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PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
445 12th STREET, S.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                           DA 99-1948

News media information 202/418-0500     Fax-On-Demand  202/418-2830     Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov    ftp.fcc.gov
                                                       

          COMMON CARRIER BUREAU EXTENDS RURAL CARRIER
                RECERTIFICATION FILING DEADLINE
                                
                        CC Docket 96-45 
                                Released:  September 28, 1999  

     In the Universal Service Order, the Commission determined that rural and non-rural
carriers will receive federal universal service support determined by separate mechanisms until at
least January 1, 2001.  The Commission stated that it would define rural carriers as those carriers
that meet the statutory definition of a rural telephone company in section 153(37) of the
Communications Act.  

     In addition, the Commission determined that local exchange carriers (LECs) should self-
certify their status as a rural company each year to the Commission and their state commission. 
On September 23, 1997, the Bureau released a Public Notice requiring carriers seeking to be
classified as rural telephone companies to file a letter with the Commission by April 30 of each
year certifying that they meet the statutory definition.  The Self-Certification Public Notice
requires a LEC certifying as a rural carrier to explain how it meets at least one of the four criteria
set forth in the statutory definition.  On June 22, 1998, the Accounting Policy Division released a
Public Notice with a list of the approximately 1,400 carriers that had certified as rural carriers as
of April 30, 1998.  On March 16, 1999, the Bureau released a Public Notice revising the annual
deadline for LECs seeking to be classified as rural carriers to July 1 of each year.  In the Inputs
Further Notice, the Commission extended the July 1, 1999, recertification filing deadline to
October 15, 1999.

     In the Inputs Further Notice, the Commission proposed that carriers who serve under
100,000 access lines should not have to file the annual rural certification letter unless their status
has changed since their last filing.  Because we anticipate that the Commission will take action to
resolve this issue this fall, we extend the rural certification filing deadline to December 1, 1999 to
allow for the possibility that certain carriers may not be required to file the certification letter.
  
For further information contact Adrian Wright, Accounting Policy Division, Common
Carrier Bureau at (202) 418-7400.

        --Action by Chief, Accounting Policy Division--