[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47667-47668]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23885]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
[DA 97-1870]
Workshops on Forward-Looking Cost Mechanisms for Universal
Service Support for Non-Rural Carriers, September 3 and September 11,
1997
Released August 28, 1997.
[CC Docket Nos. 96-45 and 97-160]
In the Universal Service Order released May 8, 1997, the
Commission, acting on the recommendation of the Federal-State Joint
Board, concluded that universal service support for non-rural carriers
should be determined by subtracting a benchmark revenue amount from the
forward-looking economic cost of providing the supported
services.1 The Commission concluded that it should continue
to review two cost models, the Hatfield Model and the Benchmark Cost
Proxy Model (BCPM).2 The Commission further concluded that
it would select the platform design features 3 of a
[[Page 47668]]
forward-looking economic cost mechanism by December 31, 1997, and
select a complete mechanism, including input values, by August 1998.
4 In a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in this
proceeding, the Commission stated that it would consider a hybrid
mechanism, combining the best features of both models, and might also
``study alternative algorithms and approaches that could be submitted
by parties other than model sponsors or that could be generated
internally by Commission staff.'' 5
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\1\ Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, CC Docket
No. 96-45, Report and Order, FCC 97-157, (released May 8, 1997) 62
FR 32862 (June 17, 1997) (Order) at paras. 199-201.
\2\ The proponents of the Hatfield Model are AT&T and MCI. The
proponents of BCPM are US West, Sprint, and BellSouth. See Order at
Appendix J for a description of the Hatfield Model and BCPM.
\3\ In the context of a forward-looking economic cost
mechanism, the ``platform'' refers to the fixed algorithms and
assumptions built into a cost model, as contrasted with user-
specified ``inputs'' into a cost model. See Federal-State Joint
Board on Universal Service, Forward Looking Mechanism for High Cost
Support for Non-Rural LECs, CC Docket Nos. 96-45 and 97-160, Further
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 97-256 (released July 18, 1997)
62 FR 42457 (August 7, 1997) (FNPRM) at paras. 17-18.
\4\ Order at para. 245.
\5\ FNPRM at para. 35.
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As part of the process of considering mechanisms for computing the
forward-looking economic cost of providing the supported services, the
Common Carrier Bureau will hold two public workshops to present
platform components that are being developed by Commission staff. The
Bureau is considering whether these platform components should be
incorporated into a forward-looking economic cost mechanism as
replacements for the components presently used in the Hatfield Model or
BCPM.
The first workshop will present the staff's ideas for an approach
to determining customer location. This workshop will be held on
Wednesday, September 3, 1997, from 4:00-6:00 pm in the FCC Training
Room, 2000 M Street, N.W. (Lobby Level), Room 110, Washington, D.C.
20554. The second workshop will present the staff's ideas for an
approach to modeling outside plant investment. This workshop will be
held on Thursday, September 11, 1997, from 10:00 am-12:00 noon in the
Commission Meeting Room, 1919 M Street, NW, Room 856, Washington, D.C.
20554. Interested parties may attend the workshops. The workshops also
will be recorded on video, and copies of the videotapes will be
available in the Commission Reference Room, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room
239, Washington, D.C. 20554.
We solicit comment on the algorithms and approaches presented in
the workshops. Pursuant to applicable procedures set forth in
Secs. 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.415 and
1.419, interested parties may file comments on the September 3 customer
location workshop on or before September 10, 1997, and may file
comments on the September 10 outside plant workshop on or before
September 24, 1997. Parties should reference the above docket numbers
and send their comments to the Office of the Secretary, Federal
Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 222, Washington,
D.C. 20554. Parties should also send one copy of any documents filed in
this docket with the Commission's copy contractor, International
Transcription Services, Inc., 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20036. Comments and reply comments will be available for public
inspection during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center,
1919 M Street, N.W., Room 239, Washington, D.C. 20554. Parties are also
asked to send eight (8) copies of their comments to Sheryl Todd,
Universal Service Branch, Common Carrier Bureau, 2100 M Street, N.W.,
Room 8611, Washington, D.C. 20554.
Parties are also encouraged to submit their comments on diskette.
Such diskette submissions are in addition to and not a substitute for
the formal filing requirements addressed above. Parties submitting
diskettes should submit them to Sheryl Todd of the Common Carrier
Bureau, 2100 M Street, N.W., Room 8611, Washington, D.C. 20554. Such a
submission should be on a 3.5 inch diskette formatted in an IBM
compatible form using WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows or compatible
software. The diskette should be submitted in ``read only'' mode. The
diskette should be clearly labelled with the party's name, proceeding,
type of pleading (comment on workshop) and date of submission. Each
diskette should contain only one party's comments in a single
electronic file. The diskette should be accompanied by a cover letter.
For further information about these workshops, contact Chuck
Keller, (202) 418-7380, ckeller@fcc.gov.
Federal Communications Commission.
Kathleen B. Levitz,
Deputy Chief, Common Carrier Bureau.
[FR Doc. 97-23885 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
