Federal Communications Commission	DA 26-255


DA 26-255
Released:  March 25, 2026

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU REMINDS NONDOMINANT INTEREXCHANGE CARRIERS TO FILE ANNUAL SECTION 64.1900 CERTIFICATIONS BY MAY 1, 2026
CC Docket No. 96-61

By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) reminds nondominant interexchange carriers (IXCs) to submit annual filings by May 1, 2026 certifying compliance with their geographic rate averaging and rate integration obligations pursuant to section 64.1900 of the Commission’s rules. 47 CFR § 64.1900.
  
Section 254(g) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the Act), requires providers of interexchange telecommunications services to charge rates to subscribers in rural and high cost areas that are no higher than urban areas and to charge rates in one state that are no higher than rates charged in other states. 47 U.S.C. § 254(g).  
  As part of the rules implementing section 254(g) of the Act, the Commission adopted section 64.1900, requiring nondominant IXCs providing detariffed interstate, domestic, interexchange services, to annually certify that they are in compliance with their geographic rate averaging and rate integration obligations pursuant to section 254(g) of the Act.  47 CFR § 64.1900; 47 U.S.C. § 254(g); see Policy and Rules Concerning the Interstate, Interexchange Marketplace, CC Docket No. 96-61, Second Report and Order, 11 FCC Rcd 20730, 20773-78, paras. 78-87 (1996); Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 15014 (1997); Second Order on Reconsideration and Erratum, 14 FCC Rcd 6004 (1999).
  The rule requires these certifications to be signed by an officer of the company, under oath. 47 CFR § 64.1900(b).
  Consistent with past practice, the annual certifications should continue to be filed by May 1 each year. See Wireline Competition Bureau Reminds Nondominant Interexchange Carriers to File Annual Section 64.1900 Certifications by May 1, 2025, CC Docket No. 96-61, Public Notice, 40 FCC Rcd 2076 (WCB 2025); Common Carrier Bureau Extends Deadline for First Annual Certification of Compliance with Geographic Deaveraging and Rate Integration Requirements to August 1, 2001, CC Docket No. 96-61, Public Notice, 16 FCC Rcd 4556 (CCB 2000).
  Accordingly, the annual section 64.1900 certifications should be filed this year on or before May 1, 2026. See Reforming Legacy Rules for an All-IP Future, WC Docket No. 25-311; Accelerating Network Modernization, WC Docket No. 25-208, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 26-11, 2026 WL 567517, at *55-56, para. 134 (rel. Feb. 19, 2026) (seeking comment on whether the Commission should eliminate interexchange provider geographic rate averaging certification requirements under section 64.1900 of the Commission’s rules); see also id. at *55-57, paras. 131-38.   
  
Filing Requirements.  Pursuant to section 64.1900 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 64.1900, nondominant IXCs must file their annual certifications on or before May 1, 2026.  Certifications must be filed in CC Docket No. 96-61 and must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
· Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS): https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).

· Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing.  If more than one docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or rulemaking number.  
o Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service.  
o 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.  
o Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.
o 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 email to fcc504@fcc.gov  or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY).
For more information about this Public Notice, please contact Christopher S. Koves, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, Christopher.Koves@fcc.gov. 

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