*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 51808.doc*
 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  September  22,  2005  Mark  Wigfield,  202-  418-  0253 
 Email:  mark.  wigfield@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  GRANTS  VERIZON  WAIVER  TO  EXERCISE  PRICING  FLEXIBILITY  FOR  CERTAIN  ADVANCED  SERVICES 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  grants  a  waiver  permitting  Verizon  Communications  Inc.  to  exercise  pricing  flexibility  for  advanced  services  that 
 rely  on  packet  technology  similar  to  the  pricing  flexibility  that  it  has  for  other  special  access  services. 


 On  June  25,  2004,  Verizon  filed  a  petition  asking  the  Commission  to  waive  its  pricing  flexibility  rules  with  respect  to  Verizon’s  packet-  based  advanced  services.  It  concurrently  filed  a 
 petition  asking  the  Commission  to  forbear  from  enforcing  these  rules.  Today,  Verizon  withdrew  its  forbearance  petition. 


 The  waiver  petition  granted  today  enables  Verizon  to  exercise  Phase  I  pricing  flexibility  for  these  services  in  the  same  areas  where  it  already  has  qualified  for  Phase  I  or  II  pricing 
 flexibility  for  other  special  access  services.  It  further  grants  Verizon  the  opportunity  to  apply  for  Phase  II  pricing  flexibility  for  these  packet-  based  advanced  services  in  the  same  areas  by 
 satisfying  the  competitive  showings  set  forth  in  the  pricing  flexibility  rules. 
 The  services  for  which  the  waiver  is  granted  are  referred  to  by  Verizon  as  “fast-  packet”  services,  and  comprise  packet-  switching  equipment  and  facilities  that  reach  enterprise  customers 


 through  dedicated  special  access  lines  to  form  high-  capacity  data  networks.  The  waiver  provides  Verizon  the  flexibility  to  offer  individually  negotiated  contracts  for  these  services. 


 Action  by  the  Commission:  Commissioners  Copps  and  Adelstein  concurring.  September  22,  2005,  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  (FCC-  05-  171). 
 Docket  No.:  04-  246 
 Wireline  Competition  Bureau  Staff  Contact:  Marvin  Sacks  at  202-  418-  2017;  marvin.  sacks@  fcc.  gov. 


 -FCC- 
1
 News  about  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  can  also  be  found 
 on  the  Commission’s  web  site  www.  fcc.  gov. 
2