October 24, 2000

Magalie Roman Salas

Secretary

Federal Communications Commission

445 Twelfth Street S.W., TW-A325

Washington, D.C.  20554 

Re:       In the Matter of Inquiry Concerning the Deployment of Advanced Telecommunications Services Capability to All Americans in a Reasonable and Timely Fashion, and Possible Steps to Accelerate Such Deployment Pursuant to Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996,            CC Docket No. 98-146.

Dear Ms. Salas:

Pursuant to Section 1.1206 of the Commission’s Rules, this letter is to notify you that on April 19, 2000, representatives of the Commercial Internet eXchange (CIX) met with Common Carrier Bureau and Office of Engineering Technology staff regarding Internet service provider (ISP) concerns associated with the Commission’s Notice of Inquiry in CC Docket No. 98-146. 

Specifically, CIX emphasized (1) the importance of an inclusive advanced services definition, (2) the importance of enforcing the Commission’s pro-competition policies and rules pursuant to sections 251 and 271 of the 1996 Act, and (3) the competitive challenges ISPs and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) face as they attempt to deploy advanced services to all Americans.

Barbara A. Dooley, President of CIX, and Vincent M. Paladini of Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe LLP (counsel to CIX) attended the meeting.  Representing the Common Carrier Bureau, John Berresford, Gregory Guise, Ellen Burton, Tony Dale, Staci Pies, and Douglas Cooper attended the meeting.  Representing the Office of Engineering and Technology, Shanti Gupta, and Jerome Stanshine attended the meeting.

In accordance with the Commission’s rules, an original and two copies of this letter are enclosed.

Respectfully,