*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 12109.doc*
 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  01-  2366 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Accounting  Safeguards  Under  the 
 Telecommunications  Act  of  1996 


 )  ) 
 )  ) 
 )  ) 
 CC  Docket  No.  96-  150 


 ORDER 
 Adopted:  October  12,  2001  Released:  October  12,  2001 
 By  the  Chief,  Accounting  Safeguards  Division: 
 1.  On  June  21,  2001,  the  Common  Carrier  Bureau  (Bureau)  released  a  public  notice  seeking 
 comment  on  the  audit  report  of  Verizon  Communications,  Inc.  (Verizon)  in  accordance  with  the 
 Commission’s  rules  and  procedures  implementing  section  272(  d)  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as 
 amended.  As  explained  below,  we  extend  the  deadline  for  commenting  on  the  report. 


 2.  On  June  11,  2001,  Verizon  submitted  its  first  section  272(  d)  biennial  audit  report 
 addressing  its  compliance  with  the  section  272  non-  accounting  and  accounting  safeguards.  Verizon 
 supplemented  its  submission  on  June  18,  2001.  Verizon  requested  confidential  treatment  of  some 
 information  contained  in  the  section  272(  d)  biennial  audit  report.  In  August  2001,  AT&  T  Corporation 
 (AT&  T)  and  the  Competitive  Telecommunications  Association  (Comptel)  submitted  letters  requesting 
 access  to  the  redacted  information  and  additional  time  to  review  the  audit  report.  On  August  14,  2001, 
 the  Accounting  Safeguards  Division  (Division)  granted  an  extension  of  time  until  October  22,  2001  for 
 filing  comments  in  order  to  provide  time  for  resolving  surrounding  Verizon’s  request. 


 3.  We  grant  a  limited  extension  of  time  until  November  20,  2001  for  submitting  comments 
 on  Verizon’s  section  272(  d)  biennial  audit  report.  An  extension  of  time  will  afford  the  Bureau  an 
 opportunity  to  evaluate  and  consider  the  issues  raised,  while  preserving  the  public’s  ability  to  comment  on 
 the  audit  report. 


 4.  IT  IS  THEREFORE  ORDERED  that,  pursuant  to  47  C.  F.  R.  §§  0.  91,  0.  201-  0.204,  1.3, 
 53.209-  53.213,  the  comment  period  for  the  Verizon  section  272(  d)  biennial  audit  report  IS  EXTENDED 
 to  November  20,  2001. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 Kenneth  P.  Moran 
 Chief,  Accounting  Safeguards  Division,  CCB 
1