Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service

FEDERAL-STATE JOINT BOARD ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE TO HOLD EN BANC HEARING ON HIGH-COST UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT IN AREAS SERVED BY RURAL CARRIERS

WC Docket No. 05-337

Release Date: February 9, 2007

The (Joint Board) will hold an en banc hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2007, in Washington, DC. The Joint Board will discuss high cost universal service support in rural areas, including the use of reverse auctions (competitive bidding) and geographic information systems (GIS) to determine support for eligible telecommunications carriers. Panelists representing a broad range of interests will discuss their positions and respond to questions from the Joint Board members. A list of panelists is attached.

The hearing will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, 999 9th St, N.W., Washington, DC 20001. The hearing is open to the public and seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For further information, contact Vickie Robinson, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-7400, TTY (202) 418-0484, or Jennifer Richardson, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission at 317-232-2785.

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation you will need with as much detail as possible. Also include a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please allow at least 5 days advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).

PANELISTS FOR PUBLIC EN BANC HEARING
ON HIGH-COST UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT FOR
AREAS SERVED BY RURAL CARRIERS AND RELATED ISSUES

February 20, 2007

Renaissance Washington Hotel, Washington, DC

Panel 1: The Use of Reverse Auctions to Determine Levels of High-Cost Universal Service Support

Panelists:
" Paul Garnett, CTIA-The Wireless Association
" Dale Lehman, Alaska Pacific University (on behalf of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association)
" Dennis Weller, Verizon

Panel 2: The Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Mapping Techniques in Determining High-Cost Universal Service Support

Panelists:
" Kevin Mickey, Polis Center, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
" Jim Stegeman, CostQuest Associates
" Brian Staihr, Embarq