PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 445 12th STREET, S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 FCC-00J-3 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov ******************************************************** NOTICE ******************************************************** This document was converted from WordPerfect or Word to ASCII Text format. Content from the original version of the document such as headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers will not show up in this text version. All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the original document will not show up in this text version. Features of the original document layout such as columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins will not be preserved in the text version. If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ***************************************************************** FEDERAL-STATE JOINT BOARD ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE SEEKS COMMENT ON RURAL TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED CC Docket No. 96-45 Release Date: October 4, 2000 Comment Date: November 3, 2000 Reply Comment Date: November 30, 2000 In the May 1997 Universal Service Order, the Commission, acting on the recommendation of the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (the Joint Board), encouraged the Joint Board to establish a Rural Task Force to "provide valuable assistance in identifying the issues unique to rural carriers and analyzing the appropriateness of proxy cost models for rural carriers." On September 17, 1997, the Joint Board announced the creation of the Rural Task Force and directed it to present a report to the Joint Board making specific recommendations on the establishment of a forward-looking economic cost mechanism for rural telephone companies. The Joint Board will consider this report in formulating a recommendation to the Commission for universal service reform for rural carriers. On September 29, 2000, the Rural Task Force submitted the Rural Task Force Recommendation To The Federal-State Joint Board On Universal Service. This recommendation, as well as supporting materials, are available on the Joint Board's Web page at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/universal_service/joint.html and the Rural Task Force's Web site at http://www.wutc.wa.gov/rtf. Consistent with the procedures outlined below, the Joint Board seeks comment on the recommendation. 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 November 3, 2000, and reply comments on or before November 30, 2000. All filings should reference Federal-State Joint Board On Universal Service, CC Docket No. 96-45, Comments on the Rural Task Force Recommendation and should include the FCC number shown on this Public Notice. 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