Rates for Dominant Carriers: Revisions to Price Cap Rules for AT&T

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 61

[CC Docket No. 87-313 and 93-197, FCC 95-198]

Rates for Dominant Carriers: Revisions to Price Cap Rules for

AT&T

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This action seeks comment on proposed revisions to the price

cap rules that would redefine AT&T Corp.'s promotional tariffs and

optional calling plans as alternative pricing plans (APPs) for domestic

residential MTS. The proposed rule would allow AT&T to file APPs

outside of price caps initially on a streamlined basis and to receive

price cap credit for these services on a more expedited basis than the

new services rules currently provide, while requiring it to calculate

index credit based on historical data, rather than forecasts. These

revised rules would simplify review of AT&T's price cap tariff filings

and would accord AT&T greater pricing flexibility in the increasingly

competitive interexchange market.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before July 3, 1995, and reply

comment on or before July 24, 1995.

ADDRESS: Federal Communications Commissions, 1919 M Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jane Gross, tel: 202-418-1556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's

Further notice of Proposed Rulemaking in CC Docket Nos. 87-313 and 93-

197, FCC 95-198, adopted May 5, 1995, and released May 18, 1995. This

document requests comments on the regulatory treatment that the

Commission should accord to AT&T Corp.'s promotional tariffs and OCPs,

as well as similar discounts for the remaining AT&T services in Basket

1. The Commission seeks comment regarding its tentative conclusion to

redefine AT&T Corp's promotional tariffs and OCPs as alternative

callings plans (APPs) for the domestic MTS service category, as well as

whether it should modify its rules to allow AT&T to file APPs outside

of price caps initially on a streamlined basis and to receive price cap

credit for these services on a more expedited basis than the new

services rules currently provide. The Commission requests comment on

whether it should reduce the existing Basket 1 service categories to

three service categories: (1) Domestic MTS, including all three current

time-of-day MTS categories, OCPs in the existing domestic ReachOut

America category, and domestic MTS promotions; (2) operator and credit

card services; and (3) international MTS; and whether it should modify

the service category bands applicable to the existing residential

service categories affected to impose a four-percent upper limit and a

15 percent lower limit on the domestic MTS service category band. The

Commission is also seeking comment on whether there is a need to limit

AT&T's ability to raise the basic schedule or rates for domestic MTS,

and, if so, what methods the Commission should use to impose such

limits. Finally, the Commission seeks comment on whether it should

revise the rule for AT&T for PCI changes based on changes in exogenous

costs arising from GAAP accounting changes to resemble the rules

recently adopted in the review of price cap regulation for local

exchange carriers, the Price Cap Performance Review for Local Exchange

Carriers, CC Docket No. 94-1, FCC 95-132, (rel. April 7, 1995) (60 FR

19,526, April 19, 1995).

The full text of this Commission proposal is available for

inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC

Reference Center (Room 230), 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC. The

complete text of this proposal may also be purchased from the

Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Services,

Inc., (202) 857-3800, 2100 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Paperwork Reduction Act

The revisions contained herein have been analyzed with respect to

the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 and found not to impose new or

modified information collection and/or recordkeeping, labeling,

disclosure or record retention requirements and will not increase

burden hours imposed on the public.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

As required by Section 603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, the

Commission has prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analyses

(IFRA) of the expected impact on small entities of the proposals

suggested in this document. The IRFA is set forth in Section V. Written

public comments are requested on the IFRA. These comments must be filed

in accordance with the same filing deadlines as comments on the rest of

the Notice, but they must have a separate and distinct heading

designating them as responses to the Initial Regulatory Flexibility

Analysis. The Secretary shall send a copy of this Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking, including the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, to

the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration in

accordance with paragraph 603(a) of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

Public Law 96-354, 94 Stat. 1164, 5 U.S.C. section 601 et seq. (1981).

Ex Parte

This is a non-restricted notice and comment rulemaking proceeding.

Written and/or oral ex parte presentations are permitted except during

the Sunshine Agenda period, provided they are disclosed as provided in

Commission rules. See generally, 47 CFR 1.1202, 1.1203, and

1.1206(a). [[Page 28775]]

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 61

Communications common carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.

William F. Caton,

Acting Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95-13498 Filed 6-1-95; 8:45 am]

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