Federal Communications Commission DA 26-52 DA 26-52 Released: January 15, 2026 DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF HAYNEVILLE HOLDING COMPANY, INC. TO SYNERGY TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS, INC. NON-STREAMLINED PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED WC Docket No. 25-312 Comments Due: January 29, 2026 Reply Comments Due: February 5, 2026 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment from interested parties on an application filed by The Stockholders of Hayneville Holding Company, Inc. (Hayneville Stockholders) and Synergy Technology Partners, Inc. (Synergy) (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 Hayneville Holding Company, Inc. (Hayneville Holding) and its subsidiaries, Hayneville Telephone Company, Inc. (Hayneville Telephone) and Hayneville Fiber Transport, Inc., d/b/a Camellia Communications (Hayneville Fiber), from Hayneville Stockholders to Synergy. Domestic Section 214 Application for the Transfer of Control of Hayneville Holding Company, Inc. to Synergy Technology Partners, Inc., WC Docket No. 25-312 (filed Nov. 14, 2025) (Application). Applicants filed a supplement to the Application on December 17, 2025. Letter from John Kuykendall, Regulatory Advisor for Applicants, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 25-312 (filed Dec. 17, 2025) (Supplement). Applicants also filed applications for the transfer of authorizations associated with international services. Any action on the domestic 214 application is without prejudice to Commission action on other related, pending applications. Hayneville Holding, an Alabama corporation, is the parent company that holds Hayneville Fiber and Hayneville Telephone. Application at 4-5, 11. Hayneville Telephone, an Alabama corporation, is an incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) providing traditional voice service, long-distance, and broadband services to rural customers in central Alabama across the Hayneville, Lowndesboro, and Gordonsville exchanges in Loundes County. Id. at 5, 13. Hayneville Telephone, a designated Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC), receives Connect America Fund – Broadband Loop Support (CAF-BLS). Id. at 5, 7-8. Hayneville Telephone also participates in the Lifeline program and will continue to do so post-consummation of the transaction. Id. Hayneville Fiber, an Alabama corporation and designated ETC, is a wholesale telecommunications company that specializes in fiber-based wholesale interconnectivity and transport services. Id. at 5-6, 13. Hayneville Fiber participates in the Lifeline program and will continue to do so post-consummation of the transaction. Id. at 6-8. Hayneville Fiber operates a fiber network spanning over 500 miles primarily along the I-65 corridor between Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama. Id. at 5-6. Synergy, a Tennessee corporation, provides telecommunications and information services through its subsidiary, Ardmore Telephone Company Inc. (ATC). Id. at 3-4, 11. ATC, an incumbent LEC in northern Alabama, serves more than 8,000 customers in Alabama and Tennessee across Giles, Limestone, Lincoln, and Madison counties with Internet, security, and voice services. Id. at 4. ATC serves more than 15,000 locations and has expanded its fiber infrastructure in the New Market, Elkmont, Ardmore, McBurg, and Minor Hill exchanges. Id. ATC, a designated ETC, receives CAF-BLS support in Alabama. Id. at 4, 7. ATC also participates in the Lifeline program. Id. Synergy is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation, Inc. (WK&T), a member-owned telecommunications cooperative. Id. at 3-4. WK&T operates as an incumbent LEC in Kentucky and receives Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model support for its incumbent LEC operations in that state. Id. at 4, 7. WK&T also operates as an incumbent LEC in Tennessee and receives CAF-BLS for its incumbent LEC operations in that state. Id. Additionally, WK&T has competitive LEC operations in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois and receives Rural Digital Opportunity Fund support in portions of its competitive LEC service territories in those states. Id. WK&T also participates in the Lifeline program in the areas where it receives high-cost universal service support. Id. at 7. Applicants state that there is no overlap of service areas between Applicants and their affiliates. Supplement at 1. Pursuant to the terms of the proposed transaction, the Hayneville Stockholders and Synergy entered into a purchase agreement where, subject to regulatory approvals, Synergy agreed to acquire a 100% interest in Hayneville Holding, including all ownership interests in Hayneville Telephone and Hayneville Fiber. Application at 6. Applicants state, upon consummation of the proposed transaction, Hayneville Holding and its subsidiaries will continue to exist and operate under the same name and will continue to provide service in their respective service areas. Id. Applicants assert that a grant of the Application would serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity. Id. at 9-10. Because the proposed transaction would involve the exchange and assumption of Universal Service Fund high-cost mechanism obligations, 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 Filed for the Transfer of Control of Hayneville Holding Company, Inc. to Synergy Technology Partners, Inc., WC Docket No. 25-312 (filed Nov. 14, 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) Megan Danner, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, megan.danner@fcc.gov; 2) Nissa Laughner, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, nissa.laughner@fcc.gov; 3) Karen Johnson, Office of International Affairs, karen.johnson@fcc.gov; and 4) 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 Megan Danner, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1151 or megan.danner@fcc.gov. -FCC- 2