERIM AND 2018 FURTHER MODIFICATION OF AVERAGE SCHEDULE FORMULAS: PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket Nos. 16-400 and 17-346 Comment Date: April 26, 2018 Reply Comment Date: May 11, 2018 With this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. (NECA) proposed revisions to the currently effective common line and special access average schedule formulas (the 2017 interim revisions), and to the formulas proposed to be effective July 1, 2018 (the 2018 further modifications). 1 NECA proposes that the 2017 interim revisions be effective from January 1, 2018 through June 30, 2018, and that the 2018 further modifications be effective July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. 2 According to NECA, these revisions include formulas required to reflect the effects of the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act on average schedule company settlements. 3 NECA explains that the additional modifications are necessary because the effects of the new tax law were not known at the time either set of formulas was developed, and the overall effect of the new tax law on current and proposed settlements is a decrease of about 0.5%. 4 Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated above. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). 1 National Exchange Carrier Association, 2017 Interim Modification of Average Schedules and 2018 Further Modification of Average Schedules, attached to Letter from Richard A. Askoff, Executive Director-Regulatory, NECA, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 16-400, 17-346 (filed Feb. 26, 2018) (February 26 Filing). See Letter from Richard A. Askoff, Executive Director-Regulatory, NECA, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket Nos. 16-400, 17-346 (filed Feb. 27, 2018) (clarifying effective dates in the Feb. 26, 2018 transmittal letter). 2 February 26 Filing at 1. 3 Id., Attach 1 at 1, citing Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Pub. L. No. 115-97, 131 Stat. 2054 (2017). 4 Id. 2? Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/. ? Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Paper filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. ? All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12 th St., SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. All envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. ? Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. ? U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12 th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554. People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice) or 202-418-0432 (tty). The proceeding this Notice initiates shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 5 Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information, please contact Robin Cohn, Wireline Competition Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, at (202) 418-1520 or via email at robin.cohn@fcc.gov. - FCC - 5 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200 et seq.