(a) Any party that would be a domestic interstate communications common carrier is authorized to provide domestic, interstate services to any domestic point and to construct or operate any domestic transmission line as long as it obtains all necessary authorizations from the Commission for use of radio frequencies.

(b) Domestic common carriers subject to this section shall not engage in any line construction that may have a significant effect on the environment as defined in § 1.1307 of this chapter without prior compliance with the Commission's environmental rules. See § 1.1312 of this chapter.

[64 FR 39939, July 23, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 18830, Apr. 17, 2002]

(a) Any common carrier is exempt from the requirements of section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, for the extension of any line.

(b) A common carrier shall not be required to obtain a certificate under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to the establishment or operation of a system for the delivery of video programming.

[64 FR 39939, July 23, 1999]

Any domestic carrier that seeks to transfer control of lines or authorization to operate pursuant to section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, shall be subject to the following procedures:

(a) Public notice and review period. Upon determination by the Common Carrier Bureau that the applicants have filed a complete application and that the application is appropriate for streamlined treatment, the Common Carrier Bureau will issue a public notice stating that the application has been accepted for filing as a streamlined application. Unless otherwise notified by the Commission, an applicant is permitted to transfer control of the domestic lines or authorization to operate on the 31st day after the date of public notice listing a domestic section 214 transfer of control application as accepted for filing as a streamlined application, but only in accordance with the operations proposed in its application. Comments on streamlined applications may be filed during the first 14 days following public notice, and reply comments may be filed during the first 21 days following public notice, unless the public notice specifies a different pleading cycle. All comments on streamlined applications shall be filed electronically, and shall satisfy such other filing requirements as may be specified in the public notice.

(b) Presumptive streamlined categories. (1) The streamlined procedures provided in this rule shall be presumed to apply to all transfer of control applications in which:

(i) Both applicants are non-facilities-based carriers;

(ii) The transferee is not a telecommunications provider; or

(iii) The proposed transaction involves only the transfer of the local exchange assets of an incumbent LEC by means other than an acquisition of corporate control.

(2) Where a proposed transaction would result in a transferee having a market share in the interstate, interexchange market of less than 10 percent, and the transferee would provide competitive telephone exchange services or exchange access services (if at all) exclusively in geographic areas served by a dominant local exchange carrier that is not a party to the transaction, the streamlined procedures provided in this rule shall be presumed to apply to transfer of control applications in which:

(i) Neither of the applicants is dominant with respect to any service;

(ii) The applicants are a dominant carrier and a non-dominant carrier that provides services exclusively outside the geographic area where the dominant carrier is dominant; or

(iii) The applicants are incumbent independent local exchange carriers (as defined in § 64.1902 of this chapter) that have, in combination, fewer than two (2) percent of the nation's subscriber lines installed in the aggregate nationwide, and no overlapping or adjacent service areas.

(3) For purposes of (b)(1) and (2) of this paragraph, the terms “applicant,” “carrier,” “party,” and “transferee” (and their plural forms) include any affiliates of such entities within the meaning of section 3(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

(c) Removal of application from streamlined processing. (1) At any time after an application is filed, the Commission, acting through the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, may notify an applicant that its application is being removed from streamlined processing, or will not be subject to streamlined processing. Examples of appropriate circumstances for such action are:

(i) An application is associated with a non-routine request for waiver of the Commission's rules;

(ii) An application would, on its face, violate a Commission rule or the Communications Act;

(iii) An applicant fails to respond promptly to Commission inquiries;

(iv) Timely-filed comments on the application raise public interest concerns that require further Commission review; or

(v) The Commission, acting through the Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, otherwise determines that the application requires further analysis to determine whether a proposed transfer of control would serve the public interest.

(2) Notification will be by public notice that states the reason for removal or non-streamlined treatment, and indicates the expected timeframe for Commission action on the application. Except in extraordinary circumstances, final action on the application should be expected no later than 180 days from public notice that the application has been accepted for filing.

(d) Pro forma transactions. (1) Any party that would be a domestic common carrier under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, is authorized to undertake any corporate restructuring, reorganization or liquidation of internal business operations that does not result in a change in ultimate ownership or control of the carrier's lines or authorization to operate, including transfers in bankruptcy proceedings to a trustee or to the carrier itself as a debtor-in-possession. 1 Under this rule, a transfer of control of a domestic line or authorization to operate is considered pro forma when, together with all previous internal corporate restructurings, the transaction does not result in a change in the carrier's ultimate ownership or control, or otherwise falls into one of the illustrative categories found in § 63.24 of this part governing transfers of control of international carriers under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

1 “Control” includes actual working control in whatever manner exercised and is not limited to majority stock ownership. “Control” also includes direct or indirect ownership or control, such as through intervening subsidiaries. See 47 CFR 63.09.

(2) Any party that would be a domestic common carrier under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, must notify the Commission no later than 30 days after control of the carrier is transferred to a trustee under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code, a debtor-in-possession under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, or any other party pursuant to any applicable chapter of the Bankruptcy Code when that transfer does not result in a change in ultimate ownership or control of the carrier's lines or authorization to operate. The notification can be in the form of a letter (in duplicate to the Secretary). The letter or other form of notification must also contain the information listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4) in § 63.04. A single letter may be filed for more than one such transfer of control. If a carrier files a discontinuance request within 30 days of the transfer in bankruptcy, the Commission will treat the discontinuance request as sufficient to fulfill the pro forma post-transaction notice requirement.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision in this part, any party that would be a domestic common carrier under section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, including a carrier that begins providing service through a differently named subsidiary after an internal corporate restructuring, remains subject to all applicable conditions of service after an internal restructuring, such as rules governing slamming and tariffing.

[67 FR 18831, Apr. 17, 2002; 67 FR 21803, May 1, 2002]

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 76385, Nov. 27, 2020.

(a) Domestic services only. A carrier seeking domestic section 214 authorization for transfer of control should file an application containing:

(1) The name, address and telephone number of each applicant;

(2) The government, state, or territory under the laws of which each corporate or partnership applicant is organized;

(3) The name, title, post office address, and telephone number of the officer or contact point, such as legal counsel, to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(4) The name, address, citizenship and principal business of any person or entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten (10) percent of the equity of the applicant, and the percentage of equity owned by each of those entities (to the nearest one (1) percent);

(5) Certification pursuant to §§ 1.2001 through 1.2003 of this chapter that no party to the application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits pursuant to section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. See 21 U.S.C. 853.

(6) A description of the transaction;

(7) A description of the geographic areas in which the transferor and transferee (and their affiliates) offer domestic telecommunications services, and what services are provided in each area;

(8) A statement as to how the application fits into one or more of the presumptive streamlined categories in this section or why it is otherwise appropriate for streamlined treatment;

(9) Identification of all other Commission applications related to the same transaction;

(10) A statement of whether the applicants are requesting special consideration because either party to the transaction is facing imminent business failure;

(11) Identification of any separately filed waiver requests being sought in conjunction with the transaction; and

(12) A statement showing how grant of the application will serve the public interest, convenience and necessity, including any additional information that may be necessary to show the effect of the proposed transaction on competition in domestic markets.

(b) Domestic/International applications for transfers of control. Where an applicant wishes to file a joint international section 214 transfer of control application and domestic section 214 transfer of control application, the applicant should submit information that satisfies the requirements of § 63.18, which specifies the contents of applications for international authorizations, together with filing fees that satisfy (and are in accordance with filing procedures applicable to) both §§ 1.1105 and 1.1107 of this chapter. In an attachment to the international application, the applicant should submit the information described in paragraphs (a)(6) through (a)(12) of this section.

[67 FR 18832, Apr. 17, 2002]

The following definitions shall apply to §§ 63.09-63.24 of this part, unless the context indicates otherwise:

(a) Facilities-based carrier means a carrier that holds an ownership, indefeasible-right-of-user, or leasehold interest in bare capacity in the U.S. end of an international facility, regardless of whether the underlying facility is a common carrier or non-common carrier submarine cable or a satellite system.

(b) Control includes actual working control in whatever manner exercised and is not limited to majority stock ownership. Control also includes direct or indirect control, such as through intervening subsidiaries.

(c) Special concession is defined as in § 63.14(b) of this part.

(d) Foreign carrier is defined as any entity that is authorized within a foreign country to engage in the provision of international telecommunications services offered to the public in that country within the meaning of the International Telecommunication Regulations, see Final Acts of the World Administrative Telegraph and Telephone Conference, Melbourne, 1988 (WATTC-88), Art. 1, which includes entities authorized to engage in the provision of domestic telecommunications services if such carriers have the ability to originate or terminate telecommunications services to or from points outside their country.

(e) Two entities are affiliated with each other if one of them, or an entity that controls one of them, directly or indirectly owns more than 25 percent of the capital stock of, or controls, the other one.

Also, a U.S. carrier is affiliated with two or more foreign carriers if the foreign carriers, or entities that control them, together directly or indirectly own more than 25 percent of the capital stock of, or control, the U.S. carrier and those foreign carriers are parties to, or the beneficiaries of, a contractual relation (e.g., a joint venture or market alliance) affecting the provision or marketing of international basic telecommunications services in the United States.

(f) Market power means sufficient market power to affect competition adversely in the U.S. market.

(g) As used in this part, the term:

(1) Interlocking directorates shall mean persons or entities who perform the duties of “officer or director” in an authorized U.S. international carrier or an applicant for international Section 214 authorization who also performs such duties for any foreign carrier.

(2) Officer or director shall include the duties, or any of the duties, ordinarily performed by a director, president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, or other officer of a carrier.

Note 1:

The assessment of “capital stock” ownership will be made under the standards developed in Commission case law for determining such ownership. See, e.g., Fox Television Stations, Inc., 10 FCC Rcd 8452 (1995). “Capital stock” includes all forms of equity ownership, including partnership interests.

Note 2:

Ownership and other interests in U.S. and foreign carriers will be attributed to their holders and deemed cognizable pursuant to the following criteria: Attribution of ownership interests in a carrier that are held indirectly by any party through one or more intervening corporations will be determined by successive multiplication of the ownership percentages for each link in the vertical ownership chain and application of the relevant attribution benchmark to the resulting product, except that wherever the ownership percentage for any link in the chain that is equal to or exceeds 50 percent or represents actual control, it shall be treated as if it were a 100 percent interest. For example, if A owns 30 percent of company X, which owns 60 percent of company Y, which owns 26 percent of “carrier,”' then X's interest in “carrier”' would be 26 percent (the same as Y's interest because X's interest in Y exceeds 50 percent), and A's interest in “carrier”' would be 7.8 percent (0.30 × 0.26 because A's interest in X is less than 50 percent). Under the 25 percent attribution benchmark, X's interest in “carrier”' would be cognizable, while A's interest would not be cognizable.

[64 FR 19062, Apr. 19, 1999, as amended at 65 FR 60116, Oct. 10, 2000; 67 FR 45390, July 9, 2002]

(a) Unless otherwise determined by the Commission, any party authorized to provide an international communications service under this part shall be classified as either dominant or non-dominant for the provision of particular international communications services on particular routes as set forth in this section. The rules set forth in this section shall also apply to determinations of regulatory status pursuant to §§ 63.11 and 63.13. For purposes of paragraphs (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section, the relevant markets on the foreign end of a U.S. international route include: international transport facilities or services, including cable landing station access and backhaul facilities; inter-city facilities or services; and local access facilities or services on the foreign end of a particular route.

(1) A U.S. carrier that has no affiliation with, and that itself is not, a foreign carrier in a particular country to which it provides service (i.e., a destination country) shall presumptively be considered non-dominant for the provision of international communications services on that route;

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, a U.S. carrier that is, or that has or acquires an affiliation with a foreign carrier that is a monopoly provider of communications services in a relevant market in a destination country shall presumptively be classified as dominant for the provision of international communications services on that route; and

(3) A U.S. carrier that is, or that has or acquires an affiliation with a foreign carrier that is not a monopoly provider of communications services in a relevant market in a destination country and that seeks to be regulated as non-dominant on that route bears the burden of submitting information to the Commission sufficient to demonstrate that its foreign affiliate lacks sufficient market power on the foreign end of the route to affect competition adversely in the U.S. market. If the U.S. carrier demonstrates that the foreign affiliate lacks 50 percent market share in the international transport and the local access markets on the foreign end of the route, the U.S. carrier shall presumptively be classified as non-dominant.

(4) A carrier that is authorized under this part to provide to a particular destination an international switched service, and that provides such service solely through the resale of an unaffiliated U.S. facilities-based carrier's international switched services (either directly or indirectly through the resale of another U.S. resale carrier's international switched services), shall presumptively be classified as non-dominant for the provision of the authorized service. A carrier regulated as non-dominant pursuant to this subparagraph shall notify the Commission at any time that it begins to provide such service through the resale of an affiliated U.S. facilities-based carrier's international switched services. The carrier will be deemed a dominant carrier on the route absent a Commission finding that the carrier otherwise qualifies for non-dominant regulation pursuant to this section.

(b) Any party that seeks to defeat the presumptions in paragraph (a) of this section shall bear the burden of proof upon any issue it raises as to the proper classification of the U.S. carrier.

(c) Any carrier classified as dominant for the provision of particular services on particular routes under this section shall comply with the following requirements in its provision of such services on each such route:

(1) Provide services as an entity that is separate from its foreign carrier affiliate, in compliance with the following requirements:

(i) The authorized carrier shall maintain separate books of account from its affiliated foreign carrier. These separate books of account do not need to comply with part 32 of this chapter; and

(ii) The authorized carrier shall not jointly own transmission or switching facilities with its affiliated foreign carrier. Nothing in this section prohibits the U.S. carrier from sharing personnel or other resources or assets with its foreign affiliate;

(2) File quarterly reports on traffic and revenue within 90 days from the end of each calendar quarter. Such reports shall include the minutes completed on foreign networks; settlement payouts for call completion on foreign networks; foreign-billed minutes; and foreign-billed settlement receipts.

(3) File quarterly reports summarizing the provisioning and maintenance of all basic network facilities and services procured from its foreign carrier affiliate or from an allied foreign carrier, including, but not limited to, those it procures on behalf of customers of any joint venture for the provision of U.S. basic or enhanced services in which the authorized carrier and the foreign carrier participate, within 90 days from the end of each calendar quarter. These reports should contain the following: the types of circuits and services provided; the average time intervals between order and delivery; the number of outages and intervals between fault report and service restoration; and for circuits used to provide international switched service, the percentage of “peak hour” calls that failed to complete;

(4) In the case of an authorized facilities-based carrier, file quarterly, within 90 days from the end of each calendar quarter, a report of its active and idle 64 kbps or equivalent circuits by facility (terrestrial, satellite and submarine cable).

(5) If authorized to provide facilities-based service, comply with paragraph (e) of this section.

(d) A carrier classified as dominant under this section shall file electronically each report required by paragraphs (c)(2) through (4) of this section in the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). Each report filed in ICFS shall clearly identify the report as responsive to paragraph of (c) of this section.

(e) Except as otherwise ordered by the Commission, a carrier that is classified as dominant under this section for the provision of facilities-based services on a particular route and that is affiliated with a carrier that collects settlement payments for terminating U.S. international switched traffic at the foreign end of that route may not provide switched facilities-based service on that route unless the current rates the affiliate charges U.S. international carriers to terminate traffic are at or below the Commission's relevant benchmark adopted in IB Docket No. 96-261. See FCC 97-280 (rel. Aug. 18, 1997) (available at the FCC's Reference Information Center located at the address indicated in § 0.401(a) and on the FCC's website at https://www.fcc.gov).

[62 FR 64752, Dec. 9, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 19062, Apr. 19, 1999; 64 FR 46593, Aug. 26, 1999; 64 FR 47702, Sept. 1, 1999; 66 FR 16881, Mar. 28, 2001; 67 FR 45390, July 9, 2002; 78 FR 15623, Mar. 12, 2013; 82 FR 55331, Nov. 21, 2017; 86 FR 54399, Oct. 1, 2021; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

If a carrier is authorized by the Commission (“authorized carrier”) to provide service between the United States and a particular foreign destination market and it becomes, or seeks to become, affiliated with a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in that market, then its authorization to provide that international service is conditioned upon notifying the Commission of that affiliation.

(a) Affiliations requiring prior notification. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the authorized carrier must notify the Commission, pursuant to this section, forty-five days before consummation of either of the following types of transactions:

(1) Acquisition by the authorized carrier, or by any entity that controls the authorized carrier, or by any entity that directly or indirectly owns more than twenty-five percent of the capital stock of the authorized carrier, of a controlling interest in a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a market that the carrier is authorized to serve; or

(2) Acquisition of a direct or indirect interest greater than twenty-five percent, or of a controlling interest, in the capital stock of the authorized carrier by a foreign carrier that is authorized to operate in a market that the authorized carrier is authorized to serve, or by an entity that controls such a foreign carrier.

(b) Exceptions. (1) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the notification required by this section need not be filed before consummation, and may instead be filed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if either of the following is true with respect to the named foreign carrier regardless of whether that foreign carrier is authorized to operate in a World Trade Organization (WTO) or non-WTO Member:

(i) The Commission has previously determined in an adjudication that the foreign carrier lacks market power in that destination market (for example, in an international section 214 application or a declaratory ruling proceeding); or

(ii) The foreign carrier owns no facilities in that destination market. For this purpose, a carrier is said to own facilities if it holds an ownership, indefeasible-right-of-user, or leasehold interest in bare capacity in international or domestic telecommunications facilities (excluding switches).

(2) In the event paragraph (b)(1) of this section cannot be satisfied, notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, the notification required by this section need not be filed before consummation, and may instead be filed pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the authorized carrier certifies that the named foreign carrier is authorized to operate in a WTO Member and provides certification to satisfy either of the following:

(i) The authorized carrier demonstrates that it is entitled to retain non-dominant classification on its newly affiliated route pursuant to § 63.10; or

(ii) The authorized carrier agrees to comply with the dominant carrier safeguards contained in § 63.10 effective upon the acquisition of the affiliation. See § 63.10.

(c) Notification after consummation. Any authorized carrier that becomes affiliated with a foreign carrier and has not previously notified the Commission pursuant to this section shall notify the Commission within thirty days after consummation of the acquisition.

Example 1 to paragraph (c).Acquisition by an authorized carrier (or by any entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under direct or indirect common control with the authorized carrier) of a direct or indirect interest in a foreign carrier that is greater than twenty-five percent but not controlling is subject to paragraph (c) but not to paragraph (a). Example 2 to paragraph (c).Notification of an acquisition by an authorized carrier of a hundred percent interest in a foreign carrier may be made after consummation, pursuant to paragraph (c), if the foreign carrier operates only as a resale carrier. Example 3 to paragraph (c).Notification of an acquisition by a foreign carrier from a WTO Member of a greater than twenty-five percent interest in the capital stock of an authorized carrier may be made after consummation, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, if the authorized carrier demonstrates in the post-notification that it qualifies for non-dominant classification on the affiliated route or agrees to comply with dominant carrier safeguards on the affiliated route effective upon the acquisition of the affiliation.

(d) Cross-reference: In the event a transaction requiring a foreign carrier notification pursuant to this section also requires a transfer of control of assignment application pursuant to § 63.24, the foreign carrier notification shall reference in the notification the transfer of control of assignment application and the date of its filing.

(e) Contents of notification. The notification shall certify the following information:

(1) The name of the newly affiliated foreign carrier and the country or countries in which it is authorized to provide telecommunications services to the public;

(2) Which, if any, of those countries is a Member of the World Trade Organization;

(3) What services the authorized carrier is authorized to provide to each named country, and the FCC file numbers under which each such authorization was granted;

(4) Which, if any, of those countries the authorized carrier serves solely through the resale of the international switched services of unaffiliated U.S. facilities-based carriers;

(5) The name, address, citizenship, and principal business of any person or entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten (10) percent of the equity of the authorized carrier, and the percentage of equity owned by each of those entities (to the nearest one percent);

(6) A certification that the authorized carrier has not agreed to and will not in the future agree to accept special concessions directly or indirectly from any foreign carrier with respect to any U.S. international route where the foreign carrier possesses market power on the foreign end of the route; and

(7) Interlocking directorates. The name of any interlocking directorates, as defined in § 63.09(g), with each foreign carrier named in the notification. See § 63.09(g).

(8) With respect to each foreign carrier named in the notification, a statement as to whether the notification is subject to paragraph (a) or (c) of this section. In the case of a notification subject to paragraph (a) of this section, the authorized carrier shall include the projected date of closing. In the case of a notification subject to paragraph (c) of this section, the authorized carrier shall include the actual date of closing.

(9) If an authorized carrier relies on an exception in paragraph (b) of this section, then a certification as to which exception the foreign carrier satisfies and a citation to any adjudication upon which the carrier is relying. Authorized carriers relying upon the exceptions in paragraph (b)(2) of this section must make the required certified demonstration in paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section or the certified commitment to comply with dominant carrier safeguards in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section in the notification required by paragraph (c) of this section.

(f) In order to retain non-dominant status on each newly affiliated route, the authorized carrier should demonstrate that it qualifies for non-dominant classification pursuant to § 63.10. See § 63.10.

(g) Procedure. After the Commission issues a public notice of the submissions made under this section, interested parties may file comments within fourteen days of the public notice.

(1) If the Commission deems it necessary at any time before or after the deadline for submission of public comments, the Commission may impose dominant carrier regulation on the authorized carrier for the affiliated routes based on the provisions of § 63.10. See § 63.10.

(2) In the case of a prior notification filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the U.S. authorized carrier must demonstrate that it continues to serve the public interest for it to operate on the route for which it proposes to acquire an affiliation with the foreign carrier authorized to operate in the non-WTO Member country. Such a showing shall include a demonstration as to whether the foreign carrier lacks market power in the non-WTO Member country with reference to the criteria in § 63.10(a) of this chapter. If the U.S. authorized carrier is unable to make the required showing in § 63.10(a) of this chapter, the U.S. authorized carrier shall agree to comply with the dominant carrier safeguards contained in § 63.10(c) of this chapter, effective upon the acquisition of the affiliation. If the U.S. authorized carrier is notified by the Commission that the affiliation may otherwise harm the public interest pursuant to the Commission's policies and rules, then the Commission may impose conditions necessary to address any public interest harms or may proceed to an immediate authorization revocation hearing.

Note to paragraph (g)(2):

Under § 63.10(a) of this chapter, the Commission presumes, subject to rebuttal, that a foreign carrier lacks market power in a particular foreign country if the applicant demonstrates that the foreign carrier lacks 50 percent market share in international transport facilities or services, including cable landing station access and backhaul facilities, intercity facilities or services, and local access facilities or services on the foreign end of a particular route.

(h) All authorized carriers are responsible for the continuing accuracy of information provided pursuant to this section for a period of forty-five (45) days after filing. During this period if the information furnished is no longer accurate, the authorized carrier shall as promptly as possible, and in any event within ten (10) days, unless good cause is shown, file with the Commission a corrected notification referencing the FCC file numbers under which the original notification was provided, except that the carrier shall immediately inform the Commission, if at any time, not limited to the forty-five (45) days, the representations in the “special concessions” certification provided under paragraph (e)(6) of this section or § 63.18(n) are no longer true. See § 63.18(n).

(i) A carrier that files a prior notification pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section may request confidential treatment of its filing, pursuant to § 0.459 of this chapter, for the first twenty (20) days after filing.

(j) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, notifications described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.10000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[65 FR 60116, Oct. 10, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 50973, Aug. 25, 2003; 69 FR 29901, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38798, July 6, 2005;79 FR 31877, June 3, 2014; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 76385, Nov. 27, 2020.

(a) Except as provided by paragraph (c) of this section, a complete application seeking authorization under § 63.18 of this part shall be granted by the Commission 14 days after the date of public notice listing the application as accepted for filing.

(b) The applicant may commence operation on the 15th day after the date of public notice listing the application as accepted for filing, but only in accordance with the operations proposed in its application and the rules, regulations, and policies of the Commission. The public notice of the grant of the authorization shall represent the applicant's Section 214 certificate.

(c) The streamlined processing procedures provided by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply where:

(1) The applicant is affiliated with a foreign carrier in a destination market, unless the applicant clearly demonstrates in its application at least one of the following:

(i) The Commission has previously determined that the affiliated foreign carrier lacks market power in that destination market;

(ii) The applicant qualifies for a presumption of non-dominance under § 63.10(a)(3);

(iii) The affiliated foreign carrier owns no facilities, or only mobile wireless facilities, in that destination market. For this purpose, a carrier is said to own facilities if it holds an ownership, indefeasible-right-of-user, or leasehold interest in bare capacity in international or domestic telecommunications facilities (excluding switches);

(iv) The affiliated destination market is a WTO Member country and the applicant qualifies for a presumption of non-dominance under § 63.10(a)(4)of this part;

(v) The affiliated destination market is a WTO Member country and the applicant agrees to be classified as a dominant carrier to the affiliated destination country under § 63.10, without prejudice to its right to petition for reclassification at a later date; or

(vi) An entity with exactly the same ultimate ownership as the applicant has been authorized to provide the applied-for services on the affiliated destination route, and the applicant agrees to be subject to all of the conditions to which the authorized carrier is subject for its provision of service on that route; or

(2) The applicant has an affiliation with a dominant U.S. carrier whose international switched or private line services the applicant seeks authority to resell (either directly or indirectly through the resale of another reseller's services), unless the applicant agrees to be classified as a dominant carrier to the affiliated destination country under § 63.10 (without prejudice to its right to petition for reclassification at a later date); or

(3) The Commission has informed the applicant in writing, within 14 days after the date of public notice listing the application as accepted for filing, that the application is not eligible for streamlined processing.

(d) If an application is deemed complete but, pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, is deemed ineligible for the streamlined processing procedures provided by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the Commission will issue public notice indicating that the application is ineligible for streamlined processing. Within 90 days of the public notice, the Commission will take action upon the application or provide public notice that, because the application raises questions of extraordinary complexity, an additional 90-day period for review is needed. Each successive 90-day period may be so extended. The application shall not be deemed granted until the Commission affirmatively acts upon the application. Operation for which such authorization is sought may not commence except in accordance with any terms or conditions imposed by the Commission.

[62 FR 64753, Dec. 9, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 19063, Apr. 19, 1999; 64 FR 22903, Apr. 28, 1999; 64 FR 43095, Aug. 9, 1999; 69 FR 23154, Apr. 28, 2004]

Any party that desires to modify its regulatory status from dominant to non-dominant for the provision of particular international communications services on a particular route should provide information in its application to demonstrate that it qualifies for non-dominant classification pursuant to § 63.10.

[62 FR 64754, Dec. 9, 1997]

(a) Any carrier authorized to provide international communications service under this part shall be prohibited, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, from agreeing to accept special concessions directly or indirectly from any foreign carrier with respect to any U.S. international route where the foreign carrier possesses sufficient market power on the foreign end of the route to affect competition adversely in the U.S. market and from agreeing to accept special concessions in the future. Carriers may rely on the Commission's list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power in particular foreign points for purposes of determining which foreign carriers are the subject of the prohibitions contained in this section. The Commission's list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power is available from the Office of International Affairs' website at https://www.fcc.gov/international-affairs.

(b) A special concession is defined as an exclusive arrangement involving services, facilities, or functions on the foreign end of a U.S. international route that are necessary for the provision of basic telecommunications services where the arrangement is not offered to similarly situated U.S.-licensed carriers and involves:

(1) Operating agreements for the provision of basic services;

(2) Distribution arrangements or interconnection arrangements, including pricing, technical specifications, functional capabilities, or other quality and operational characteristics, such as provisioning and maintenance times; or

(3) Any information, prior to public disclosure, about a foreign carrier's basic network services that affects either the provision of basic or enhanced services or interconnection to the foreign country's domestic network by U.S. carriers or their U.S. customers.

(c) This section shall not apply to the rates, terms and conditions in an agreement between a U.S. carrier and a foreign carrier that govern the settlement of U.S. international traffic, including the method for allocating return traffic.

[62 FR 64754, Dec. 9, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 19063, Apr. 19, 1999; 64 FR 34741, June 29, 1999; 66 FR 16881, Mar. 28, 2001; 69 FR 23154, Apr. 28, 2004; 78 FR 11112, Feb. 15, 2013; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

(a) Unless otherwise prohibited by the terms of its Section 214 certificate, a U.S. common carrier authorized under this part to provide international private line service, whether as a reseller or facilities-based carrier, may interconnect its authorized private lines to the public switched network on behalf of an end user customer for the end user customer's own use.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, a U.S. common carrier, whether a reseller or facilities-based carrier, may engage in “switched hubbing” to countries provided the carrier complies with the following conditions:

(1) U.S.-outbound switched traffic shall be routed over the carrier's authorized U.S. international circuits extending between the United States and a country that is exempt from the international settlements policy (i.e., the “hub” country), and then forwarded to the third country only by taking at published rates and reselling the international message telephone service (IMTS) of a carrier in the hub country;

(2) U.S.-inbound switched traffic shall be carried to a country that is exempt from the international settlements policy (i.e., the “hub” country) as part of the IMTS traffic flow from a third country and then terminated in the United States over the carrier's authorized U.S. international circuits extending between the United States and the hub country.

Note 1 to paragraph (b):

The Commission's list of international routes exempted from the international settlements policy is available on the Office of International Affairs website at https://www.fcc.gov/international-affairs.

(3) Authorized carriers filing tariffs pursuant to §§ 61.19 or 61.28 of this chapter that route U.S.-billed traffic via switched hubbing shall tariff their service on a “through” basis between the United States and the ultimate point of origination or termination;

(4) No U.S. common carrier may engage in switched hubbing to or from a third country where it has an affiliation with a foreign carrier unless and until it has received authority to serve that country under § 63.18(e)(1), (e)(2), or (e)(3).

[60 FR 67339, Dec. 29, 1995, as amended at 61 FR 15728, Apr. 9, 1996; 63 FR 64754, Dec. 9, 1997; 64 FR 19064, Apr. 19, 1999; 66 FR 16881, Mar. 28, 2001; 67 FR 45390, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 23154, Apr. 28, 2004; 78 FR 11112, Feb. 15, 2013; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 76385, Nov. 27, 2020.

Except as otherwise provided in this part, any party seeking authority pursuant to Section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to construct a new line, or acquire or operate any line, or engage in transmission over or by means of such additional line for the provision of common carrier communications services between the United States, its territories or possessions, and a foreign point shall request such authority by formal application. The application shall include information demonstrating how the grant of the application will serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity. Such demonstration shall consist of the following information, as applicable:

(a) The name, address, and telephone number of each applicant;

(b) The Government, State, or Territory under the laws of which each corporate or partnership applicant is organized;

(c) The name, title, post office address, and telephone number of the officer and any other contact point, such as legal counsel, to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(d) A statement as to whether the applicant has previously received authority under Section 214 of the Act and, if so, a general description of the categories of facilities and services authorized (i.e., authorized to provide international switched services on a facilities basis);

(e) One or more of the following statements, as pertinent:

(1) Global facilities-based authority. If applying for authority to become a facilities-based international common carrier subject to § 63.22 of this part, the applicant shall:

(i) State that it is requesting Section 214 authority to operate as a facilities-based carrier pursuant to § 63.18(e)(1) of this part of the Commission's rules;

(ii) List any countries for which the applicant does not request authorization under this paragraph (see § 63.22(a) of this part); and

(iii) Certify that it will comply with the terms and conditions contained in §§ 63.21 and 63.22 of this part.

(2) Global Resale Authority. If applying for authority to resell the international services of authorized common carriers subject to § 63.23, the applicant shall:

(i) State that it is requesting Section 214 authority to operate as a resale carrier pursuant to § 63.18(e)(2) of this section of the Commission's rules;

(ii) List any countries for which the applicant does not request authorization under this paragraph (see § 63.23(a) of this part); and

(iii) Certify that it will comply with the terms and conditions contained in §§ 63.21 and 63.23 of this part.

(3) Other authorizations. If applying for authority to acquire facilities or to provide services not covered by paragraphs (e)(1) and (e)(2) of this section, the applicant shall provide a description of the facilities and services for which it seeks authorization. The applicant shall certify that it will comply with the terms and conditions contained in §§ 63.21 and 63.22 and/or 63.23, as appropriate. Such description also shall include any additional information the Commission shall have specified previously in an order, public notice or other official action as necessary for authorization.

(f) Applicants may apply for any or all of the authority provided for in paragraph (e) of this section in the same application. The applicant may want to file separate applications for those services not subject to streamlined processing under § 63.12.

(g) Where the applicant is seeking facilities-based authority under paragraph (e)(3) of this section, a statement whether an authorization of the facilities is categorically excluded as defined by § 1.1306 of this chapter. If answered affirmatively, an environmental assessment as described in § 1.1311 of this chapter need not be filed with the application.

(h) The name, address, citizenship and principal businesses of any person or entity that directly or indirectly owns at least ten percent of the equity of the applicant, and the percentage of equity owned by each of those entities (to the nearest one percent). The applicant shall also identify any interlocking directorates with a foreign carrier.

Note to paragraph (h):

Ownership and other interests in U.S. and foreign carriers will be attributed to their holders and deemed cognizable pursuant to the following criteria: Attribution of ownership interests in a carrier that are held indirectly by any party through one or more intervening corporations will be determined by successive multiplication of the ownership percentages for each link in the vertical ownership chain and application of the relevant attribution benchmark to the resulting product, except that wherever the ownership percentage for any link in the chain that is equal to or exceeds 50 percent or represents actual control, it shall be treated as if it were a 100 percent interest. For example, if A owns 30 percent of company X, which owns 60 percent of company Y, which owns 26 percent of “carrier,” then X's interest in “carrier” would be 26 percent (the same as Y's interest because X's interest in Y exceeds 50 percent), and A's interest in “carrier” would be 7.8 percent (0.30 × 0.26 because A's interest in X is less than 50 percent). Under the 25 percent attribution benchmark, X's interest in “carrier” would be cognizable, while A's interest would not be cognizable.

(i) A certification as to whether or not the applicant is, or is affiliated with, a foreign carrier. The certification shall state with specificity each foreign country in which the applicant is, or is affiliated with, a foreign carrier.

(j) A certification as to whether or not the applicant seeks to provide international telecommunications services to any destination country for which any of the following is true. The certification shall state with specificity the foreign carriers and destination countries:

(1) The applicant is a foreign carrier in that country; or

(2) The applicant controls a foreign carrier in that country; or

(3) Any entity that owns more than 25 percent of the applicant, or that controls the applicant, controls a foreign carrier in that country.

(4) Two or more foreign carriers (or parties that control foreign carriers) own, in the aggregate, more than 25 percent of the applicant and are parties to, or the beneficiaries of, a contractual relation (e.g., a joint venture or market alliance) affecting the provision or marketing of international basic telecommunications services in the United States.

(k) For any country that the applicant has listed in response to paragraph (j) of this section that is not a member of the World Trade Organization, the applicant shall make a demonstration as to whether the foreign carrier has market power, or lacks market power, with reference to the criteria in § 63.10(a).

Note to paragraph (k):

Under § 63.10(a), the Commission presumes, subject to rebuttal, that a foreign carrier lacks market power in a particular foreign country if the applicant demonstrates that the foreign carrier lacks 50 percent market share in international transport facilities or services, including cable landing station access and backhaul facilities, intercity facilities or services, and local access facilities or services on the foreign end of a particular route.

(l) [Reserved]

(m) With respect to regulatory classification under § 63.10 of this part, any applicant that is or is affiliated with a foreign carrier in a country listed in response to paragraph (i) of this section and that desires to be regulated as non-dominant for the provision of particular international telecommunications services to that country should provide information in its application to demonstrate that it qualifies for non-dominant classification pursuant to § 63.10 of this part.

(n) A certification that the applicant has not agreed to accept special concessions directly or indirectly from any foreign carrier with respect to any U.S. international route where the foreign carrier possesses market power on the foreign end of the route and will not enter into such agreements in the future.

(o) A certification pursuant to §§ 1.2001 through 1.2003 of this chapter that no party to the application is subject to a denial of Federal benefits pursuant to Section 5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. See 21 U.S.C. 853a.

(p) If the applicant desires streamlined processing pursuant to § 63.12, a statement of how the application qualifies for streamlined processing.

(q) Any other information that may be necessary to enable the Commission to act on the application.

(r) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all applications described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[61 FR 15729, Apr. 9, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 32965, June 17, 1997; 62 FR 45762, Aug. 29, 1997; 62 FR 64755, Dec. 9, 1997; 63 FR 24121, May 1, 1998; 64 FR 19064, Apr. 19, 1999; 65 FR 60117, Oct. 10, 2000; 67 FR 45390, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38798, July 6, 2005; 72 FR 54366, Sept. 25, 2007; 78 FR 15623, Mar. 12, 2013; 79 FR 31877, June 3, 2014; 80 FR 45898, Aug. 3, 2015; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

(a) With the exception of those international carriers described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, any international carrier that seeks to discontinue, reduce, or impair service, including the retiring of international facilities, dismantling or removing of international trunk lines, shall be subject to the following procedures in lieu of those specified in §§ 63.61 through 63.602:

(1) The carrier shall notify all affected customers of the planned discontinuance, reduction or impairment at least 30 days prior to its planned action. Notice shall be in writing to each affected customer unless the Commission authorizes in advance, for good cause shown, another form of notice.

(2) The carrier shall file with this Commission a copy of the notification on the date on which notice has been given to all affected customers. The filing may be made by letter (sending an original and five copies to the Office of the Secretary, and a copy to the Chief, Office of International Affairs) and shall identify the geographic areas of the planned discontinuance, reduction or impairment and the authorization(s) pursuant to which the carrier provides service.

(b) The following procedures shall apply to any international carrier that the Commission has classified as dominant in the provision of a particular international service because the carrier possesses market power in the provision of that service on the U.S. end of the route. Any such carrier that seeks to retire international facilities, dismantle or remove international trunk lines, but does not discontinue, reduce or impair the dominant services being provided through these facilities, shall only be subject to the notification requirements of paragraph (a) of this section. If such carrier discontinues, reduces or impairs the dominant service, or retires facilities that impair or reduce the service, the carrier shall file an application pursuant to §§ 63.62 and 63.500.

(c) Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) carriers, as defined in § 20.9 of this chapter, are not subject to the provisions of this section.

(d) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 38798, July 6, 2005; 72 FR 54366, Sept. 25, 2007; 81 FR 62656, Sept. 12, 2016; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

(a) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. Each application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in subpart G of part 1 of this chapter. For applications filed electronically it is not necessary to send the original or any copies with the fee payment. For applications and other filings that are not submitted electronically, an original and five (5) copies of the submission must be filed with the Commission. Upon request by the Commission, additional copies shall be furnished.

(b) No application accepted for filing and subject to the provisions of §§ 63.18, 63.62 or 63.505 of this part shall be granted by the Commission earlier than 28 days following issuance of public notice by the Commission of the acceptance for filing of such application or any major amendment unless said public notice specifies another time period, or the application qualifies for streamlined processing pursuant to § 63.12 of this part.

(c) No application accepted for filing and subject to the streamlined processing provisions of § 63.12 of this part shall be granted by the Commission earlier than 14 days following issuance of public notice by the Commission of the acceptance for filing of such application or any major amendment unless said public notice specifies another time period.

(d) Any interested party may file a petition to deny an application within the time period specified in the public notice listing an application as accepted for filing and ineligible for streamlined processing. The petitioner shall serve a copy of such petition on the applicant no later than the date of filing thereof with the Commission. The petition shall contain specific allegations of fact sufficient to show that the petitioner is a party in interest and that a grant of the application would be prima facie inconsistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. Such allegations of fact shall, except for those of which official notice may be taken, be supported by affidavit of a person or persons with personal knowledge thereof. The applicant may file an opposition to any petition to deny within 14 days after the original pleading is filed. The petitioner may file a reply to such opposition within seven days after the time for filing oppositions has expired. Allegations of facts or denials thereof shall similarly be supported by affidavit. These responsive pleadings shall be served on the applicant or petitioner, as appropriate, and other parties to the proceeding.

[61 FR 15732, Apr. 9, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 19065, Apr. 19, 1999; 67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38798, July 6, 2005; 88 FR 21443, Apr. 10, 2023]

International carriers authorized under Section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, must follow the following requirements and prohibitions:

(a) Each carrier is responsible for the continuing accuracy of the certifications made in its application. Whenever the substance of any such certification is no longer accurate, the carrier shall as promptly as possible and, in any event, within thirty (30) days, file with the Commission a corrected certification referencing the FCC file number under which the original certification was provided. The information may be used by the Commission to determine whether a change in regulatory status may be warranted under § 63.10. See also § 63.11.

(b) Carriers must file copies of operating agreements entered into with their foreign correspondents as specified in § 43.51 of this chapter and shall otherwise comply with the filing requirements contained in that section.

(c) Carriers regulated as dominant for the provision of a particular international communications service on a particular route for any reason other than a foreign carrier affiliation under § 63.10 shall file tariffs pursuant to Section 203 of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 203, and part 61 of this chapter. Except as specified in § 20.15(d) of this chapter with respect to commercial mobile radio service providers, carriers regulated as non-dominant, as defined in § 61.3 of this chapter, and providing detariffed international services pursuant to § 61.19 of this chapter must comply with all applicable public disclosure and maintenance of information requirements in §§ 42.10 and 42.11 of this chapter.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Authorized carriers may not access or make use of specific U.S. customer proprietary network information that is derived from a foreign network unless the carrier obtains approval from that U.S. customer. In seeking to obtain approval, the carrier must notify the U.S. customer that the customer may require the carrier to disclose the information to unaffiliated third parties upon written request by the customer.

(f) Authorized carriers may not receive from a foreign carrier any proprietary or confidential information pertaining to a competing U.S. carrier, obtained by the foreign carrier in the course of its normal business dealings, unless the competing U.S. carrier provides its permission in writing.

(g) The Commission reserves the right to review a carrier's authorization, and, if warranted, impose additional requirements on U.S. international carriers in circumstances where it appears that harm to competition is occurring on one or more U.S. international routes.

(h) Subject to the requirement of § 63.10 that a carrier regulated as dominant along a route must provide service as an entity that is separate from its foreign carrier affiliate, and subject to any other structural-separation requirement in Commission regulations, an authorized carrier may provide service through any wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiaries. The carrier must, within thirty (30) days after the subsidiary begins providing service, file with the Commission a notification referencing the authorized carrier's name and the FCC file numbers under which the carrier's authorizations were granted and identifying the subsidiary's name and place of legal organization. This provision shall not be construed to authorize the provision of service by any entity barred by statute or regulation from itself holding an authorization or providing service.

(i) An authorized carrier, or a subsidiary operating pursuant to paragraph (h) of this section, that changes its name (including the name under which it is doing business) must notify the Commission within thirty (30) days of the name change. Such notification shall reference the FCC file numbers under which the carrier's authorizations were granted.

(j) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all notifications and other filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[61 FR 15732, Apr. 9, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 45762, Aug. 29, 1997; 62 FR 64758, Dec. 9, 1997; 64 FR 19065, Apr. 19, 1999; 66 FR 16881, Mar. 28, 2001; 67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002; 67 FR 57344, Sept. 10, 2002; 70 FR 38798, July 6, 2005; 78 FR 15624, Mar. 12, 2013; 82 FR 55331, Nov. 21, 2017; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

The following conditions apply to authorized facilities-based international carriers:

(a) A carrier authorized under § 63.18(e)(1) may provide international facilities-based services to international points for which it qualifies for non-dominant regulation as set forth in § 63.10, except in the following circumstance: If the carrier is, or is affiliated with, a foreign carrier in a destination market and the Commission has not determined that the foreign carrier lacks market power in the destination market (see § 63.10(a)), the carrier shall not provide service on that route unless it has received specific authority to do so under § 63.18(e)(3).

(b) The carrier may provide service using half-circuits on any U.S. common carrier and non-common carrier facilities that do not appear on an exclusion list published by the Commission. Carriers may also use any necessary non-U.S.-licensed facilities, including any submarine cable systems, that do not appear on the exclusion list. Carriers may not use U.S. earth stations to access non-U.S.-licensed satellite systems unless the Commission has specifically approved the use of those satellites and so indicates on the exclusion list. The exclusion list is available from the Office of International Affairs' website at https://www.fcc.gov/international-affairs.

(c) Specific authority under § 63.18(e)(3) is required for the carrier to provide service using any facilities listed on the exclusion list, to provide service between the United States and any country on the exclusion list, or to construct, acquire, or operate lines in any new major common carrier facility project.

(d) The carrier may provide international basic switched, private line, data, television and business services.

(e) The carrier shall file annual international circuit capacity reports as required by § 43.82 of this chapter.

(f) The terms and conditions of any operating or other agreement relating to the exchange of services, interchange or routing of traffic and matters concerning rates, accounting rates, division of tolls, the allocation of return traffic, or the basis of settlement of traffic balances, entered into by U.S. common carriers authorized pursuant to this part to provide facilities-based switched voice service on the U.S.-Cuba route in correspondence with a Cuban carrier that does not qualify for the presumption that it lacks market power in Cuba, shall be identical to the equivalent terms and conditions in the operating agreement of another carrier providing the same or similar service between the United States and Cuba. Carriers may seek waiver of this requirement. See International Settlements Policy Reform, Report and Order, IB Docket Nos. 11-80, 05-254, 09-10, RM 11322, FCC 12-145 (rel. November 29, 2012).

(g) A carrier or other party may request Commission intervention on any U.S. international route for which competitive problems are alleged by filing with the Office of International Affairs a petition, pursuant to this section, demonstrating anticompetitive behavior by foreign carriers that is harmful to U.S. customers. The Commission may also act on its own motion. Carriers and other parties filing complaints must support their petitions with evidence, including an affidavit and relevant commercial agreements. The Office of International Affairs will review complaints on a case-by-case basis and take appropriate action on delegated authority pursuant to § 0.261 of this chapter. Interested parties will have 10 days from the date of issuance of a public notice of the petition to file comments or oppositions to such petitions and subsequently 7 days for replies. In the event significant, immediate harm to the public interest is likely to occur that cannot be addressed through post facto remedies, the Office of International Affairs may impose temporary requirements on carriers authorized pursuant to § 63.18 without prejudice to its findings on such petitions.

(h) A carrier shall file with the Commission a list of U.S.-international routes for which it has an arrangement with a foreign carrier for direct termination in the foreign destination. The carrier shall notify the Commission within 30 days after it adds a termination arrangement for a new foreign destination or discontinues arrangements with a previously listed destination. The list shall be filed electronically in accordance with instructions from the Office of International Affairs.

(i) The authority granted under this part is subject to all Commission rules and regulations and any conditions or limitations stated in the Commission's public notice or order that serves as the carrier's Section 214 certificate. See §§ 63.12, 63.21 of this part.

(j) For purposes of this section, foreign carrier is defined in § 63.09. For purposes of this section, a foreign carrier shall be considered to possess market power if it appears on the Commission's list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power in particular foreign points. This list is available on the Office of International Affairs' website at https://www.fcc.gov/international-affairs. The Commission will include on the list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power in particular foreign points any foreign carrier that has 50 percent or more market share in the international transport or local access markets of a foreign point. A party that seeks to remove such a carrier from the Commission's list bears the burden of submitting information to the Commission sufficient to demonstrate that the foreign carrier lacks 50 percent market share in the international transport and local access markets on the foreign end of the route or that it nevertheless lacks sufficient market power on the foreign end of the route to affect competition adversely in the U.S. market. A party that seeks to add a carrier to the Commission's list bears the burden of submitting information to the Commission sufficient to demonstrate that the foreign carrier has 50 percent or more market share in the international transport or local access markets on the foreign end of the route or that it nevertheless has sufficient market power to affect competition adversely in the U.S. market.

[64 FR 19065, Apr. 19, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 34741, June 29, 1999; 67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 23154, Apr. 28, 2004; 78 FR 11112, Feb. 15, 2013; 78 FR 15624, Mar. 12, 2013; 82 FR 55331, Nov. 21, 2017; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

The following conditions apply to carriers authorized to resell the international services of other authorized carriers:

(a) A carrier authorized under § 63.18(e)(2) may provide resold international services to international points for which the applicant qualifies for non-dominant regulation as set forth in § 63.10, except that the carrier may not provide either of the following services unless it has received specific authority to do so under § 63.18(e)(3):

(1) Resold switched services to a non-WTO Member country where the applicant is, or is affiliated with, a foreign carrier; and

(2) Switched or private line services over resold private lines to a destination market where the applicant is, or is affiliated with, a foreign carrier and the Commission has not determined that the foreign carrier lacks market power in the destination market (see § 63.10(a)).

(b) The carrier may not resell the international services of an affiliated carrier regulated as dominant on the route to be served unless it has received specific authority to do so under § 63.18(e)(3).

(c) Subject to the limitations specified in paragraph (b) of this section and in § 63.17(b), the carrier may provide service by reselling the international services of any other authorized U.S. common carrier or foreign carrier, or by entering into a roaming or other arrangement with a foreign carrier, for the provision of international basic switched, private line, data, television and business services to all international points.

Note to paragraph (c):

For purposes of this paragraph, a roaming arrangement with a foreign carrier is defined as an arrangement under which the subscribers of a U.S. commercial mobile radio service provider use the facilities of a foreign carrier with which the subscriber has no direct pre-existing service or financial relationship to place a call from the foreign country to the United States.

(d) The carrier may provide switched basic services over its authorized resold private lines in either of the following two circumstances:

(1) The country at the foreign end of the private line appears on the Commission's list of international routes exempted from the international settlements policy set forth in § 64.1002 of this chapter; or

(2) The carrier is exchanging switched traffic with a foreign carrier that lacks market power in the country at the foreign end of the private line. A foreign carrier lacks market power for purposes of this section if it does not appear on the Commission's list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power in particular foreign points.

Note 2 to paragraph (d):

The Commission's list of international routes exempted from the international settlements policy, and the Commission's list of foreign carriers that do not qualify for the presumption that they lack market power in particular foreign points are available on the Office of International Affairs' website at https://www.fcc.gov/international-affairs.

(e) The authority granted under this part is subject to all Commission rules and regulations and any conditions or limitations stated in the Commission's public notice or order that serves as the carrier's Section 214 certificate. See §§ 63.12, 63.21 of this part.

[64 FR 19066, Apr. 19, 1999, as amended at 64 FR 34741, June 29, 1999; 67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 23154, Apr. 28, 2004; 72 FR 54366, Sept. 25, 2007; 76 FR 42573, July 19, 2011; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 76387, Nov. 27, 2020.

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided in this section, an international section 214 authorization may be assigned, or control of such authorization may be transferred by the transfer of control of any entity holding such authorization, to another party, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, only upon application to and prior approval by the Commission.

(b) Assignments. For purposes of this section, an assignment of an authorization is a transaction in which the authorization is assigned from one entity to another entity. Following an assignment, the authorization is held by an entity other than the one to which it was originally granted.

Note to paragraph (b):

The sale of a customer base, or a portion of a customer base, by a carrier to another carrier, is a sale of assets and shall be treated as an assignment, which requires prior Commission approval under this section.

(c) Transfers of control. For purposes of this section, a transfer of control is a transaction in which the authorization remains held by the same entity, but there is a change in the entity or entities that control the authorization holder. A change from less than 50 percent ownership to 50 percent or more ownership shall always be considered a transfer of control. A change from 50 percent or more ownership to less than 50 percent ownership shall always be considered a transfer of control. In all other situations, whether the interest being transferred is controlling must be determined on a case-by-case basis with reference to the factors listed in Note to paragraph (c).

(d) Pro forma assignments and transfers of control. Transfers of control or assignments that do not result in a change in the actual controlling party are considered non-substantial or pro forma. Whether there has been a change in the actual controlling party must be determined on a case-by-case basis with reference to the factors listed in Note 1 to this paragraph (d). The types of transactions listed in Note 2 to this paragraph (d) shall be considered presumptively pro forma and prior approval from the Commission need not be sought.

Note 1 to paragraph (d):

Because the issue of control inherently involves issues of fact, it must be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary with the circumstances presented by each case. The factors relevant to a determination of control in addition to equity ownership include, but are not limited to the following: power to constitute or appoint more than fifty percent of the board of directors or partnership management committee; authority to appoint, promote, demote and fire senior executives that control the day-to-day activities of the licensee; ability to play an integral role in major management decisions of the licensee; authority to pay financial obligations, including expenses arising out of operations; ability to receive monies and profits from the facility's operations; and unfettered use of all facilities and equipment.

Note 2 to paragraph (d):

If a transaction is one of the types listed further, the transaction is presumptively pro forma and prior approval need not be sought. In all other cases, the relevant determination shall be made on a case-by-case basis. Assignment from an individual or individuals (including partnerships) to a corporation owned and controlled by such individuals or partnerships without any substantial change in their relative interests; Assignment from a corporation to its individual stockholders without effecting any substantial change in the disposition of their interests; Assignment or transfer by which certain stockholders retire and the interest transferred is not a controlling one; Corporate reorganization that involves no substantial change in the beneficial ownership of the corporation (including re-incorporation in a different jurisdiction or change in form of the business entity); Assignment or transfer from a corporation to a wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary thereof or vice versa, or where there is an assignment from a corporation to a corporation owned or controlled by the assignor stockholders without substantial change in their interests; or Assignment of less than a controlling interest in a partnership.

(e) Applications for substantial transactions. (1) In the case of an assignment or transfer of control shall of an international section 214 authorization that is not pro forma, the proposed assignee or transferee must apply to the Commission for authority prior to consummation of the proposed assignment or transfer of control.

(2) The application shall include the information requested in paragraphs (a) through (d) of § 63.18 for both the transferor/assignor and the transferee/assignee. The information requested in paragraphs (h) through (p) of § 63.18 is required only for the transferee/assignee. At the beginning of the application, the applicant shall include a narrative of the means by which the proposed transfer or assignment will take place.

(3) The Commission reserves the right to request additional information as to the particulars of the transaction to aid it in making its public interest determination.

(4) An assignee or transferee must notify the Commission no later than thirty (30) days after either consummation of the proposed assignment or transfer of control, or a decision not to consummate the proposed assignment or transfer of control. The notification shall identify the file numbers under which the initial authorization and the authorization of the assignment or transfer of control were granted.

(f) Notifications for non-substantial or pro forma transactions. (1) In the case of a pro forma assignment or transfer of control, the section 214 authorization holder is not required to seek prior Commission approval.

(2) A pro forma assignee or a carrier that is subject to a pro forma transfer of control must file a notification with the Commission no later than thirty (30) days after the assignment or transfer is completed. The notification must contain the following:

(i) The information requested in paragraphs (a) through (d) and (h) of § 63.18 for the transferee/assignee;

(ii) A certification that the transfer of control or assignment was pro forma and that, together with all previous pro forma transactions, does not result in a change in the actual controlling party.

(3) A single notification may be filed for an assignment or transfer of control of more than one authorization if each authorization is identified by the file number under which it was granted.

(4) Upon release of a public notice granting a pro forma assignment or transfer of control, petitions for reconsideration under § 1.106 of this chapter or applications for review under § 1.115 of this chapter of the Commission's rules may be filed within 30 days. Petitioner should address why the assignment or transfer of control in question should have been filed under paragraph (e) of this section rather than under this paragraph (f).

(g) Involuntary assignments or transfers of control. In the case of an involuntary assignment or transfer of control to: a bankruptcy trustee appointed under involuntary bankruptcy; an independent receiver appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction in a foreclosure action; or, in the case of death or legal disability, to a person or entity legally qualified to succeed the deceased or disabled person under the laws of the place having jurisdiction over the estate involved; the applicant must make the appropriate filing no later than 30 days after the event causing the involuntary assignment or transfer of control.

(h) Electronic filing. Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all applications and notifications described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.10000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[67 FR 45391, July 9, 2002, as amended at 70 FR 38799, July 6, 2005; 72 FR 54366, Sept. 25, 2007; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

(a) For the purpose of this section the following definitions shall apply:

(1) Temporary service shall mean service for a period not exceeding 6 months;

(2) Emergency service shall mean service for which there is an immediate need occasioned by conditions unforeseen by, and beyond the control of, the carrier.

(b) Applicants seeking immediate authorization to provide temporary service or emergency service must file their request with the Commission. Requests must set forth why such immediate authority is required; the nature of the emergency; the type of facilities proposed to be used; the route kilometers thereof; the terminal communities to be served, and airline kilometers between such communities; how these points are currently being served by the applicant or other carriers; the need for the proposed service; the cost involved, including any rentals, the date on which the service is to begin, and where known, the date or approximate date on which the service to is terminate.

(c) Without regard to the other requirements of this part, and by application setting forth the need therefore, any carrier may request continuing authority, subject to termination by the Commission at any time upon ten (10) days' notice to the carrier, to provide temporary or emergency service by the construction or installation of facilities where the estimated construction, installation, and acquisition costs do not exceed $35,000 or an annual rental of not more than $7,000 provided that such project does not involve a major action under the Commission's environmental rules. (See subpart I of part 1 of this chapter.) Any carrier to which continuing authority has been granted under this paragraph shall, not later than the 30th day following the end of each 6-month period covered by such authority, file with the Commission a statement making reference to this paragraph and setting forth, with respect to each project (construction, installation, lease, including any renewals thereof), which was commenced or, in the case of leases, entered into under such authority, and renewal or renewals thereof which were in continuous effect for a period of more than one week, the following information:

(1) The type of facility constructed, installed, or leased;

(2) The route kilometers thereof (excluding leased facilities);

(3) The terminal communities served and the airline kilometers between terminal communities in the proposed project;

(4) The cost thereof, including construction, installation, or lease;

(5) Where appropriate, the name of the lessor company, and the dates of commencement and termination of the lease.

(d)(1) A request may be made by any carrier for continuing authority to lease and operate, during any emergency when its regular facilities become inoperative or inadequate to handle its traffic, facilities or any other carrier between points between which applicant is authorized to communicate by radio for the transmission of traffic which applicant is authorized to handle.

(2) Such request shall make reference to this paragraph and set forth the points between which applicant desires to operate facilities of other carriers and the nature of the traffic to be handled.

(3) Continuing authority for the operation thereafter of such alternate facilities during emergencies shall be deemed granted effective as of the 21st day following the filing of the request unless on or before that date the Commission shall notify the applicant to the contrary: provided, however, Applicant shall, not later than the 30th day following the end of each quarter in which it has operated facilities of any other carrier pursuant to authority granted under this paragraph, file with the Commission a statement in writing making reference to this paragraph and describing each occasion during the quarter when it has operated such facilities, giving dates, points between which such facilities were located, hours or minutes used, nature of traffic handled, and reasons why its own facilities could not be used.

(e) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all applications and notifications described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

(Sec. 303, 48 Stat. 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 303) [28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 41 FR 20662, May 20, 1976; 58 FR 44906, Aug. 25, 1993. Redesignated and amended at 64 FR 39939, July 23, 1999; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38799, July 6, 2005; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

Any application may be amended as a matter of right prior to the date of any final action taken by the Commission or designation for hearing. Amendments to applications shall be signed and submitted in the same manner, and with the same number of copies as was the original application. If a petition to deny or other formal objections have been filed to the application, the amendment shall be served on the parties.

(Sec. 303, 48 Stat. 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 303) [41 FR 20662, May 20, 1976]

(a) You must provide additional information if the Commission requests you to do so after it initially reviews your application or request.

(b) If you do not respond to the request or other official correspondence, the Commission may dismiss your application without prejudice and you may file again with a completed application.

(c) Any additional information which the Commission may require must be submitted in the same manner as was the original filing. For information on filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs, and § 63.20.

[69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004, as amended at 70 FR 38799, July 6, 2005; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

(a) Applications filed under section 214 of the Communications Act for domestic authority must be filed electronically with the Commission through the Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). Each domestic transfer of control application shall be accompanied by the fee prescribed in subpart G of part 1 of this chapter.

(b) No application accepted for filing and subject to part 63 of these rules, unless provided for otherwise, shall be granted by the Commission earlier than 30 days following issuance of public notice by the Commission of the acceptance for filing of such application or any major amendment unless said public notice specifies another time period.

(c) Any interested party may file a petition to deny an application within the 30-day or other time period specified in paragraph (b) of this section. The petitioner shall serve a copy of such petition on the applicant via electronic mail or paper copy no later than the date of filing thereof with the Commission. The petition shall contain specific allegations of fact sufficient to show that the petitioner is a party in interest and that a grant of the application would be prima facie inconsistent with the public interest, convenience and necessity. Such allegations of fact shall, except for those of which official notice may be taken, be supported by affidavit of a person or persons with personal knowledge thereof. The applicant may file an opposition to any petition to deny, and the petitioners may file a reply to such opposition (see § 1.45 of this chapter), and allegations of facts or denials thereof shall similarly be supported by affidavit. These responsive pleadings shall be served on the applicant or petitioners, as appropriate, and other parties to the proceeding.

(Sec. 303, 48 Stat. 1082, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 303) [41 FR 20662, May 20, 1976; 41 FR 22274, June 2, 1976, as amended at 42 FR 36459, July 15, 1977; 61 FR 10476, Mar. 14, 1996; 61 FR 59201, Nov. 21, 1996; 64 FR 39939, July 23, 1999; 80 FR 1588, Jan. 13, 2015]

(a) Applications for international service under section 214 of the Communications Act must be filed electronically with the Commission. Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all applications and other filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.10000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs.

(b) Applications for domestic service under section 214 of the Communications Act must be filed electronically with the Commission. For applications filed electronically and subject to a processing fee it is not necessary to send the original or any copies with the fee payment. Unless specified otherwise all applications and other filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the “Submit a Non-Docketed Filing” module of the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System. For information on electronic filing requirements, see the ECFS homepage at http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/. See also § 63.52.

(c) Applications submitted under Section 214 of the Communications Act for international services and any related pleadings that are in a foreign language shall be accompanied by a certified translation in English.

[61 FR 15733, Apr. 9, 1996, as amended at 67 FR 45392, July 9, 2002; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38799, July 6, 2005; 80 FR 1588, Jan. 13, 2015; 85 FR 17285, Mar. 27, 2020; 88 FR 21444, Apr. 10, 2023]

For the purposes of this part, the following definitions shall apply:

(a) For the purposes of §§ 63.60 through 63.90, the term “carrier,” when used to refer either to all telecommunications carriers or more specifically to non-dominant telecommunications carriers, shall include interconnected VoIP providers.

(b) Discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service includes, but is not limited to the following:

(1) The closure by a carrier of a telephone exchange rendering interstate or foreign telephone toll service, a public toll station serving a community or part of a community, or a public coast station as defined in § 80.5 of this chapter;

(2) The reduction in hours of service by a carrier at a telephone exchange rendering interstate or foreign telephone toll service, at any public toll station (except at a toll station at which the availability of service to the public during any specific hours is subject to the control of the agent or other persons controlling the premises on which such office or toll station is located and is not subject to the control of such carrier), or at a public coast station; the term reduction in hours of service does not include a shift in hours which does not result in any reduction in the number of hours of service.

(3) The conversion of an interconnected VoIP service to a service that permits users to receive calls that originate on the public switched telephone network but not terminate calls to the public switched telephone network, or the converse.

(4) The dismantling or removal from service of any trunk line by a carrier which has the effect of impairing the adequacy or quality of service rendered to any community or part of a community;

(5) The severance by a carrier of physical connection with another carrier (including connecting carriers as defined in section 3(u) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended) or the termination or suspension of the interchange of traffic with such other carrier;

(c) Emergency discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service means any discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of the service of a carrier occasioned by conditions beyond the control of such carrier where the original service is not restored or comparable service is not established within a reasonable time. For the purpose of this part, a reasonable time shall be deemed to be a period not in excess of the following: 10 days in the case of public coast stations; and 60 days in all other cases.

(d) Grandfather means to maintain the provision of a service to existing customers while ceasing to offer that service to new customers.

(e) The term “interconnected VoIP provider” is an entity that provides interconnected VoIP service as that term is defined in § 9.3 of this chapter.

(f) Public toll station means a public telephone station, located in a community, through which a carrier provides service to the public, and which is connected directly to a toll line operated by such carrier.

(g) For the purposes of §§ 63.60 through 63.90, the term “service,” when used to refer to a real-time, two-way voice communications service, shall include interconnected VoIP service as that term is defined in § 9.3 of this chapter but shall not include any interconnected VoIP service that is a “mobile service” as defined in § 20.3 of this chapter.

(h) You. In this section, “You” refers to applicants and licensees.

(i) The term “technology transition” means any change in service that would result in the replacement of a wireline TDM-based voice service with a service using a different technology or medium for transmission to the end user, whether internet Protocol (IP), wireless, or another type; except that retirement of copper, as defined in § 51.325(a)(3) of this chapter, that does not result in a discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service requiring Commission authorization pursuant to this part shall not constitute a “technology transition” for purposes of this part.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980; 51 FR 31305, Sept. 2, 1986; 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 74 FR 39563, Aug. 7, 2009; 81 FR 62656, Sept. 12, 2016; 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017; 82 FR 61478, Dec. 28, 2017; 85 FR 84265, Dec. 28, 2020]

Any carrier subject to the provisions of section 214 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, proposing to discontinue, reduce or impair interstate or foreign telephone service to a community, or a part of a community, shall request authority therefor by formal application or informal request as specified in the pertinent sections of this part:

(a) Provided, however, that where service is expanded on an experimental basis for a temporary period of not more than 6 months, no application shall be required to reduce service to its status prior to such expansion but a written notice shall be filed with the Commission within 10 days of the reduction showing:

(1) The date on which, places at which, and extent to which service was expanded; and,

(2) The date on which, places at which, and extent to which such expansion of service was discontinued.

(b) And provided further that a licensee of a radio station who has filed an application for authority to discontinue service provided by such station shall during the period that such application is pending before the Commission, continue to file appropriate applications as may be necessary for extension or renewal of station license in order to provide legal authorization for such station to continue in operation pending final action on the application for discontinuance of service. Procedures for discontinuance, reduction or impairment of service by dominant and non-dominant, domestic carriers are in § 63.71. Procedures for discontinuance, reduction or impairment of international services are in § 63.19.

[71 FR 65751, Nov. 9, 2006, as amended at 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017]

Authority for the following types of discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service shall be requested by formal application containing the information required by the Commission in the appropriate sections to this part, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, or in emergency cases (as defined in § 63.60(b)) as provided in § 63.63:

(a) The dismantling or removal of a trunk line (for contents of application see § 63.500) for all domestic carriers and for dominant international carriers except as modified in § 63.19;

(b) The severance of physical connection or the termination or suspension of the interchange of traffic with another carrier (for contents of application, see § 63.501);

(c) [Reserved]

(d) The closure of a public toll station where no other such toll station of the applicant in the community will continue service (for contents of application, see § 63.504): Provided, however, That no application shall be required under this part with respect to the closure of a toll station located in a community where telephone toll service is otherwise available to the public through a telephone exchange connected with the toll lines of a carrier;

(e) Any other type of discontinuance, reduction or impairment of telephone service not specifically provided for by other provisions of this part (for contents of application, see § 63.505);

(f) An application may be filed requesting authority to make a type of reduction in service under specified standards and conditions in lieu of individual applications for each instance coming within the type of reduction in service proposed.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980; 60 FR 35509, July 10, 1995; 61 FR 15733, Apr. 9, 1996]

(a) Application for authority for emergency discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service shall be made by electronically filing an informal request through the “Submit a Non-Docketed Filing” module of the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System. Such requests shall be made as soon as practicable but not later than 15 days in the case of public coast stations, or 65 days in all other cases, after the occurrence of the conditions which have occasioned the discontinuance, reduction, or impairment. The request shall make reference to this section and show the following:

(1) The effective date of such discontinuance, reduction, or impairment, and the identification of the service area affected;

(2) The nature and estimated duration of the conditions causing the discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(3) The facts showing that such conditions could not reasonably have been foreseen by the carrier in sufficient time to prevent such discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(4) A description of the service involved;

(5) The nature of service which will be available or substituted;

(6) The effect upon rates to any person in the community;

(7) The efforts made and to be made by applicant to restore the original service or establish comparable service as expeditiously as possible.

(b) Authority for the emergency discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service for a period of 60 days shall be deemed to have been granted by the Commission effective as of the date of the filing of the request unless, on or before the 15th day after the date of filing, the Commission shall notify the carrier to the contrary. Renewal of such authority may be requested by letter or telegram, filed with the Commission not later than 10 days prior to the expiration of such 60-day period, making reference to this section and showing that such conditions may reasonably be expected to continue for a further period and what efforts the applicant has made to restore the original or establish comparable service. If the same or comparable service is reestablished before the termination of the emergency authorization, the carrier shall notify the Commission promptly. However, the Commission may, upon specific request of the carrier and upon a proper showing, contained in such informal request, authorize such discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service for an indefinite period or permanently.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980; 80 FR 1588, Jan. 13, 2015]

(a) Except in emergency cases (as defined in § 63.60(b) and as provided in § 63.63), authority to close a public toll station in a community in which another toll station of the applicant will continue service shall be requested by an informal request, filed in quintuplicate, making reference to this paragraph and showing the following:

(1) Location of toll station to be closed and distance from nearest toll station to be retained;

(2) Description of service area affected, including approximate population and character of the business of the community;

(3) Average number of toll telephone messages sent-paid and received-collect for the preceding six months;

(4) [Reserved]

(5) Statement of reasons for desiring to close the station.

(b) Authority for closures requested under paragraph (a) of this section shall be deemed to have been granted by the Commission effective as of the 15th day following the date of filing such request unless, on or before the 15th day, the Commission shall notify the carrier to the contrary.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017]

Where a carrier desires to close or reduce hours of service at a telephone exchange located at a military establishment because of the deactivation of such establishment, it may, in lieu of filing formal application, file in quintuplicate an informal request. Such request shall make reference to this section and shall set forth the class of office, address, date of proposed closure or reduction, description of service to remain or be substituted, statement as to any difference in charges to the public, and the reasons for the proposed closure or reduction. Authority for such closure or reduction shall be deemed to have been granted by the Commission, effective as of the 15th day following the date of filing of such request, unless, on or before the 15th day, the Commission shall notify the carrier to the contrary.

[45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980]

Any domestic carrier that seeks to discontinue, reduce or impair service shall be subject to the following procedures:

(a) The carrier shall notify all affected customers of the planned discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service and shall notify and submit a copy of its application to the public utility commission and to the Governor of the State in which the discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service is proposed; to any federally-recognized Tribal Nations with authority over the Tribal lands in which the discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service is proposed; and also to the Secretary of Defense, Attn. Special Assistant for Telecommunications, Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301. Notice shall be in writing to each affected customer unless the Commission authorizes in advance, for good cause shown, another form of notice. For purposes of this section, notice by email constitutes notice in writing. Notice shall include the following:

(1) Name and address of carrier;

(2) Date of planned service discontinuance, reduction or impairment;

(3) Points of geographic areas of service affected;

(4) Brief description of type of service affected; and

(5) One of the following statements:

(i) If the carrier is non-dominant with respect to the service being discontinued, reduced or impaired, the notice shall state: The FCC will normally authorize this proposed discontinuance of service (or reduction or impairment) unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. If you wish to object, you should file your comments as soon as possible, but no later than 15 days after the Commission releases public notice of the proposed discontinuance. You may file your comments electronically through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System using the docket number established in the Commission's public notice for this proceeding, or you may address them to the Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division, Washington, DC 20554, and include in your comments a reference to the § 63.71 Application of (carrier's name). Comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance (or reduction or impairment) upon you or your company, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service.

(ii) If the carrier is dominant with respect to the service being discontinued, reduced or impaired, the notice shall state: The FCC will normally authorize this proposed discontinuance of service (or reduction or impairment) unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. If you wish to object, you should file your comments as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days after the Commission releases public notice of the proposed discontinuance. You may file your comments electronically through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System using the docket number established in the Commission's public notice for this proceeding, or you may address them to the Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division, Washington, DC 20554, and include in your comments a reference to the § 63.71 Application of (carrier's name). Comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance (or reduction or impairment) upon you or your company, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service.

(6) For applications to discontinue, reduce, or impair an existing retail service as part of a technology transition, as defined in § 63.60(i), except for applications meeting the requirements of paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section, in order to be eligible for automatic grant under paragraph (f) of this section:

(i) A statement that any service offered in place of the service being discontinued, reduced, or impaired may not provide line power;

(ii) The information required by § 12.5(d)(1) of this chapter;

(iii) A description of any security responsibilities the customer will have regarding the replacement service; and

(iv) A list of the steps the customer may take to ensure safe use of the replacement service.

(b) If a carrier uses email to provide notice to affected customers, it must comply with the following requirements in addition to the requirements generally applicable to the notice:

(1) The carrier must have previously obtained express, verifiable, prior approval from retail customers to send notices via email regarding their service in general, or planned discontinuance, reduction, or impairment in particular;

(2) A carrier must ensure that the subject line of the message clearly and accurately identifies the subject matter of the email; and

(3) Any email notice returned to the carrier as undeliverable will not constitute the provision of notice to the customer.

(c) The carrier shall file with this Commission, on or after the date on which notice has been given to all affected customers, an application which shall contain the following:

(1) Caption—“Section 63.71 Application”;

(2) Information listed in § 63.71(a) (1) through (4) above;

(3) Brief description of the dates and methods of notice to all affected customers;

(4) Whether the carrier is considered dominant or non-dominant with respect to the service to be discontinued, reduced or impaired; and

(5) Any other information the Commission may require.

(d) [Reserved]

(e) Discontinuance applications and all related attachments to the application filed under this section shall be filed through the “Submit a Non-Docketed Filing” module of the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System.

(f)(1) The application to discontinue, reduce, or impair service, if filed by a domestic, non-dominant carrier, or any carrier meeting the requirements of paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section, shall be automatically granted on the 31st day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective. The application to discontinue, reduce, or impair service, if filed by a domestic, dominant carrier, shall be automatically granted on the 60th day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective. For purposes of this section, an application will be deemed filed on the date the Commission releases public notice of the filing.

(2) An application to discontinue, reduce, or impair an existing retail service as part of a technology transition, as defined in § 63.60(i), may be automatically granted only if:

(i) The applicant provides affected customers with the notice required under paragraph (a)(6) of this section, and the application contains the showing or certification described in § 63.602(b); or

(ii) The applicant:

(A) Offers a stand-alone interconnected VoIP service, as defined in § 9.3 of this chapter, throughout the affected service area, and

(B) At least one other alternative stand-alone facilities-based wireline or wireless voice service is available from another unaffiliated provider throughout the affected service area.

(iii) For purposes of this paragraph (f)(2), “stand-alone” means that a customer is not required to purchase a separate broadband service to access the voice service.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a carrier is not required to file an application to discontinue, reduce, or impair a service for which the requesting carrier has had no customers or reasonable requests for service during the 30-day period immediately preceding the discontinuance.

(h) An application to discontinue, reduce, or impair an existing retail service as part of a technology transition, as defined in § 63.60(i), except for an application meeting the requirements of paragraphs (f)(2)(ii) and (k) of this section, shall contain the information required by § 63.602. The certification or showing described in § 63.602(b) is only required if the applicant seeks eligibility for automatic grant under paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section.

(i) An application to discontinue, reduce, or impair a service filed by a competitive local exchange carrier in response to a copper retirement notice filed pursuant to § 51.333 of this chapter shall be automatically granted on the effective date of the copper retirement; provided that:

(1) The competitive local exchange carrier submits the application to the Commission for filing at least 40 days prior to the copper retirement effective date; and

(2) The application includes a certification, executed by an officer or other authorized representative of the applicant and meeting the requirements of § 1.16 of this chapter, that the copper retirement is the basis for the application.

(j) Procedures for discontinuance, reduction or impairment of international services are in § 63.19.

(k) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)(5), (a)(6), and (f) of this section, the following requirements apply to applications for legacy voice services or data services operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps:

(1) Where any carrier, dominant or non-dominant, seeks to:

(i) Grandfather any legacy voice service;

(ii) Grandfather any data service operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps; or

(iii) Discontinue, reduce, or impair a legacy data service operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps that has been grandfathered for a period of no less than 180 days consistent with the criteria established in paragraph (k)(2) of this section, the notice shall state:

The FCC will normally authorize this proposed discontinuance of service (or reduction or impairment) unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. If you wish to object, you should file your comments as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days after the Commission releases public notice of the proposed discontinuance. You may file your comments electronically through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System using the docket number established in the Commission's public notice for this proceeding, or you may address them to the Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division, Washington, DC 20554, and include in your comments a reference to the § 63.71 Application of (carrier's name). Comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance (or reduction or impairment) upon you or your company, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service.

(2) For applications to discontinue, reduce, or impair a legacy data service operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps that has been grandfathered for a period of no less than 180 days, in order to be eligible for automatic grant under paragraph (k)(4) of this section, an applicant must include in its application a statement confirming that it received Commission authority to grandfather the service at issue at least 180 days prior to filing the current application.

(3) An application filed by any carrier seeking to grandfather any legacy voice service or to grandfather any data service operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps for existing customers shall be automatically granted on the 25th day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.

(4) An application filed by any carrier seeking to discontinue, reduce, or impair a legacy data service operating at speeds lower than 1.544 Mbps that has been grandfathered for 180 days or more preceding the filing of the application, shall be automatically granted on the 31st day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant, unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.

(l) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)(5), (a)(6), and (f) of this section, the following requirements apply to applications for data services operating at or above 1.544 Mbps in both directions but below 25 Mbps download, and 3 Mbps upload, provided that the carrier offers alternative fixed data services in the affected service area at speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload:

(1) Where any carrier, dominant or non-dominant, seeks to:

(i) Grandfather such data service; or

(ii) Discontinue, reduce, or impair such data service that has been grandfathered for a period of no less than 180 days consistent with the criteria established in paragraph (l)(2) of this section, the notice to all affected customers shall state:

The FCC will normally authorize this proposed discontinuance of service (or reduction or impairment) unless it is shown that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and necessity is otherwise adversely affected. If you wish to object, you should file your comments as soon as possible, but no later than 10 days after the Commission releases public notice of the proposed discontinuance. You may file your comments electronically through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System using the docket number established in the Commission's public notice for this proceeding, or you may address them to the Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau, Competition Policy Division, Washington, DC 20554, and include in your comments a reference to the § 63.71 Application of (carrier's name). Comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance (or reduction or impairment) upon you or your company, including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service.

(2) For applications to discontinue, reduce, or impair such data service that has been grandfathered for a period of no less than 180 days, in order to be eligible for automatic grant under paragraph (l)(4) of this section, an applicant must include in its application a statement confirming that it received Commission authority to grandfather the service at issue at least 180 days prior to filing the current application.

(3) An application seeking to grandfather such a data service shall be automatically granted on the 25th day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.

(4) An application seeking to discontinue, reduce, or impair such a data service that has been grandfathered under this section for 180 days or more preceding the filing of the application, shall be automatically granted on the 31st day after its filing with the Commission without any Commission notification to the applicant, unless the Commission has notified the applicant that the grant will not be automatically effective.

[64 FR 39939, July 23, 1999, as amended at 71 FR 65751, Nov. 9, 2006; 73 FR 56741, Sept. 30, 2008; 80 FR 1588, Jan. 13, 2015; 80 FR 63373, Oct. 19, 2015; 81 FR 62656, Sept. 12, 2016; 82 FR 25711, June 2, 2017; 82 FR 61478, Dec. 28, 2017; 83 FR 31675, July 9, 2018]

(a) Immediately upon the filing of an application or informal request (except a request under § 63.71) for authority to close or otherwise discontinue the operation, or reduce the hours of service at a telephone exchange (except an exchange located at a military establishment), the applicant shall post a public notice at least 51 cm by 61 cm (20 inches by 24 inches), with letter of commensurate size, in a conspicuous place in the exchange affected, and also in the window of any such exchange having window space fronting on a public street at street level. Such notice shall be posted at least 14 days and shall contain the following information, as may be applicable:

(1) Date of first posting of notice;

(2) Name of applicant;

(3) A statement that application has been made to the Federal Communications Commission;

(4) Date when application was filed in the Commission;

(5) A description of the discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service for which authority is sought including the address or other appropriate identification of the exchange or station involved;

(6) If applicant proposes to reduce hours of service, a description of present and proposed hours of service;

(7) A complete description of the substitute service, if any, to be provided if the application is granted.

(8) A statement that any member of the public desiring to protest or support the application may communicate in writing with the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC 20554, on or before a specified date which shall be 20 days from the date of first posting of the notice.

(b) Immediately upon the filing of an application or informal request of the nature described in paragraph (a) of this section, the applicant shall also cause to be published a notice of not less than 10 column centimeters (4 column inches) in size containing information similar to that specified in paragraph (a), at least once during each of 2 consecutive weeks, in some newspaper of general circulation in the community or part of the community affected.

(c) Immediately upon the filing of an application or informal request or upon the filing of a formal application to close a public toll station (except a toll station located at a military establishment), applicant shall post a public notice at least A3 (29.7 cm × 42.0 cm) or 11 in × 17 in (27.9 cm × 43.2 cm) in size as provided in paragraph (a) of this section or, in lieu thereof, applicant shall cause to be published a newspaper notice as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) Immediately upon the filing of any application or informal request for authority to discontinue, reduce, or impair service, or any notice of resumption of service under § 63.63(b), the applicant shall give written notice of the filing together with a copy of such application to the State Commission (as defined in section 3(t) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended) of each State in which any discontinuance, reduction or impairment is proposed.

(e) When the posting, publication, and notification as required in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this section have been completed, applicant shall report such fact to the Commission, stating the name of the newspaper in which publication was made, the name of the Commissions notified, and the dates of posting, publication, and notification.

[45 FR 6585, Jan. 29, 1980, as amended at 45 FR 76169, Nov. 18, 1980; 58 FR 44907, Aug. 25, 1993; 60 FR 35510, July 10, 1995]

The requirements for communications providers concerning communications disruptions and the filing of outage reports are set forth in part 4 of this chapter.

[69 FR 70342, Dec. 3, 2004]

The application shall contain:

(a) The name and address of each applicant;

(b) The name, title, and post office address of the officer to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(c) Nature of proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(d) Identification of community or part of community involved and date on which applicant desires to make proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment effective; if for a temporary period only, indicate the approximate period for which authorization is desired;

(e) Proposed new tariff listing, if any, and difference, if any, between present charges to the public and charges for the service to be substituted;

(f) Description of the service area affected including population and general character of business of the community;

(g) Name of any other carrier or carriers providing telephone service to the community;

(h) Statement of the reasons for proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(i) Statement of the factors showing that neither present nor future public convenience and necessity would be adversely affected by the granting of the application;

(j) Description of any previous discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to the community affected by the application, which has been made by the applicant during the 12 months preceding filing of application, and statement of any present plans for future discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to such community;

(k) A map or sketch showing:

(1) Routes of line proposed to be removed from service and of alternate lines, if any, to be retained;

(2) Type and ownership of structures (open wire, aerial cable, underground cable, carrier systems, etc.);

(3) Cities and towns along routes with approximate population of each, and route kilometers between the principal points;

(4) Location of important operating centers and repeater or relay points;

(5) State boundary lines through which the facilities extend;

(l) A wire chart showing, for both the line proposed to be removed and the alternate lines to be retained, the regular and normal assignment of each wire, its method of operation, the number of channels and normal assignment of each;

(m) The number of wires or cables to be removed and the kind, size, and length of each;

(n) A complete statement showing how the traffic load on the line proposed to be removed will be diverted to other lines and the adequacy of such other lines to handle the increased load.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 58 FR 44907, Aug. 25, 1993; 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017]

The application shall contain:

(a) The name and address of each applicant;

(b) The name, title, and post office address of the officer to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(c) Nature of the proposed change;

(d) Identification of community or part of community involved and date on which applicant desires to make proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment effective; if for a temporary period only, indicate the approximate period for which authorization is desired;

(e) Proposed new tariff listing, if any, and differences, if any, between present charges to the public and charges for the service to be substituted;

(f) Description of the service area affected including population and general character of business of the community;

(g) Name of any other carrier or carriers providing telephone service to the community;

(h) Statement of the reasons for proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(i) Statement of the factors showing that neither present nor future public convenience and necessity would be adversely affected by the granting of the application;

(j) Description of any previous discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to the community affected by the application, which has been made by the applicant during the 12 months preceding filing of application, and statement of any present plans for future discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to such community;

(k) Name of other carrier;

(l) Points served through such physical connection or interchange;

(m) Description of the service involved;

(n) Statement as to how points served by means of such physical connection or interchange will be served thereafter;

(o) Amount of traffic interchanged for each month during preceding 6-month period;

(p) Statement as to whether severance of physical connection or termination or suspension of interchange of traffic is being made with consent of other carrier.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017]

The application shall contain:

(a) The name and address of each applicant;

(b) The name, title, and post office address of the officer to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(c) Nature of proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(d) Identification of community or part of community involved and date on which applicant desires to make proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment effective; if for a temporary period only, indicate the approximate period for which authorization is desired;

(e) Proposed new tariff listing, if any, and difference, if any, between present charges to the public and charges for the service to be substituted, if any;

(f) Description of the service area affected including population and general character of business of the community;

(g) Name of other carrier or carriers, if any, which will provide toll station service in the community;

(h) Statement of the reasons for proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(i) Statement of the factors showing that neither present nor future public convenience and necessity would be adversely affected by the granting of the application;

(j) Description of any previous discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to the community affected by the application, which has been made by the applicant during the 12 months preceding filing of application, and statement of any present plans for future discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to such community;

(k) Description of the service involved, including a statement of the number of toll telephone messages sent-paid and received-collect, and the revenues from such traffic, in connection with the service proposed to be discontinued for each of the past 6 months; and, if the volume of such traffic handled in the area has decreased during recent years, the reasons therefor.

[28 FR 13229, Dec. 5, 1963, as amended at 82 FR 48777, Oct. 20, 2017]

The application shall contain:

(a) The name and address of each applicant;

(b) The name, title, and post office address of the officer to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(c) Nature of proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(d) Identification of community or part of community involved and date on which applicant desires to make proposed discontinuance, reduction or impairment effective, if for a temporary period only, indicate the approximate period for which authorization is desired;

(e) Proposed new tariff listing, if any, and difference, if any, between present charges to the public and charges for the service to be substituted;

(f) Description of the service area affected including population and general character of business of the community;

(g) Name of any other carrier or carriers providing telephone service to the community;

(h) Statement of the reasons for proposed discontinuance, reduction, or impairment;

(i) Statement of the factors showing that neither present nor future public convenience and necessity would be adversely affected by the granting of the application;

(j) Description of any previous discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to the community affected by the application, which has been made by the applicant during the 12 months preceding filing of application, and statement of any present plans for future discontinuance, reduction, or impairment of service to such community;

(k) Description of the service involved, including:

(1) Existing telephone service by the applicant available to the community or part thereof involved;

(2) Telephone service (available from applicant or others) which would remain in the community or part thereof involved in the event the application is granted;

(l) A statement of the number of toll messages sent-paid and received-collect and the revenues from such traffic in connection with the service proposed to be discontinued, reduced, or impaired for each of the past 6 months; and, if the volume of such traffic handled in the area has decreased during recent years, the reasons therefor.

[45 FR 6586, Jan. 29, 1980]

F.C.C. File No. T_D___ Month ____ Year ____ (Name of applicant) (Address of applicant)

In the matter of Proposed Reduction in Hours of Service of a Public Coast Station Pursuant to § 63.70 of the Commission's rules.

Data regarding public coast station (Call and address) Present hours: Monday through Friday Saturday Sunday Proposed hours: Monday through Friday Saturday Sunday Proposed effective time and date of change Average number of messages handled for month of ________, 19__ during total hours to be deleted during maximum hour to be deleted

Data regarding substitute service to be provided by other public coast stations available and capable of providing service to the community affected, or in the marine area served by the public coast station involved:

(a) The application shall include:

(1) The contents specified in § 63.505 of this part;

(2) A statement identifying the application as involving a technology transition, as defined in § 63.60(i);

(3) Information regarding the price of the service for which discontinuance authority is sought and the price of the proposed replacement service; and

(4) A certification, executed by an officer or other authorized representative of the applicant and meeting the requirements of § 1.16 of this chapter, that the information required by this section is true and accurate.

(b) In order to be eligible for automatic grant under § 63.71(f) of this part, an applicant must demonstrate that a service(s) identified pursuant to § 63.505(k)(2) of this part is an adequate replacement for the voice service identified pursuant to § 63.505(k)(1) of this part by either certifying or showing, based on the totality of the circumstances, that one or more replacement service(s) satisfies all of the following criteria:

(1) Offers substantially similar levels of network infrastructure and service quality as the service being discontinued;

Note to paragraph (b)(1):

For purposes of this section, “substantially similar” means that the network operates at a sufficient level such that it will allow the network platform to ensure adequate service quality for interactive and highly-interactive applications or services, in particular voice service quality, and support applications and functionalities that run on those services.

(2)(i) Complies with regulations regarding the availability and functionality of 911 service for consumers and public safety answering points (PSAPs), specifically §§ 1.7001 through .7002, 9.5, 12.4, 12.5, 20.18, 20.3, 64.3001 of this chapter;

(ii) Offers comparably effective protection from network security risks as the service being discontinued; and

(iii) Complies with regulations governing accessibility, usability, and compatibility requirements for:

(A) Telecommunications services and functionalities;

(B) Voicemail and interactive menu functionalities; and

(C) Advanced communications services, specifically 47 CFR 6.1 through 6.11, 7.1 through 7.11, 14.1 through 14.21, 14.60 through 14.61; and

(3) Offers interoperability with key applications and functionalities.

[81 FR 62656, Sept. 12, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 84266, Dec. 28, 2020]

Except as otherwise provided in this part, any party requesting designation as a recognized operating agency within the meaning of the International Telecommunication Convention shall file a request for such designation with the Commission. A request for designation as a recognized operating agency within the meaning of the International Telecommunication Convention shall include a statement of the nature of the services to be provided and a statement that the party is aware that it is obligated under Article 6 of the ITU Constitution to obey the mandatory provisions thereof, and all regulations promulgated thereunder, and a pledge that it will engage in no conduct or operations that contravene such mandatory provisions and that it will otherwise obey the Convention and regulations in all respects. The party must also include a statement that it is aware that failure to comply will result in an order from the Federal Communications Commission to cease and desist from future violations of an ITU regulation and may result in revocation of its recognized operating agency status by the United States Department of State. Such statement must include the following information where applicable:

(a) The name and address of each applicant;

(b) The Government, State, or Territory under the laws of which each corporate applicant is organized;

(c) The name, title and post office address of the officer of a corporate applicant, or representative of a non-corporate applicant, to whom correspondence concerning the application is to be addressed;

(d) A statement of the ownership of a non-corporate applicant, or the ownership of the stock of a corporate applicant, including an indication whether the applicant or its stock is owned directly or indirectly by an alien;

(e) A copy of each corporate applicant's articant's articles of incorporation (or its equivalent) and of its corporate bylaws;

(f) A statement whether the applicant is a carrier subject to section 214 of the Communications Act, an operator of broadcast or other radio facilities, licensed under title III of the Act, capable of causing harmful interference with the radio transmissions of other countries, or a non-carrier provider of services classed as “enhanced” under § 64.702(a);

(g) A statement that the services for which designated as a recognized private operating agency is sought will be extended to a point outside the United States or are capable of causing harmful interference of other radio transmission and a statement of the nature of the services to be provided;

(h) A statement setting forth the points between which the services are to be provided; and

(i) A statement as to whether covered services are provided by facilities owned by the applicant, by facilities leased from another entity, or other arrangement and a description of the arrangement.

(j) Subject to the availability of electronic forms, all filings described in this section must be filed electronically through the International Communications Filing System (ICFS). A list of forms that are available for electronic filing can be found on the ICFS homepage. For information on electronic filing requirements, see §§ 1.1000 through 1.10018 of this chapter and the ICFS homepage at https://www.fcc.gov/icfs. See also §§ 63.20 and 63.53.

[51 FR 18448, May 20, 1986, as amended at 69 FR 29902, May 26, 2004; 70 FR 38800, July 6, 2005; 88 FR 21445, Apr. 10, 2023]

Application under § 63.701 shall be submitted in the form specified in § 63.53 for applications under section 214 of the Communications Act.

[51 FR 18448, May 20, 1986]