**PUBLIC NOTICE**![](media/image1.png){width="0.6541666666666667in"
height="0.6604166666666667in"}

**Federal Communications Commission**

**445 12th St., S.W.**

**Washington, D.C. 20554**

> **DA 04-3518**
>
> **November 4, 2004**
>
> **ADDITIONAL U.S.-INTERNATIONAL ROUTES EXEMPTED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL
> SETTLEMENTS POLICY**
>
> **IB Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261**
>
> By the Chief, Policy Division, International Bureau:
>
> The routes listed in Attachment A are hereby exempted from the
> International Settlements Policy (ISP) pursuant to the ISP Reform
> First Report and Order and sections 0.51 and 0.261 of the Commission's
> rules.[^1]
>
> On March 30, 2004, the Commission released the *ISP Reform Order* that
> revised its policy and rules to remove the International Settlements
> Policy from benchmark-compliant routes. In the Order, the Commission
> identified ninety-six routes that clearly qualified for exemption from
> the ISP pursuant to the new rules.[^2] The Commission also identified
> seventy-seven routes that were believed to be benchmark-compliant,[^3]
> but provided interested parties with the opportunity to comment on
> those routes.[^4] Commenters supported removing the ISP from the
> majority of routes.[^5]
>
> On August 31, 2004, after reviewing the comments and the settlement
> agreements on file at the Commission, the International Bureau issued
> a Public Notice lifting the ISP on twenty-six additional routes for
> which there were current benchmark rates on file pursuant to section
> 64.1001 the Commission's rules, and for which no party raised
> concerns.[^6] The International Bureau also attached a list of routes
> for which Commission records indicated the rates had expired or were
> the subject of concerns raised in the comments. Prior to exempting
> these remaining routes from the ISP, the Bureau required written
> assurance that carriers had negotiated benchmark-compliant rates as
> contemplated by the *ISP Reform Order*.[^7] In addition, because the
> U.S-India route had been omitted from the original list of
> benchmark-compliant routes, the International Bureau requested comment
> on whether the U.S.-India route qualified for exemption from the ISP.
> AT&T, MCI, Sprint and Wiltel each provided a list of routes for which
> they certified they had current benchmark-compliant rates in
> place.[^8]
>
> The forty routes listed in Attachment A to this Public Notice qualify
> for exemption of the ISP under the Commission's *ISP Reform Order*.
> For these routes, at least one U.S. carrier has certified benchmark
> compliance and no concerns were raised regarding the routes during the
> comment cycle. Accordingly, the ISP will no longer apply on these
> routes. For the remaining routes, the ISP will remain in place until
> the International Bureau receives the appropriate filings pursuant to
> section 64.1001 of the Commission's rules, demonstrating benchmark
> compliance, as required by the *ISP Reform Order*.[^9] With respect to
> the U.S.-Philippines route, we will issue a separate order after we
> have had the opportunity to conduct a complete review of the issues
> and concerns raised during the comment period.[^10] A complete list of
> routes that now are exempt from the ISP is set forth in Attachment B.
>
> Copies of this Notice, status reports, Order, and pleadings are
> available electronically on the Commission's web site at
> [www.fcc.gov](http://www.fcc.gov/).
>
> Petitions for reconsideration under Section 1.106 or applications for
> review under Section 1.115 of the Commission's rules may be filed
> within thirty days of this public notice (see Section 1.4(b)(2)).[^11]
>
> For additional information, please contact Claudia Fox, Policy
> Division, International Bureau, (202) 418-1527, Kimberly Cook, Policy
> Division, International Bureau, (202) 418-7532, or James Ball, Chief,
> Policy Division, International Bureau, (202) 418-1460.
>
> -- FCC --
>
> **Attachment A**

  -------------- --- --------------------------------------------------------
  **Additional       
  ISP-Exempt         
  Routes**           

  **No.**            **Country**

                     

  1                  Albania

  2                  Anguilla

  3                  Armenia

  4                  Azerbaijan

  5                  Bahamas

  6                  Benin

  7                  Burkina

  8                  Cameroon

  9                  Cape Verde

  10                 Cayman Islands

  11                 Cote d'Ivoire

  12                 Equatorial Guinea

  13                 Eritrea (included in Ethiopia)

  14                 Estonia

  15                 Ethiopia

  16                 French Polynesia

  17                 Gabon

  18                 Georgia

  19                 Haiti

  20                 Honduras

  21                 India

  22                 Kazakhstan

  23                 Macedonia FDR (included in Serbia)

  24                 Malawi

  25                 Malta

  26                 Mayotte

  27                 Mexico

  28                 Montserrat

  29                 Namibia

  30                 Pakistan

  31                 Reunion

  32                 Senegal

  33                 Serbia

  34                 Sudan

  35                 Tanzania

  36                 Tonga

  37                 Turks and Caicos Islands

  38                 Ukraine

  39                 Uzbekistan

  40                 Virgin Islands, British
  -------------- --- --------------------------------------------------------

> **Attachment B**

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Complete                                               
  List Of                                                  
  Routes                                                   
  Currently                                                
  Exempt From                                              
  the ISP**                                                
  ------------ -- --------------------------- --------- -- ----------------------------
  **No.**         **Country**                 **No.**      **Country**

  1               Albania                     82           Kazakhstan

  2               Algeria                     83           Korea, South

  3               Anguilla                    84           Kuwait

  4               Armenia                     85           Latvia

  5               Antigua and Barbuda         86           Lebanon

  6               Argentina                   87           Liberia

  7               Aruba                       88           Libya

  8               Australia                   89           Liechtenstein

  9               Austria                     90           Lithuania

  10              Azerbaijan                  91           Luxembourg

  11              Bahamas                     92           Macau

  12              Bahrain                     93           Macedonia FDR (included in
                                                           Serbia)

  13              Bangladesh                  94           Malawi

  14              Barbados                    95           Malaysia

  15              Belarus                     96           Mali

  16              Belgium                     97           Malta

  17              Belize                      98           Mauritius

  18              Benin                       99           Mayotte

  19              Bermuda                     100          Mexico

  20              Bolivia                     101          Moldova

  21              Bosnia and Herzegovina      102          Monaco (included in France)

  22              Botswana                    103          Mongolia

  23              Brazil                      104          Montserrat

  24              Brunei                      105          Morocco

  25              Bulgaria                    106          Mozambique

  26              Burkina                     107          Namibia

  27              Cameroon                    108          Nepal

  28              Canada                      109          Netherlands

  29              Cape Verde                  110          Netherlands Antilles

  30              Cayman Islands              111          New Caledonia

  31              Chile                       112          New Zealand

  32              China                       113          Nicaragua

  33              Colombia                    114          Nigeria

  34              Congo                       95           Norway

  35              Costa Rica                  96           Oman

  36              Cote d'Ivoire               97           Pakistan

  37              Croatia                     98           Panama

  38              Cyprus                      99           Paraguay

  39              Czech Republic              100          Peru

  40              Denmark                     101          Poland

  41              Dominica                    102          Portugal

  42              Dominican Republic          103          Qatar

  43              Ecuador                     104          Reunion

  44              Egypt                       105          Romania

  45              El Salvador                 106          Russia

  46              Equatorial Guinea           107          Saint Kitts and Nevis

  47              Eritrea (included in        108          Saint Lucia
                  Ethiopia)                                

  48              Estonia                     109          Saint Vincent and the
                                                           Grenadines

  49              Ethiopia                    110          Saudi Arabia

  50              Faroe Islands (included in  111          Senegal
                  Denmark)                                 

  51              Fiji                        112          Serbia

  52              Finland                     113          Singapore

  53              France                      114          Slovakia

  54              French Guiana               115          Slovenia

  55              French Overseas Dept.       116          South Africa
                  (Martinique)                             

  56              French Polynesia            117          Spain

  57              Gabon                       118          Sri Lanka

  58              Gambia, The                 119          Sudan

  59              Georgia                     120          Suriname

  60              Germany                     121          Swaziland

  61              Ghana                       122          Sweden

  62              Greece                      123          Switzerland

  63              Grenada                     124          Taiwan

  64              Guadeloupe                  125          Tanzania

  65              Guatemala                   126          Thailand

  66              Guinea                      127          Tonga

  67              Guyana                      128          Trinidad and Tobago

  68              Haiti                       129          Tunisia

  69              Honduras                    130          Turkey

  70              Hong Kong                   131          Turks and Caicos Islands

  71              Hungary                     132          Uganda

  72              Iceland                     133          Ukraine

  73              India                       134          United Arab Emirates

  74              Indonesia                   135          United Kingdom

  75              Iran                        136          Uruguay

  76              Ireland                     137          Uzbekistan

  77              Israel                      138          Venezuela

  78              Italy                       139          Virgin Islands, British

  79              Jamaica                     140          Yemen

  80              Japan                       141          Zambia

  81              Jordan                      142          Zimbabwe

                                                           
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[^1]:
    > *See International Settlements Policy Reform: International
    > Settlement Rates*, IB Docket Nos. 02-324 and 96-21, First Report
    > and Order, FCC 04-53, (rel. March 30, 2004) (*ISP Reform Order*);
    > 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.51, 0.261.

[^2]:
    > *See ISP Reform Order* at Appendix D.

[^3]:
    > *See ISP Reform Order* at Appendix E.

[^4]:
    > The *ISP Reform Order* became effective on May 28, 2004. On that
    > date, the International Bureau issued a public notice setting the
    > notice and comment dates for the list of routes believed to be
    > benchmark-compliant. Several parties filed comments and replies.

[^5]:
    > Parties raised concerns on only two of the routes: the
    > U.S.-Philippines route and the U.S.-Papua New Guinea route. In
    > addition, VSNL filed comments arguing that the U.S.-India route
    > was benchmark-compliant and should have been included in the list
    > of routes that would be exempt from the ISP under the new rules.

[^6]:
    > *See* 47 C.F.R. § 64.1001.

[^7]:
    > Our rules do not require carriers to file new rates as long as the
    > ongoing rates are identical to the rate on file. *See* 47 C.F.R. §
    > 64.1001. More specifically, our rules require a U.S. carrier to
    > file new rates when that carrier agrees to rates with a foreign
    > carrier with market power that are not identical to current rates
    > on file. *See also Report and Order.*

[^8]:
    > *See* Letter from James J.R. Talbot, Senior Attorney, AT&T, to
    > Marlene Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, IB
    > Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed September 24, 2004); Letter from
    > David A. Nall, General Attorney, Sprint, to Marlene Dortch,
    > Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, IB Docket Nos.
    > 02-324, 96-261 (filed September 28, 2004); Comments of MCI, IB
    > Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed September 29, 2004); Letter from
    > Adam Kupetsky, Director of Regulatory and Regulatory Counsel,
    > Wiltel, to Marlene Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications
    > Commission, IB Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed September 13,
    > 2004); Letter from James J.R. Talbot, Senior Attorney, AT&T, to
    > Marlene Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, IB
    > Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed October 4, 2004); Letter from
    > Scott Shefferman, Director, International Affairs, MCI to Marlene
    > Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, IB Docket
    > Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed October 5, 2004); Letter from David A.
    > Nall, General Attorney, Sprint, to Marlene Dortch, Secretary,
    > Federal Communications Commission, IB Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261
    > (filed October 5, 2004); from James J.R. Talbot, Senior Attorney,
    > AT&T, to Marlene Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications
    > Commission, IB Docket Nos. 02-324, 96-261 (filed October 20,
    > 2004).

[^9]:
    > *See* 47 C.F.R. § 64.1001, note C; *ISP Reform Order,* FCC 04-53
    > at para. 30.

[^10]:
    > We note that we also received late-filed comments from IDT
    > regarding nineteen routes that were not the subject of the August
    > 31, 2004 Public Notice. *See* "Initial Comments of IDT
    > Corporation" (filed October 15, 2004). We hereby dismiss IDT's
    > comments as untimely filed. The appropriate time to file comments
    > on the standard for removing the ISP would have been during the
    > 2004 ISP Reform Rulemaking Proceeding. *See International
    > Settlements Policy Reform: International Settlement Rates*, IB
    > Docket Nos. 02-324 and 96-21, First Report and Order, FCC 04-53
    > (rel. March 30, 2004) (*Report and Order*). Furthermore, the
    > comment and reply cycle for the routes at issue in IDT's comments
    > closed on July 13, 2004, with the exception of the U.S. India
    > route. *See Commission Announces Pleading Cycle For Comments And
    > Replies In Proceeding On Routes Believed To Be
    > Benchmark-Compliant*, Public Notice, DA 04-1585 (rel. May 28,
    > 2004). IDT nether requests permission nor provides any basis for
    > acceptance of its late-filed comments at this stage of the
    > process.

[^11]:
    > *See* 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.106, 1.115, 1.4(b)(2).