Federal Communications CommissionDA 26-927 DA 26-927 Released: August 31, 2026 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON PETITION FILED BY CAROLINA WEST WIRELESS, INC. TO RELINQUISH ETC DESIGNATIONS WC Docket No. 09-197 Comment Date: September 14, 2026 Reply Comment Date: September 29, 2026 The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on Carolina West Wireless, Inc.’s (Carolina West) petition for relinquishment of its Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) designations in North Carolina, pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 214(e)(4). Carolina West Wireless, Inc. Petition for Relinquishment of Eligible Telecommunications Carrier Designation, WC Docket No. 09-197 (filed Aug. 24, 2025), https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/document/26110072890/1. Carolina West seeks relinquishment of its designations (for which it is eligible to receive high cost and Lifeline support) contingent on the approval and consummation of the anticipated acquisition of Carolina West’s wireless spectrum holdings and certain other assets by Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless. Filing Requirements. Interested parties may file comments on or before September 14, 2026, and reply comments on or before September 29, 2026. See 47 CFR §§ 1.41 and 1.45. All filings must refer to WC Docket No. 09-197. All filings relating to this Public Notice should refer only to the docket listed above. Comments may be filed using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 Fed. Reg. 24121 (1998). · 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. o 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. 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 Filing 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 (voice) or 202-418-0432 (TTY). Ex Parte Rules. The proceeding in this Notice shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. See 47 CFR §§ 1.1200 et seq. 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 section 1.1206(b) of the Commission’s rules. Id. § 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by section 1.49(f) of the rules or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml., .ppt, searchable .pdf). Id. Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information regarding this Notice, please contact Rebekah Douglas Rebekah.Douglas@fcc.gov or Michael Alonso Michael.Alonso@fcc.gov of the Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau. - FCC - 2