PA Petitions FCC To Reconsider Rural Waiver
Message Posted Feabruary 26, 1998
PA URGES FCC TO RECONSIDER RURAL WAIVER FOR NINE PA COUNTIES
As you know, on September 30, 1997, the PA Public Utility Commission submitted a request for waiver of the definition of "rural area" contained in the FCC's May 7 Order on Universal Service. The waiver would have affected nine PA counties -- Butler, Carbon, Columbia, Fayette, Lebanon, Perry, Pike, Somerset, and Wyoming. On January 2, 1998, the FCC denied this request, concluding that Pennsylvania had not demonstrated good cause justifying the waiver, a claim with which we strongly disagreed.
Because we feel so strongly about this issue, and because of the volumes of information that we have to support our position, the PUC, on its own behalf as well as that of the Department of Education and others, has filed a Petition for Reconsideration of the FCC's denial.
If you are a school or library located in one of those nine counties and wish to comment to the FCC on our Petition for Reconsideration, you may choose to do so informally, as the formal filing of comments is rather cumbersome. Comments could range from general support of our petition, to actual examples of what tangible affect a change from urban status to rural status would have (in many cases it would add an extra 10% to your E-rate discount). Comments are due to the FCC by Wednesday, March 4.
Comments may sent via the Internet at [www.fcc.gov/e-file/ecfs.html] or via mail to Sheryl Todd, Universal Service Branch, Accounting and Audits Division, Common Carrier Bureau, Federal Communications, 2100 M Street, N.W., 8th Floor, Washington D. C. 20037. Be sure to include your full name, title, entity, Postal Service mailing address, and the reference, "Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Combined Petition for Reconsideration, CC Docket No. 96-45, AAD/USB File No. 98-36." If you have specific questions on filing before the FCC, contact Irene Flannery or Sheryl Todd, Universal Service Branch, Accounting and Audits Division, Common Carrier Bureau at (202) 418-7400.
If you do send comments to the FCC, I would appreciate receiving a copy for my files. Thanks.
-- Julie
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