10 FCC Red No. 21 Federal Communications Commission Record DA 95-1980 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 PUBLIC NOTICE Released September 19,1995 GTE MIDWEST INCORPORATED, BPS TELEPHONE COMPANY, CASS COUNTY TELEPHONE COMPANY AND OZARK TELEPHONE COMPANY, INC. PETITION FOR WAIVER OF SECTION 61.41(C)(2) AND THE DEFINITION OF "STUDY AREA" CONTAINED IN THE APPENDIX-GLOSSARY OF PART 36 OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES AAD 95-62 Comment Date: October 19, 1995 Reply Date: October 31, 1995 On April 21, 1995, GTE Midwest Incorporated ("GTE"), BPS Telephone Company ("BPS"), Cass County Telephone Company ("Cass County"), and Ozark Telephone Com pany, Inc. ("Ozark")(collectively, "Petitioners") filed a joint petition for waiver of the definition of "study area" as set forth in the Appendix-Glossary of Part 36 of the Com mission's rules. That definition constitutes a rule freezing all study area boundaries. The requested waivers would allow GTE and Cass County to alter the boundaries of their existing Missouri study areas when transferring eight telephone exchanges (with 5,943 access lines) from GTE to Cass County. The requested waivers, if granted, would also authorize BPS and Ozark to create two new Missouri study areas coincident with the transfer of five additional tele phone exchanges (with 5,277 access lines) from GTE to BPS and Ozark. In addition, BPS, Cass County and Ozark seek waivers of Section 61.41(c)(2) of the Commission's price cap rules, 47 C.F.R. § 61.41, to exempt them from the price cap "all or nothing" rule. Those waivers would permit BPS, Cass County, and Ozark to remain under rate-of-return regula tion after acquiring these 13 exchanges, which are cur rently under price cap regulation. The proposed transfer of exchanges and modifications of study area boundaries have been approved, or at this point are unopposed, by the following state commissions: the Arkansas Public Service Commission (filed Sept. 1, 1995), the Kansas Corporation Commission (filed Sept. 14, 1995), the Missouri Public Service Commission (filed Jul. 13, 1995), and the Okla homa Corporation Commission (filed Sept. 1, 1995). Interested parties may file comments on the joint peti tion on or before October 19, 1995, and reply comments on or before October 31, 1995, with the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 222, Washington, D.C. 20554. Comments and reply com ments should reference AAD 95-62. Four (4) copies should also be sent to Adrian Wright, Cost Analysis Branch, Com mon Carrier Bureau, Room 812, 2000 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, and one (1) copy should be sent to the Commission's contractor for public service record duplication: International Transcription Service (ITS), 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037. Copies of the petition may be obtained from the Accounting and Audits Division's public reference room, Room 812, 2000 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Copies are also available from ITS at (202) 857-3800. We will treat this proceeding as non-restricted for pur poses of the Commission's ex parte rules. See generally, 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1200-1.1206. However, if the waiver petition is opposed this proceeding becomes restricted under the Commission's ex parte rules. See generally, 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.1208-1.1216. For further information contact Adrian Wright at (202) 418-0830. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 11037