(a) In the event that a rate-of-return carrier acquires exchanges from an entity that is also a rate-of-return carrier, Interstate Common Line Support for the transferred exchanges shall be distributed as follows.
(1) Each carrier may report its updated line counts to reflect the transfer in the next quarterly line count filing pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(1) that applies to the period in which the transfer occurred. During a transition period from the filing of the updated line counts until the end of the funding year, the Administrator shall adjust the Interstate Common Line Support received by each carrier based on the updated line counts and the per-line Interstate Common Line Support, categorized by customer class and, if applicable, disaggregation zone, of the selling carrier. If the acquiring carrier does not file a quarterly update of its line counts, it will not receive Interstate Common Line Support for those lines during the transition period.
(2) Each carrier's projected data for the following funding year filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(3) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges.
(3) Each carrier's actual data filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(4) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges. All post-transaction Interstate Common Line Support shall be subject to true up by the Administrator pursuant to Sec. 54.903(b)(3).
(b) In the event that a rate-of-return carrier acquires exchanges from a price cap carrier that are incorporated into one of the rate-of-return carrier's existing study areas, Interstate Common Line Support for the transferred exchanges shall be distributed as follows.
(1) The acquiring carrier may report its updated line counts for the study area into which the acquired lines are incorporated in the next quarterly line count filing pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(1) that applies to the period in which the transfer occurred. During a transition period from the filing of the updated line counts until the end of the funding year, the Administrator shall adjust the Interstate Common Line Support received by the acquiring carrier based on the updated line counts and the per-line amounts Interstate Common Line Support for the study area served by the acquiring carrier. If necessary, the Administrator shall develop an average per-line support amount to reflect various per-line amounts in multiple disaggregation zones served by the acquiring carrier. If the acquiring carrier does not file a quarterly update of its line counts, it will not receive Interstate Common Line Support for those lines during the transition period.
(2) The acquiring carrier's projected data for the following funding year filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(3) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges.
(3) The acquiring carrier's actual data filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(4) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges. All post-transaction Interstate Common Line Support shall be subject to true up by the Administrator pursuant to Sec. 54.903(b)(3).
(c) In the event that a rate-of-return carrier acquires exchanges from a price cap carrier that are not incorporated into one of the rate-of-return carrier's existing study areas, Interstate Common Line Support for the transferred exchanges shall be distributed as follows.
(1) The acquiring rate-of-return may submit to the Administrator a projected Interstate Common Line Revenue Requirement for the acquired exchanges for the remainder of the funding year in the next quarterly report to the Administrator. The Administrator shall distribute Interstate Common Line Support pursuant to the partial year projected Interstate Common Line Revenue Requirement for the remainder of the funding year. If the acquiring carrier does not file a projected Interstate Common Line Revenue Requirement, it will not receive Interstate Common Line Support for those exchanges during the transition period.
(2) The acquiring carrier's projected data for the following funding year filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(3) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges.
(3) The acquiring carrier's actual data filed pursuant to Sec. 54.903(a)(4) shall reflect the transfer of exchanges. All post-transaction Interstate Common Line Support shall be subject to true up by the Administrator pursuant to Sec. 54.903(b)(3)
(d) In the event that an entity other than a rate-of-return carrier acquires exchanges from a rate-of-return carrier, per-line Interstate Common Line Support will not transfer.
(e) This section does not alter any Commission rule governing the sale or transfer of exchanges, including the definition of ``study area'' in part 36. [66 FR 59728, Nov. 30, 2001, as amended at 68 FR 31623, May 28, 2003]