PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 445 12th STREET, S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 00-403 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov CITIZENS TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY OF NORTH DAKOTA AND U S WEST COMMUNICATIONS, INC. SEEK A WAIVER OF THE DEFINITION OF "STUDY AREA" IN PART 36 OF THE COMMISSION'S RULES PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED CC Docket No. 96-45 Release Date: February 25, 2000 Comment Date: March 17, 2000 Reply Comment Date: March 27, 2000 On February 16, 2000, Citizens Telecommunications Company of North Dakota (Citizens) and U S WEST Communications, Inc. (U S WEST) filed a joint petition for waiver of the definition of "study area" as set forth in Part 36 of the Commission's rules. That definition constitutes a rule freezing all study area boundaries. The requested waivers would allow U S WEST to alter the boundaries of its existing North Dakota study area and Citizens to establish a new study area in North Dakota when transferring eight telephone exchanges (17,000 access lines) from U S WEST to Citizens. The petitioners submitted letters from the North Dakota Public Service Commission and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission indicating that they have no objection to the issuance of a study area waiver associated with Citizen's acquisition of the eight telephone exchanges. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before March 17, 2000, and reply comments on or before March 27, 2000. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 Fed. Reg. 24,121 (1998). Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to . Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. If multiple docket or rulemaking numbers appear in the caption of this proceeding, however, commenters must transmit one electronic copy of the comments to each docket or rulemaking number referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit electronic comments by Internet e-mail. To receive filing instructions for e-mail comments, commenters should send an e- mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, and should include the following words in the body of the message, "get form