The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has released a Public Notice seeking comment on a Petition for Waiver (Petition) filed by New Florence Telephone Company (New Florence), Orchard Farm Telephone Company, New London Telephone Company, and Stoutland Telephone Company (collectively, Petitioners). Petitioners, who are incumbent rural local exchange carriers serving 968 voice customers and 967 broadband customers in Missouri, have filed the Petition to allow the merger of four commonly owned study areas. The resulting merged study area will be the New Florence Telephone Company study area (SAC 421927). Petitioners seek a waiver of the definition of “study area” contained in part 36 of the Commission’s rules to effectuate the proposed merger and section 69.3(e)(11) of the Commission’s rules regarding annual access tariff filing requirements. Comments on the Petition are due January 8, 2026, and reply comments are due February 9, 2026.
