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DA 20-293
Released: March 18, 2020

DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION GRANTED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF LONSDALE TELEPHONE CO. 
TO RURAL COMMUNICATIONS HOLDING CORPORATION

WC Docket No. 20-24
By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) grants the application Application of Bonita L. Simon Revocable Trust U/A/D March 4, 2011, Simon Family Trust U/A/D March 4, 2011, and Rural Communications Holding Corporation for the Transfer of Control of Lonsdale Telephone Co. Inc., WC Docket No. 20-24 (filed Jan. 29, 2020) (Application).  
 filed by the Bonita L. Simon Revocable Trust U/A/D March 4, 2011 and the Simon Family Trust U/A/D March 4, 2011 (together, the Transferor Trusts) and Rural Communications Holding Corporation (RCHC) (collectively, Applicants), pursuant to section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and sections 63.03-04 of the Commission’s rules, 47 U.S.C. § 214; 47 CFR §§ 63.03-04.    
 requesting consent to transfer control of Lonsdale Telephone Co., Inc. (LTCI) from the Transferor Trusts to RCHC.  No party filed comments in opposition to a grant of the Application.
 LTCI provides service as an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) to 1,748 access lines in a single exchange serving the area in and around the City of Lonsdale in Rice County in rural southeastern Minnesota.  RCHC is a holding company that directly or indirectly controls the following eight incumbent LECs that also provide local and resold interstate toll services in 23 rural local exchanges in southern Minnesota and nearby portions of Wisconsin and Iowa:  (1) Blue Earth Valley Telephone Company; (2) Easton Telephone Company; (3) Eckles Telephone Company (Eckles Telephone); (4) Cannon Valley Telecom, Inc.; (5) Pine Island Telephone Company; (6) Indianhead Telephone Company; (7) Hager Telecom, Inc.; and (8) Granada Telephone Company. LTCI’s Lonsdale exchange is adjacent to the New Prague, Minnesota exchange served by Eckles Telephone.  RCHC also wholly owns the following two Minnesota corporations:  (1) BEVCOMM, Inc., providing competitive telecommunications and/or cable services in portions of Minnesota; and (2) Cannon Valley Cablevision, Inc., providing cable television services in portions of Minnesota.  RCHC also holds a 10% or greater interest in the following five Minnesota entities:  (1) Tri-Co Technologies, LLC (Tri-Co) (33.33%), serving as an incumbent LEC in the Crosslake exchange in Crow Wing County in rural central Minnesota; (2) West Central Transport Group (10%), providing high-capacity special access circuits in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota; (3) Tri-Central Transport Group (66%), providing telecommunications transport facilities and services in Minnesota and other portions of the upper Midwest; (4) Broadband Visions, LLC (24.3%), providing digital television services to video program distributors in Hutchinson, Minnesota; and (5) Southern Minnesota Broadband, LLC (12.5%), providing telecommunications facilities and services in Minnesota and other portions of the Upper Midwest. 
  Pursuant to the terms of the proposed transaction, RCHC will purchase all of the outstanding stock of LTCI from the Transferor Trusts, therefore giving RCHC control of LTCI’s network facilities and operations.  
The Bureau finds, upon consideration of the record, that the transaction will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity and, therefore, grants the Application. See Joint Applications of Global Crossing Ltd. and Citizens Communications Company for Authority to Transfer Control of Corporations Holding Commission Licenses and Authorizations Pursuant to Sections 214 and 310(d) of the Communications Act and Parts 20, 22, 63, 78, 90, and 101 of the Commission’s Rules, File Nos. ITC-T/C-20000828-00530, CCBPol No. 00-1 20001005AD-09 0000209675, et al., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 16 FCC Rcd 8507, 8510-11, paras. 7-9 (CCB, IB, CSB, WTB 2001) (granting transfer of control involving incumbent LECs with adjacent exchanges where the merger would provide service efficiencies).
  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.  For purposes of computation of time when filing a petition for reconsideration or application for review, or for judicial review of the Commission's decision, the date of “public notice” shall be the release date of this notice. 47 CFR § 1.4 (Computation of time).
    
For further information, please contact Dennis Johnson, Wireline Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division, (202) 418-0809.

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