**DA 07-3886**

> **Released: September 11, 2007**

**DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION FILED FOR THE TRANSFER OF CONTROL**

**OF HUTCHINSON TELEPHONE COMPANY AND**

**HUTCHINSON TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC. TO NEW ULM TELECOM, INC.**

**STREAMLINED Pleading Cycle Established**

**WC Docket No. 07-196**

**Comments Due: September 25, 2007**

**Reply Comments Due: October 2, 2007**

The following application was filed pursuant to section 63.03 of the
Commission's rules requesting approval to transfer control of Hutchinson
Telephone Company ("Hutchinson") and its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Hutchinson Telecommunications, Inc. ("HTI"), from the current
shareholders of Hutchinson to New Ulm Telecom, Inc. ("New Ulm").[^1]
Hutchinson, a Minnesota corporation, is an incumbent local exchange
carrier ("incumbent LEC") in and around the community of Hutchinson in
McLeod, Meeker, and Renville counties in rural south central Minnesota.
HTI, also a Minnesota corporation, provides competitive local exchange
service in competition with Qwest in Litchfield in Meeker County,
Minnesota. HTI also provides resold interstate toll services in
Litchfield and in Hutchinson's local exchange service area.[^2] New Ulm,
a publicly-traded Minnesota corporation, is an incumbent LEC and
provides resold interstate toll services in the rural southern Minnesota
communities of New Ulm (Brown County), Courtland (Nicollet County),
Essig (Brown County), Klossner (Nicollet County), and Searles (Brown
County). New Ulm has two wholly-owned incumbent LEC subsidiaries:
Western Telephone Company, a Minnesota corporation that provides local
exchange and resold interstate toll services in Springfield (Brown
County) and Sanborn (Redwood County), Minnesota, and Peoples Telephone
Company, an Iowa corporation that provides local exchange and resold
interstate toll services in Aurelia, Iowa.[^3]

The proposed transaction entails the transfer of control of Hutchinson
and HTI from Hutchinson's 77 existing shareholders to New Ulm.
Applicants assert that the proposed transaction is entitled to
presumptive streamlined treatment under section 63.03(b)(2)(iii) of the
Commission's rules and that a grant of the application will serve the
public interest, convenience, and necessity.[^4]

> Application Filed for the Transfer of Control of Hutchinson Telephone
> Company and Hutchinson Telecommunications, Inc. to New Ulm Telecom,
> Inc., WC Docket No. 07-196 (filed Sept 5, 2007).

**[GENERAL INFORMATION]{.underline}**

The transfer of control identified herein has been found, upon initial
review, to be acceptable for filing as a streamlined application. The
Commission reserves the right to return any transfer of control
application if, upon further examination, it is determined to be
defective and not in conformance with the Commission's rules and
policies. Pursuant to section 63.03(a) of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR
§ 63.03(a), interested parties may file comments **on or before
September 25, 2007,** and reply comments **on or before October 2,
2007**. Unless otherwise notified by the Commission, Applicants are
permitted to transfer control on the 31^st^ day after the date of this
notice.[^5] Comments may be filed using: (1) the Commission's Electronic
Comment Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal Government's eRulemaking
Portal, or (3) by filing paper copies. *See Electronic Filing of
Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings*, 63 FR 24121 (1998).

-   Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the
    Internet by accessing the ECFS: <http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/> or
    the Federal eRulemaking Portal:
    [http://www.regulations.gov](http://www.regulations.gov/). Filers
    should follow the instructions provided on the website for
    submitting comments.

-   For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in
    the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one electronic
    copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number referenced
    in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, filers should
    include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, and
    the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit
    an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing
    instructions, filers should send an e-mail to <ecfs@fcc.gov>, and
    include the following words in the body of the message, "get form."
    A sample form and directions will be sent in response.

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-   Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an
    original and four copies of each filing. If more than one docket or
    rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, filers
    must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or
    rulemaking number.

Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial
overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service
mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal
Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the Commission's
Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or
messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary at 236
Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Suite 110, Washington, D.C. 20002. The
filing hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand
deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any
envelopes must be disposed of [before]{.underline} entering the
building. Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton Drive,
Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and
Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington
D.C. 20554.

People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for
people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic files, audio
format), send an e-mail to <fcc504@fcc.gov> or call the Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).

**In addition, one copy of each pleading must be sent to each of the
following**:

1)  The Commission's duplicating contractor, Best Copy and Printing,
    Inc., 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554,
    [www.bcpiweb.com](http://www.bcpiweb.com/); phone: (202) 488-5300
    fax: (202) 488-5563;

2)  Tracey Wilson-Parker, Competition Policy Division, Wireline
    Competition Bureau, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-A103, Washington,
    D.C. 20554; email: <tracey.wilson-parker@fcc.gov>;

3)  Jodie May, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau,
    445 12th Street, S.W., Room 5-C234, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail:
    jodie.may@fcc.gov;

4)  David Krech, Policy Division, International Bureau, 445 12th Street,
    S.W., Room 7-A664 Washington, D.C. 20554; email:
    <david.krech@fcc.gov>; and

5)  Jim Bird, Office of General Counsel, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room
    8-C824, Washington, D.C. 20554; e-mail: <jim.bird@fcc.gov>.

Filings and comments are also available for public inspection and
copying during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Information
Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room CY-A257, Washington,
D.C. 20554. They may also be purchased from the Commission's duplicating
contractor, Best Copy and Printing, Inc., Portals II, 445 12th Street,
S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C. 20554, telephone: (202) 488-5300,
fax: (202) 488-5563, or via e-mail
[www.bcpiweb.com](http://www.bcpiweb.com/).

For further information, please contact Tracey Wilson-Parker at (202)
418-1394, or Jodie May at (202) 418-0913.

\- FCC -

[^1]: 47 C.F.R § 63.03; *see* 47 U.S.C. § 214. Applicants are also
    filing applications for the transfer of control associated with
    authorization for international services and radio licenses. Any
    action on this domestic section 214 application is without prejudice
    to Commission action on other related, pending applications.

[^2]: Applicants state that Hutchinson also holds a 33.33 percent
    ownership interest in En-Tel Communications, LLC, which provides
    competitive telecommunications services in Wilmar, Minnesota.
    Hutchinson also has several other communications affiliates that
    provide wireless and other services in the U.S.

[^3]: Applicants state that New Ulm holds a 33.33 percent ownership
    interest in Hector Communications Corporation ("Hector"), which has
    incumbent LEC subsidiaries operating in 28 rural exchanges in
    Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. New Ulm also provides
    competitive local exchange and resold interstate toll services in
    Redwood Falls, Minnesota where Qwest is the incumbent LEC. New Ulm
    has several other telecommunications affiliates that provide
    services in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
    Applicants state that the local exchange service areas of Hutchinson
    and HTI are not overlapping or adjacent with the service areas of
    New Ulm and its subsidiaries or with the service areas of Hector and
    it subsidiaries.

[^4]: 47 C.F.R. § 63.03(b)(2)(iii).

[^5]: Such authorization is conditioned upon receipt of any other
    necessary approvals from the Commission in connection with the
    proposed transaction.