The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has issued an Order on Reconsideration denying PTA-FLA Inc.’s Petition for Reconsideration, which sought reconsideration of the Bureau’s denial of PTA-FLA’s application to participate in the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The Bureau initially denied PTA-FLA’s application for the Reimbursement Program on the grounds that it was not eligible for the program because it had ceased network operations in 2014 and thus was not a provider of advanced communications service.
In its Petition, PTA-FLA argued that although it was not providing service at the time it submitted its application, its affiliates were providing service and had ten million or fewer customers. PTA-FLA relied on the fact that the rules state that the definition of “customers” includes customers of both the applicant and affiliates.
The Bureau reiterated its earlier conclusions that PTA-FLA must be a provider of advanced communications service to be eligible for the program. The Bureau noted that the eligibility for the Reimbursement Program requires that an applicant be both a provider of advanced communications service and have ten million or fewer customers of advanced communications service.
