Federal Communications Commission	DA 23-416



DA 23-416
Released: May 16, 2023

BIENNIAL RECERTIFICATIONS OF STUDY AREA BOUNDARY DATA ARE DUE 
NO LATER THAN JUNE 30, 2023

WC Docket No. 10-90
WC Docket No. 05-337

The Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), in conjunction with the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), announces that the filing deadline for the biennial recertification of study area boundary data is June 30, 2023.  As required by the Study Area Boundary Order, incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) and state commissions that have voluntarily agreed to file study area boundary data on behalf of some or all ILECs operating within their jurisdictions (certifying state commissions) must review and recertify study area boundary data every two years. Connect America Fund: High-Cost Universal Service Support, WC Docket Nos. 10-90 and 05-337, Report and Order, 27 FCC Rcd 13528, 13535, para. 23 (WCB 2012) (Study Area Boundary Order). 

ILECs and state commissions that have uploaded and certified new boundaries between December 31, 2022 and March 15, 2023 are not required to recertify their data this year. See id. (requiring ILECs and certifying state commissions to submit updated data by March 15 of each year showing any changes made to study area boundaries by December 31 of the previous year). 
  All other ILECs and state commissions responsible for study area boundary information must recertify their information by following the two-step process below.
Confirming Study Area Boundaries.  ILECs and certifying state commissions must confirm that the study area boundary data previously provided to the Commission are accurate.  Current study area boundary map data are available at https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/study-area-boundaries/.  Instructions for viewing the map data are found at https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-344932A2.docx.  Once the ILEC or certifying state commission confirms that these data are accurate, it can proceed to the recertification process outlined below.  However, if these data are incorrect, the ILEC or state commission must file revised boundaries.  Filers should contact the Study Area Boundary Team at StudyAreaBoundaries@fcc.gov to facilitate transfer and certification of updated boundary data because the Commission’s filing interface is not currently accepting submissions.
ILEC Recertification.  ILECs and certifying state commissions must also recertify the data.  After an ILEC has confirmed that the Commission’s study area boundary map information is correct, the ILEC must log into the site at https://www.fcc.gov/licensing-databases/fcc-user-login.  After logging in, ILECs must enter contact information and the six-digit study area codes for the study areas that they are recertifying and attest to the information that they have entered.  A tip sheet and instructions for recertifying ILEC study area boundary data electronically are found at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-345283A1.docx.

Certifying State Commission Recertification.  After a certifying state commission has confirmed that the Commission’s study area boundary map information is correct for its state, the state commission must complete and sign the recertification notification available at https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-345129A1.docx.  The completed recertification notification, which must include a list of six-digit study area codes for the study areas that the state commission is recertifying, must then be emailed to StudyAreaBoundaries@fcc.gov.
Additional information on the study area boundary data collection, including the order referenced in this Public Notice, can be found on the Commission’s study area boundary webpage at http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/study-area-boundary-data-collection.  Specific questions should be directed to John Emmett at (202) 418-0386 or John.Emmett@fcc.gov. 
-FCC-

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