**DA 05-1086**

**Released: April 14, 2005**

**NONSTREAMLINED DOMESTIC SECTION 214 APPLICATION GRANTED**

**WC Docket No. 05-51**

On March 1, 2005, the Wireline Competition Bureau issued a public notice
seeking comment on the transfer of BellSouth's Milton and Gatewood
exchanges to Madison River.[^1]

The Commission received one comment in opposition to the proposed
transfer of control from Pay Tel Communications, Inc. ("Pay Tel"), a
provider of telephone services to confinement facilities in North
Carolina.[^2] Pay Tel states that Madison River, through its subsidiary
MebTel, Inc., has not made a billing and collection arrangement
available to Pay Tel or its billing and collection clearinghouse,
Billing Concepts, Inc.[^3] Pay Tel argues that the proposed transfer of
control is not in the public interest because, without a billing and
collection arrangement, it will not be able to continue offering
services to its customers.[^4] Pay Tel requests that the Commission deny
the proposed transfer of control or, in the alternative, require that
Madison River enter into a billing and collection agreement with Pay Tel
or its clearinghouse on commercially reasonable terms substantially
similar to the agreement Pay Tel has with BellSouth.[^5]

Madison River states that Pay Tel's concerns have been addressed because
Madison River has instructed its billing and collection clearinghouse
service provider, Verisign, to unblock the Carrier Identification Codes
which will enable Madison River to bill the calls in question in the
Milton and Gatewood exchanges.[^6] Madison River indicates that Pay Tel
was satisfied with this resolution, subject to Pay Tel's review of the
relevant materials.[^7] Madison River subsequently filed an *ex parte*,
attaching an email from Pay Tel indicating that its billing and
collection issues had been resolved to Pay Tel's satisfaction.[^8]

After careful consideration of the record in this proceeding, we
conclude that grant of the proposed transaction is in the public
interest and should be granted accordingly. For purposes of computation
of time for filing a petition for reconsideration or application for
review, or for judicial review of the Commission's decision, the date of
"public notice" shall be the release date of this notice.[^9] For
further information, please contact Kimberly Jackson, Competition Policy
Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-7393.

[^1]: Domestic Section 214 Application Filed For Transfer of Control of
    BellSouth's Milton and Gatewood Exchanges to Madison River Telephone
    Company, LLC, WC Docket No. 05-51, DA 05-521 (rel. March 1, 2005).

[^2]: *See* Opposition of Pay Tel Communications, Inc., WC Docket No.
    05-51 (filed March 15, 2005) ("Pay Tel Comments").

[^3]: Pay Tel Comments at 2.

[^4]: *Id.*

[^5]: *Id.*

[^6]: *See* Reply to Opposition of Madison River Telephone Company, LLC,
    WC Docket No. 05-51 (filed March 22, 2005) ("Madison River Reply
    Comments"). Madison River also argues that Pay Tel would be able to
    bill calls itself by obtaining Billing Name and Address Service
    which Madison River offers to interstate service providers under
    Section 13.9 of the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc.
    *See* Madison River Reply Comments at 2. Additionally, Madison River
    states that because local exchange carriers are not required to bill
    for interexchange carriers, the absence of such service is not
    relevant to the transfer of control. *Id.*

[^7]: Madison River Reply Comments at 2.

[^8]: *See* Letter from David Cosson, counsel for Madison River
    Telephone Company, Inc. to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal
    Communications Commission, WC Docket No. 05-51 (filed March 30,
    2005), Attach. at 1-2.

[^9]: *See* 47 C.F.R. § 1.4 (computation of time).