Federal Communications Commission DA 26-248 DA 26-248 Released: March 16, 2026 DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF GUNNISON TELEPHONE COMPANY TO LYNCH TELEPHONE CORPORATION X NON-STREAMLINED PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 25-348 Comments Due: March 30, 2026 Reply Comments Due: April 6, 2026 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment from interested parties on an application filed by Gunnison Telephone Company (Gunnison) and Lynch Telephone Corporation X (Lynch X) (together, Applicants), pursuant to section 214(a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and section 63.04 of the Commission’s rules, See 47 U.S.C. § 214(a); 47 CFR § 63.04. requesting Commission consent for the transfer of control of Gunnison to Lynch X. Domestic Section 214 Application for the Transfer of Control of Gunnison Telephone Company to Lynch Telephone Corporation X, WC Docket No. 25-348 (filed Dec. 17, 2025) (Application). Applicants filed a supplement to the Application on March 2, 2026. Letter from Elizabeth R. Park et al., Counsel for Lynch Telephone Corporation X, and Paul W. Jones, Counsel for Gunnison Telephone Company, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 25-348 (filed March 2, 2026) (Supplement). Applicants also filed applications for the transfer of wireless authorizations. Any action on the domestic section 214 application is without prejudice to Commission action on other related applications. Gunnison, a Utah corporation, provides service as an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) to approximately 530 access lines in its Utah study areas, which consist of the communities of Gunnison, Centerfield, Mayfield, Fayette, and Axtell. Application at 3. Gunnison has one affiliate, Gunnison Long Distance, Inc. (GLD), a Utah corporation, which provides long-distance service to customers in Gunnison’s service area. Applicants state that, prior to the closing of the proposed transaction, GLD will consummate a pro forma transfer of its long-distance operations to Gunnison and be dissolved. Id. at 10, n.7. Applicants state that Gunnison receives high-cost Universal Service Fund (USF) support through the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (Enhanced A-CAM) program. Supplement at 1. The following U.S. citizens hold a ten percent or greater interest in Gunnison: Kirsten S. Candland (26.12% equity and voting interest); and Howard J. Sanders (27.23% equity and voting interest). Application at 8. Applicants state that no other individuals or entities hold a ten percent or greater interest in Gunnison. Id. Lynch X, a Delaware corporation, is indirectly held by LICT Corporation (LICT), a Delaware corporation. Id. at 9. LICT owns multiple rural incumbent LECs, which provide telecommunications services or other services in California, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Utah, and Wisconsin. Id. at 2. See id. at 11-12 for a list of providers affiliated with Lynch X, and a description of the services each provides and the states in which the services are provided. Id. LICT also indirectly owns Central Telcom Services, LLC, a Utah limited liability company, which operates as a competitive LEC in Utah and Nevada. Id. at 3; Supplement at 1, 2. Applicants assert that most of the incumbent LEC affiliates of Lynch X received A-CAM and A-CAM II high-cost support and currently receive Enhanced A-CAM high cost support and Intercarrier Compensation Recovery (ICC support), with the exception of The Manti Telephone Company (Manti), which receives High Cost Loop (HCL) support, Connect America Fund Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS), and ICC support. Application at 14-15. Applicants state that Manti “participates in the NECA pool as an average schedule rate-of-return carrier.” Supplement at 2. Applicants state that the only entity or individual holding a ten percent or greater interest in LICT is Mario J. Gabelli (38.42% equity and voting interest), a U.S. citizen. Application at 9. Pursuant to the terms of the proposed transaction, Lynch X will acquire all of the stock of Gunnison. Id. at 4. Accordingly, after consummation of the proposed transaction, Gunnison would be a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Lynch X. Id. Applicants assert that a grant of the Application would serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity. Id. at 13-14 and Attach. A at 16-17. Applicants assert that the respective service areas of Gunnison and Lynch X, and its affiliates, do not overlap, but the service areas of Gunnison and Lynch X’s incumbent LEC affiliate, Manti, are adjacent to one another. Id. at 10, 16, Exh. B (Utah RLEC Service Areas). Because the proposed transaction is more complex than those accepted for streamlined treatment, and in order to analyze whether the proposed transaction would serve the public interest, we accept the Application for non-streamlined processing. 47 CFR § 63.03(c)(1)(v). Domestic Section 214 Application Filed for the Transfer of Control of Gunnison Telephone Company to Lynch Telephone Corporation X, WC Docket No. 25-348 (filed Dec. 17, 2025). GENERAL INFORMATION The application identified herein has been found, upon initial review, to be acceptable for filing. The Commission reserves the right to return any application if, upon further examination, it is determined to be defective and not in conformance with the Commission’s rules and policies. Interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). § Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. § Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. § Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC’s mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. § Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. § Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, 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. In addition, e-mail one copy of each pleading to each of the following: 1) Dennis Johnson, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, dennis.johnson@fcc.gov; and 2) Jim Bird, Office of General Counsel, jim.bird@fcc.gov. The proceeding in this Notice shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 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), 47 CFR § 1.1206(b). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. To allow the Commission to consider fully all substantive issues regarding the application in as timely and efficient a manner as possible, petitioners and commenters should raise all issues in their initial filings. New issues may not be raised in responses or replies. See 47 CFR § 1.45(c). A party or interested person seeking to raise a new issue after the pleading cycle has closed must show good cause why it was not possible for it to have raised the issue previously. Submissions after the pleading cycle has closed that seek to raise new issues based on new facts or newly discovered facts should be filed within 15 days after such facts are discovered. Absent such a showing of good cause, any issues not timely raised may be disregarded by the Commission. For further information, please contact Dennis Johnson, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-0809 or dennis.johnson@fcc.gov. -FCC- 2