DA- 02-2578

October 8, 2002

**COMMISSION RELEASES AGENDA FOR**

**PUBLIC FORUM ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY ISSUES**

As previously announced by *Public Notice* released on July 29, 2002,
[^1] the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) will hold
a Public Forum on issues relating to rights-of-way management on October
16, 2002 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the FCC's headquarters, 445 12th
Street, SW, Washington, DC, in the Commission Meeting Room. The Public
Forum will be open to the public and seating will be available on a
first come, first served basis.

The Public Forum is aimed at facilitating discussion among local
authorities, state regulators, and the industry to develop consensus
positions where possible. The forum will strive to, among other things,
identify principles and practices that all parties believe can be a
model for access to and management of rights-of-way with respect to the
communications industry. The following agenda provides the names and
affiliations of the invited panelists.

9:15 a.m. -- 10:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

> K. Dane Snowden, Chief, Consumer & Governmental
>
> Affairs Bureau

FCC Chairman and Commissioners

10:00 a.m. -- 11:00 a.m. The Jurisdictional Question: Local vs. Federal
Authority

Introduction - Background, historical perspective on

rights-of-way issues, and status of court challenges.

> Panel discussion on the scope of Federal authority under Section 253
> of the Communications Act.
>
> Moderator: Jane Mago, General Counsel, Office of
>
> General Counsel

[Panelists]{.underline}

> Lisa Gelb, Deputy City Attorney, San Francisco,

California

> Chris Melcher, Corporate Counsel, Qwest Communications

Pam Beery, Partner, Beery & Elsner

> Teresa Marrero, Manager, Federal Rights-of-Way
>
> Issues, AT&T

11:00 a.m. -- 11:15 a.m. Break

11:15 a.m. -- 12:30 p.m. Fair and Reasonable Compensation for Use of
Rights-of-Way

> Panel discussion on compensation issues including cost-based,
> percentage of revenue, and in-kind compensation approaches.
>
> Moderator: Bill Maher, Chief, Wireline
>
> Competition Bureau

[Panelists]{.underline}

> Sandy Sakamoto, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Attorney
> SBC/Pacific Telesis

Don Knight, Assistant City Attorney, Dallas, Texas

> Kelsi Reeves, Vice President of Federal Government Relations

Time Warner Telecom

> Larry Doherty, Director, Site Development, West

Region, Sprint PCS

> Barry Orton, Professor of Telecommunications, University of
> Wisconsin - Madison

12:30 p.m. -- 2:00 p.m. Lunch Break

2:00 p.m. -- 2:30 p.m. Perspectives from the Administration

> Nancy Victory, Assistant Secretary for Communications
>
> and Information, U.S. Department of Commerce

2:30 p.m. -- 3:30 p.m. Looking Ahead: Policy Approaches to Rights-of-Way
Management

> Panel discussion on how best to accommodate the interests of multiple
> stakeholders.
>
> Moderator: Ken Ferree, Chief, Media Bureau
>
> [Panelists]{.underline}
>
> Ken Fellman, Mayor, Arvada, Colorado
>
> Dorian Denburg, Chief Rights-of-Way Counsel,
>
> BellSouth Corporation

Bob Chernow, Chair, Regional Telecom Commission

Alexandra Wilson, Chief Policy Counsel, Cox Enterprises

> Bob Nelson, Commissioner, Michigan Public Service Commission

3:30 p.m. Closing

> K. Dane Snowden, Chief, Consumer & Governmental
>
> Affairs Bureau

The forum will be closed captioned and will be carried live on the
Internet through RealAudio from the FCC Web site at: http://
[www.fcc.gov/realaudio/](http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/). A transcript of
the forum will be available 10 business days after the event on the
FCC\'s Internet site at
[http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/row.html](http://www.fcc.gov/cgb.row.html).
Transcripts may also be obtained from the FCC\'s duplicating contractor,
Qualex International, 445 12th St., S.W., Room CY-B402, Washington, D.C.
20554, telephone 202-863-2893, facsimile 202-863- 2898, or via e-mail
<qualexint@aol.com>. Audio and video tapes of the forum can be purchased
from CACI Productions (formerly Infocus Media), 341 Victory Drive,
Herndon, VA 20170, by calling CACI at (703) 834-1470 or by faxing CACI
at (703) 834-0111. The meeting agenda will be provided in accessible
formats. The meeting site is fully accessible to people using
wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Copies of the transcript in other
alternative formats (computer diskette, large print, and Braille) are
available to persons with disabilities by contacting Brian Millin (202)
418- 7426 voice, (202) 418-7365 TTY, or <bmillin@fcc.gov>. Send requests
for reasonable accommodations to fcc504@fcc.gov, or contact Helen Chang,
Section 504 Officer, 202-418-0424, 202-418-0432 TTY, or
<hchang@fcc.gov>. Also include a way of contacting you if we need more
information. Please submit your request at least 5 days in advance so
that we can assure provision of the service you require. Participants
and attendees are reminded of the Commission\'s *ex parte* rules and are
responsible for complying with those rules to the extent their comments
address the merits of pending proceedings.

For additional information contact: Kris Monteith or Gene Fullano,
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, (202) 418-1400,
<kmonteit@fcc.gov> or <gfullano@fcc.gov>.

\- FCC -

[^1]: Commission Public Forum on Rights-of-Way Issues to be Held on
    October 16, 2002, *Public Notice*, DA 02-1832 (rel. July 29, 2002);
    *See also*, Commission Releases Draft Agenda for Public Forum on
    Rights-of-Way Issues, *Public Notice,* DA- 02-2127 (rel. August 29,
    2002).