Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 197 / Wednesday, October 11, 2000 / Notices 60441

The collection of information will

enable the Commission to determine if

there is a public need for changes in

LATA associated in each area subject to

the request.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–25984 Filed 10–10–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–U

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

[GN Docket No. 00–185; FCC 00–355]

Inquiry Concerning High-Speed

Access to the Internet Over Cable and

Other Facilities

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

SUMMARY: On September 28, 2000, the

Commission released a Notice of Inquiry

in this docket seeking comment on

issues surrounding high-speed access to

the Internet provided to subscribers

using cable television infrastructure, or

so-called ‘‘cable modem services.’’ The

Commission inquires into what

regulatory treatment, if any, should

apply to cable modem services and the

cable modem platform used in

providing such services, and what

impact such treatment will have on

other providers of high-speed services.

The underlying purpose of issuing this

Notice of Inquiry is to create a national

legal and policy framework for cable

modem service that will foster

competitive deployment of high-speed

services by all providers and instill a

degree of regulatory stability that will

encourage investment in all high-speed

networks. In this proceeding, the

Commission will examine whether to

continue its present market-based

approach and whether and how to

introduce a national policy framework

for regulating high-speed services.

DATES: Comment must be filed on or

before November 27, 2000. Reply

comment must be filed on or before

December 26, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Parties who choose to file

comments or reply comments should

file an original and four copies of each

filing with the Commission’s Secretary,

Magalie Roman Salas, Office of the

Secretary, Federal Communications

Commission, Room TW–B204, 445 12th

St. SW., Washington, DC 20554. Parties

should also serve: (1) Johanna Mikes,

Common Carrier Bureau, 445 12th

Street, SW., Room 5–C163, Washington,

DC 20554; (2) Christopher Libertelli,

Common Carrier Bureau, 445 12th Street

SW., Room 5–C264, Washington, DC

20554; (3) Carl Kandutsch, Cable

Services Bureau, 445 12th Street, SW.,

Room 3–A832, Washington, DC 20554;

(4) Douglas Sicker, Office of Engineering

and Technology, 445 12th Street, SW.,

Room 7–A325, Washington DC 20554;

(5) Robert Cannon, Office of Plans &

Policy, 445 12th Street, SW., Room 7–

B410, Washington, DC 20554; and (6)

the Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Service, Inc.

(ITS), 445 12th Street, SW., CY–B402,

Washington, DC 20554, (202) 857–3800,

with copies of any documents filed in

this proceeding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Johanna Mikes or Christopher Libertelli,

Attorneys, Policy and Program Planning

Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at

(202) 418–1580, or via the Internet at

jmikes@fcc.gov or clibertelli@fcc.gov,

respectively; Carl Kandutsch, Cable

Services Bureau, at (202) 418–7200;

Robert Cannon, Office of Plans and

Policy, at (202) 418–2030; and Douglas

Sicker, Office of Engineering and

Technology, at (202) 418–2478.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

document is a brief description of the

Commission’s Notice of Inquiry adopted

September 28, 2000, and released

September 28, 2000. The full text of this

Notice of Inquiry is available for

inspection and copying during normal

business hours in the FCC Reference

Information Center, CY–A257, 445 12th

Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554. The

full text also may be obtained through

the World Wide Web, at http://

www.fcc.gov/ccb/Notices/index6.html;

or may be purchased from the

Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Service, Inc.

(ITS), CY B–400, 445 12th Street, SW.,

Washington, DC. Further information

may also be obtained by calling the

Common Carrier’s TTY number: (202)

418–0484.

Synopsis of the Notice of Inquiry

1. The purpose of the Notice of

Inquiry is to develop a factual record

regarding the high-speed services

provided by cable operators and the

type of access sought by unaffiliated

Internet Service Providers (ISPs), as well

as the extent to which such access is

necessary to benefit consumers or

otherwise achieve desired policy goals.

The Commission invites comments on

alternative approaches to classifying

cable modem service and the cable

modem platform under the

Communications Act and the

implications of adopting each such

classification.

2. The Commission seeks comment on

various issues related to ‘‘open access,’’

including how to define the concept,

what initiatives have taken place to

date, and how market-based and

regulatory approaches may affect the

availability of high-speed services. The

Notice of Inquiry asks whether

achieving open access is a desirable

policy goal and, if so, whether the

Commission’s existing policy of

regulatory restraint will adequately

achieve open access or whether the

Commission should adopt a regulatory,

or prescriptive, approach.

3. It also inquires whether the

Commission’s legal and policy

framework for cable modem service or

the cable modem platform should apply

to all providers of high-speed services.

The Notice of Inquiry invites comment

on technical and operations concerns

associated with achieving open access,

and asks whether the Commission

should pursue any further course of

action, such as continuing its current

approach or exercising its rulemaking or

forbearance authority.

Federal Communications Commission.

Magalie Roman Salas,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–25983 Filed 10–10–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

Sunshine Act Meeting

October 5, 2000.

Open Commission Meeting, Thursday,

October 12, 2000

The Federal Communications

Commission will hold an Open Meeting

on the subjects listed below on

Thursday, October 12, 2000, which is

scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. in

Room TW–C305, at 445 12th Street,

SW., Washington, DC.

1. Office of Engineering and Technology

and Wireless Telecommunications

Title: Amendment of the

Commission’s Rules with Regard to the

3650–3700 MHz Government Transfer

Band (ET Docket No. 98–237, RM–

9411); and The 4.9 GHz Band

Transferred from Federal Government

Use (WT Docket No. 00–32).

Summary: The Commission will

consider a First Report and Order to

reallocate the 3650–3700 MHz and the

4.9 GHz band transferred from

Government to non-Govenrment use.