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[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, [email protected].

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
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