80 FR 60112 - Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization; Telecommunications Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support; Connect America Fund

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 192 (October 5, 2015)

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) reopens the comment periods for oppositions and replies to oppositions to CTIA--The Wireless Association (CTIA)'s Petition for Partial Reconsideration of the Commission's Order on Reconsideration requiring Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) to retain documentation demonstrating subscriber eligibility for the Lifeline Program.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 192 (Monday, October 5, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60112-60113]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25094]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 54

[WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 09-197 & 10-90; DA 15-1036]


Lifeline and Link Up Reform and Modernization; Telecommunications 
Carriers Eligible for Universal Service Support; Connect America Fund

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Petition for reconsideration; reopening of comment periods.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission 
(Commission) reopens the comment periods for oppositions and replies to 
oppositions to CTIA--The Wireless Association (CTIA)'s Petition for 
Partial Reconsideration of the Commission's Order on Reconsideration 
requiring Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs) to retain 
documentation demonstrating subscriber eligibility for the Lifeline 
Program.

DATES: The comment periods for the petition for reconsideration 
published on September 2, 2015 (80 FR 53088), are reopened. Opposition 
Filing Deadline is October 8, 2015. Replies to Opposition Filing 
Deadline is October 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit oppositions, identified by WC Docket Nos. 11-
42, 09-197 or 10-90, by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by email: [email protected] or phone: 202-418-
0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Cook, Wireline Competition 
Bureau at (202) 418-7400 or TTY (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Wireline 
Competition Bureau's document in WC Docket Nos. 11-42, 09-197 and 10-
90; DA 15-1036, released September 16, 2015. The complete text of these 
documents are available for inspection and copying during normal 
business hours in the FCC Reference Information Center, Portals II, 445 
12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554 or at the following 
Internet address: https://www.fcc.gov/document/ctia-recon-petition-extension-order-pn.
    1. On June 18, 2015, the Federal Communications Commission adopted 
an Order on Reconsideration (Order on Reconsideration) in which, among 
other matters, the Commission required eligible telecommunications 
carriers (ETCs) to retain documentation demonstrating subscriber 
eligibility for the Lifeline Program. On August 13, 2015, CTIA--The 
Wireless Association (CTIA) filed a Petition for Partial 
Reconsideration of the Commission's Order on Reconsideration.
    2. On August 26, 2015, a Public Notice was issued announcing that 
any oppositions to the CTIA Petition must be filed within 15 days of 
public notice of the CTIA Petition in the Federal Register. 
Additionally, the Public Notice announced that any replies to 
oppositions to the CTIA Petition must be filed within 10 days after the 
time for filing oppositions has expired. On September 2, 2015, notice 
of the CTIA Petition was published in the Federal Register, which 
established a September 17, 2015 opposition filing deadline and 
September 28, 2015 reply to opposition filing deadline.
    3. On September 9, 2015, the Center for Democracy & Technology, 
Free Press, New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, and 
Public Knowledge (Requestors) jointly filed a motion to extend the 
established opposition filing deadline for the CTIA Petition by 30 
days. In support of their motion, the Requestors point out that certain 
of the comments that were recently filed pursuant to the Commission's 
Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Second FNPRM) in the 
above captioned proceeding specifically raise issues that are relevant 
to the CTIA Petition. The Requestors also argue that a 30-day extension 
is in the public interest because a number of reply comments may be 
filed on issues relevant to the CTIA Petition by the September 30th 
deadline. The Requestors also cite the Commission's recent IT-
modernization efforts, which made some already-filed comments 
inaccessible to the public for several days, and intervening holidays 
as circumstances that help to justify an extension in this case.
    4. The Commission does not routinely grant extensions of time. 
Here, however, the Requestors have pointed to a potential relationship 
between issues addressed in the CTIA Petition and

[[Page 60113]]

certain of the comments, and potentially the reply comments, filed 
pursuant to the Second FNPRM on or before September 30. Furthermore, 
the Commission's major IT-modernization efforts, making some relevant 
documents unavailable, occurred during the fifteen days that parties 
would normally have to prepare oppositions. Taken together, these 
special circumstances present a sufficiently unique situation to 
justify a longer period for oppositions than is typical. We also are 
persuaded that granting an extension to the opposition-filing deadline 
so that oppositions are due after the September 30th deadline for reply 
comments on the Second FNPRM will facilitate more thorough and 
deliberate consideration of the issues raised in the CTIA Petition. We 
therefore waive the 15-day deadline established in section 1.429(f) and 
will allow oppositions to be filed by October 8. Replies to those 
oppositions must be filed by October 19.
    5. Accordingly, it is ordered that, pursuant to Section 4(i) and 
4(j) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 
(j), and Sections 0.91, 0.291, 1.3, 1.46, 1.415, and 1.429 of the 
Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 0.91, 0.291, 1.3, 1.46, 1.415, 1.429, the 
motion of the Center for Democracy & Technology, Free Press, New 
America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, and Public Knowledge is 
granted to the extent indicated herein and the deadline to file 
oppositions in response to the Petition for Partial Reconsideration 
filed by CTIA--The Wireless Association is reopened and will close on 
October 8, 2015, and the deadline to file replies to oppositions is 
reopened and will close on October 19, 2015.

Federal Communications Commission.
Ryan B. Palmer,
Chief, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition 
Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2015-25094 Filed 10-2-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P