Federal Communications Commission FCC 99-204 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Federal-State Joint Board on ) Universal Service: ) CC Docket No. 96-45 Promoting Deployment and ) Subscribership in Unserved ) and Underserved Areas, Including ) Tribal and Insular Areas ) FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING Adopted: August 5, 1999 Released: September 3, 1999 Comments Due: 60 days after publication in the Federal Register Reply Comments Due: 90 days after publication in the Federal Register By the Commission: Commissioner Furchtgott-Roth approving in part, dissenting in part, and issuing a statement; Commissioner Tristani issuing a statement. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................................2 II. CURRENT LEVELS OF DEPLOYMENT AND SUBSCRIBERSHIP........................................................8 A. PENETRATION RATES .......................................................................................................................................8 B. AVAILABILITY AND COST OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.....................................................................9 C. IMPEDIMENTS TO INCREASED PENETRATION..................................................................................................12 III. TRIBAL LANDS..............................................................................................................................................16 A. JURISDICTION.................................................................................................................................................17 B. DEFINING “TRIBAL LANDS”...........................................................................................................................23 C. HIGH-COST SUPPORT MECHANISMS...............................................................................................................25 D. REVISIONS TO LIFELINE .................................................................................................................................30 IV. DESIGNATING ELIGIBLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CARRIERS PURSUANT TO SECTION 214(e)(6)......................................................................................................................................................................33 V. UNSERVED AREAS -- IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 214(e)(3) ...................................................38 Federal Communications Commission FCC 99-204 A. OVERVIEW .....................................................................................................................................................38 B. DEFINING “UNSERVED AREA” .......................................................................................................................39 C. DETERMINING WHEN A COMMUNITY IS UNSERVED.......................................................................................40 D. DETERMINING WHEN NO COMMON CARRIER WILL PROVIDE SERVICE .........................................................40 E. IDENTIFYING CARRIER OR CARRIERS BEST ABLE TO SERVE UNSERVED AREAS............................................40 F. ORDERING CARRIERS TO PROVIDE SERVICE ..................................................................................................48 VI. UNDERSERVED AREAS...............................................................................................................................49 A. DEFINING “UNDERSERVED AREA”.................................................................................................................49 B. EXPANDING LINKUP TO INCLUDE FACILITIES-BASED CHARGES....................................................................49 C. SUPPORT FOR INTRASTATE TOLL CALLING ....................................................................................................51 D. EXPANDED AVAILABILITY OF TOLL LIMITATION DEVICES ............................................................................51 E. PUBLICIZING AVAILABILITY OF LOW-INCOME SUPPORT................................................................................52 F. SUPPORT FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................53 VII. INSULAR AREAS ......................................................................................................................................56 A. DEFINING “INSULAR AREA”...........................................................................................................................56 B. RURAL HEALTH CARE SUPPORT ....................................................................................................................58 C. ACCESS TO TOLL-FREE SERVICES IN INSULAR AREAS ...................................................................................60 VIII. PROCEDURAL MATTERS ......................................................................................................................62 A. EX PARTE PROCEDURES.................................................................................................................................62 B. COMMENT FILING PROCEDURES ....................................................................................................................62 C. INITIAL REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT ANALYSIS.......................................................................................63 IX. ORDERING CLAUSES ..................................................................................................................................63 APPENDIX A: COMMISSION MEETINGS ON INDIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS ISSUES – LIST OF ATTENDEES 65 APPENDIX B: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO TELEPHONE SERVICE TO INDIANS ON RESERVATIONS −COMMISSION HEARINGS .................................................................................................67 APPENDIX C: OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO TELEPHONE SERVICE TO INDIANS ON RESERVATIONS – PARTIES FILING COMMENTS.........................................................................................69 APPENDIX D: COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROPOSALS AND EXAMPLES................................................71 APPENDIX E: ARIZONA PROPOSAL CONCERNING UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT FOR INITIAL CONNECTION CHARGES ....................................................................................................................83 APPENDIX F: INITIAL REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ACT ANALYSIS..................................................84 I. INTRODUCTION 1. An important goal of the Telecommunications Act of 19961 is to preserve and advance universal service in a competitive telecommunications environment.2 The 1996 Act mandates that “consumers in all regions of the Nation, including low-income consumers and 1 See Pub. L. No. 104-104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996) (1996 Act), amending the Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. § 151, et seq., (the Act). 2 47 U.S.C. § 254(b). 2 Federal Communications Commission FCC 99-204 those in rural, insular, and high[-] cost areas, should have access to telecommunications and information services . .”3 Congress also directed that the support mechanisms employed by the Commission for this task should be “specific, predictable and sufficient.”4 Through decisions adopted over the past two years, the Commission has been striving to ensure that federal universal service support mechanisms for high-cost areas, low-income consumers, schools and libraries, and rural health care providers, enable consumers to obtain telecommunications services that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive.5 2. The absence of telecommunications service in a home puts its occupants at a tremendous disadvantage in today’s society. Parents cannot be reached when urgent situations arise at school. Job seekers cannot offer prospective employers a quick and convenient means of communication. People in immediate need of emergency services cannot contact police departments, fire departments, or medical providers. In short, telephone service provides a vital link between individuals and society as a whole. Given the importance of telephone service in modern society, it is imperative that the Commission take swift and decisive action to promote the deployment of facilities to unserved and underserved areas and to provide the support necessary to increase subscribership in these areas. 3. The Commission took additional steps in the Thirteenth Order on Reconsideration toward realizing Congress’s goal of bringing telecommunications services to all regions of the nation.6 Specifically, in consultation with the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (Joint Board), we adopted the framework for a new, forward-looking high-cost support mechanism for non-rural carriers.7 This new high-cost support mechanism is intended to ensure 3 47 U.S.C. § 254(b)(3). 4 47 U.S.C. § 254(b)(5). See also 47 U.S.C. § 254(d). 5 Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Order Establishing a Joint Board, 11 FCC Rcd 18092 (1996) (May 1996 Notice); Recommended Decision, 12 FCC Rcd 87 (Jt. Bd. 1996) (First Recommended Decision); Report and Order, CC Docket No. 96-45, 12 FCC Rcd 8776 (1997), as corrected by Errata, CC Docket No. 96-45 (rel. June 4, 1997) (First Report and Order); Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 10095 (1997); Second Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 18400 (1997); Third Order on Reconsideration, 12 FCC Rcd 22801 (1997); Fourth