Jurisdictional Separations and Referral to the Federal-State Joint Board

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) extends, for up to an additional six years, the freeze of the jurisdictional separations category relationships and cost allocation factors (together, separations rules) for rate-of-return incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs). Further extending the freeze, which is set to expire on December 31, 2024, will enable the Commission to continue to work with the Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations (Joint Board) to determine the future of these rules. The Commission declines to provide carriers an opportunity to unfreeze their current category relationships and refers to the Joint Board to consider whether comprehensive reform is needed at this time or if the Commission should allow these rules to become obsolete over time and whether a permanent freeze is warranted, and if so, whether carriers still using separations should be given the chance to unfreeze their category relationships every few years.