FCC Order Implementation

On November 18, 2011, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued its decision In re Connect America Fund et al., WC Docket No. 10-90 et al., FCC 11-161 (FCC Order). The FCC Order, inter alia, promulgated a series of changes and reforms in the federal universal service fund mechanism and in various parameters of intrastate and interstate intercarrier compensation.

By Order entered March 20, 2012, at Docket Nos. I-00040105 and C-2009-2098380, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Commission) reopened the record In re Investigation Regarding Intrastate Access Charges and IntraLATA Toll Rates of Rural Carriers and The Pennsylvania Universal Service Fund et al. for the limited purpose of examining the cross-effects of the FCC Order on the Commission’s Opinion and Order entered July 18, 2011, in those proceedings.

By Order entered March 22, 2012, at Docket No. M-2012-2291824, the Commission initiated its FCC Order implementation proceedings and convened a collaborative workshop session for interested stakeholders.

Mandated Access Charge Reduction Filings

The FCC Order requires all Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers to gradually transition certain intercarrier compensation elements to a bill-and-keep methodology. This transition is accomplished through a series of annual filings, effective on or about July 1 of each year, known as “Steps.”

The Commission has issued the following Orders addressing the intrastate implementation of these Steps:

Step 1

Consolidated Short Form and Protective Order entered May 10, 2012

Errata Secretarial Letter dated May 30, 2012

Step 1 Template for Price Cap Carriers at the Federal Level - Final Version (Excel)

Step 1 Template for Rate of Return Carriers at the Federal Level - Final Version (Excel)

Step 2

Procedural and Protective Order entered April 18, 2013

Step 2 Template (Excel)

Step 3

Order entered April 23, 2014

Step 4

Order entered April 23, 2015

Step 5

Order entered April 21, 2016

Step 6

Order entered May 4, 2017

Step 7

Order entered May 3, 2018

Step 8

Order entered May 23, 2019

Step 9