§  54.1309   National and study area average unseparated loop costs.

   (a) National average unseparated loop cost per working loop. Except as
   provided in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section, this is equal to
   the sum of the Loop Costs for each study area in the country as
   calculated pursuant to § 54.1308(a) divided by the sum of the working
   loops reported in § 54.1305(h) for each study area in the country. The
   national average unseparated loop cost per working loop shall be
   calculated by the National Exchange Carrier Association. Until June 30,
   2015 the national average unseparated loop cost for purposes of
   calculating expense adjustments for rural incumbent local exchange
   carriers, as that term is defined in § 54.5 is frozen at $240.00.

   (1) The national average unseparated loop cost per working loop shall
   be recalculated by the National Exchange Carrier Association to reflect
   the September, December, and March update filings.

   (2) Each new nationwide average shall be used in determining the
   additional interstate expense allocation for companies which made
   filings by the most recent filing date.

   (3) The calculation of a new national average to reflect the update
   filings shall not affect the amount of the additional interstate
   expense allocation for companies which did not make an update filing by
   the most recent filing date.

   (b) Study area average unseparated loop cost per working loop. This is
   equal to the unseparated loop costs for the study area as calculated
   pursuant to § 54.1308(a) divided by the number of working loops reported
   in § 54.1305(i) for the study area.

   (1) If a company elects to, or is required to, update the data which it
   has filed with the National Exchange Carrier Association as provided in
   § 54.1306(a), the study area average unseparated loop cost per working
   loop and the amount of its additional interstate expense allocation
   shall be recalculated to reflect the updated data.

   (2) [Reserved]

   (c) Until June 30, 2015, the national average unseparated loop Cost per
   working loop shall be the greater of:

   (1) The amount calculated pursuant to the method described in paragraph
   (a) of this section; or

   (2) An amount calculated to produce the maximum rural incumbent local
   exchange carrier portion of the nationwide loop cost expense adjustment
   allowable pursuant to § 54.1302(a).

   (d) Beginning July 1, 2015, the national average unseparated loop cost
   per working loop shall be frozen at the national average unseparated
   loop cost per working loop as recalculated by the National Exchange
   Carrier Association to reflect the March 2015 update filing.

   [ 79 FR 39190 , July 9, 2014, as amended at  80 FR 4479 , Jan. 27, 2015]