F& PUBLIC NOTICE
'* «  * FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET N.W. DA 96-646 
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20554____________________________
News meoia information 202/418-0500 Recorded listing of releases and texts 202/418-2222.
April 25, 1996
FIDELITY TELEPHONE COMPANY AND BOURBEUSE
TELEPHONE COMPANY REQUEST WAIVER OF 
COMMISSION'S BALLOTING AND ALLOCATION PROCEDURES
Pleading Cycle Established 
COMMENTS: May 6, 1996 
REPLY COMMENTS: May 13, 1996
On April 23, 1996, Fidelity Telephone Company (Fidelity) and Bourbeuse 
Telephone Company (Bourbeuse) jointly filed a petition to waive the requirement in the 
Commission's Allocation Order1 that ballots be sent 90 days prior to equal access conversion 
and allow Fidelity and Bourbeuse to implement equal access on July 1, 1996.
Fidelity and Bourbeuse provide local exchange service in Missouri, and have 
been ordered by the Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC) to provide equal access for 
intrastate interLATA toll service by July 1, 1996. Both companies state that they are in the 
process of implementing equal access in their local exchange service areas. In accordance 
with the Commission's balloting and allocation requirements, Fidelity and Bourbeuse state 
that they had established a timetable for equal access conversion, under which initial ballots 
were to be mailed on April 1, 1996, 90 days before conversion to equal access.
Fidelity and Bourbeuse state that they retained a public accounting firm, 
experienced in equal access balloting, to print and distribute the ballots on which customers 
would select their presubscribed interexchange carrier. The contract with the accounting firm 
required the ballots to be sent to customers via first-class mail on April 1, 1996. The 
accounting firm and its sub-contractors, however, did not meet the contract requirements.
'See Investigation of Access and Divestiture Related Tariffs, CC Docket No. 83-1145, 
Phase I, 101 FCC 2d 911 (1985) ("Allocation Order"), recon. denied. 102 FCC 2d 503 
("Reconsideration Order").
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The ballots were mailed April 3 and 4, 1996 and were mailed via bulk mail. Fidelity and 
Bourbeuse, on April 17, 1996, were informed by the accounting firm that some of the ballots 
-- perhaps as many as half -- had not been mailed and that the firm was not able to determine 
which customers had been sent ballots and which had not. The accounting firm was required 
to mail a new ballot to each customer. This was done on April 20, 1996.
Fidelity and Bourbeuse assert that they are very interested in complying with 
the July 1, 1996 equal access implementation deadline set by the MPSC and claim they have 
educated their customers about equal access through pamphlets, newspapers, and radio. The 
companies contend that the April 20 ballot and the education campaign will provide their 
customers ample opportunity to select their presubscribed interexchange carrier prior to July 1 
conversion date.
Interested parties may file comments on Fidelity and Bourbeuse's petition no 
later than May 6, 1996. Replies must be filed by May 13, 1996.
An original and four copies of all comments and replies must be filed in 
accordance with Section 1.51(c) of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.51(c). In addition, 
one copy of each pleading must be filed with International Transcription Services (ITS), the 
Commission's duplicating contractor, at its office at 2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, 
Washington, D.C. 20037 and one copy with the Chief, Competitive Pricing Division, Room 
518, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.
For further information, contract Steve Spaeth, Competitive Pricing Division, 
Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-1530.
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