*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 13380.doc* Federal Communications Commission DA 01- 2859 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of Performance Measurements and Standards for Unbundled Network Elements and Interconnection Performance Measurements and Reporting Requirements for Operations Support Systems, Interconnection, and Operator Services and Directory Assistance Deployment of Wireline Services Offering Advanced Telecommunications Capability Petition of Association for Local Telecommunications Services for Declaratory Ruling ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CC Docket No. 01- 318 CC Docket No. 98- 56 CC Docket No. 98- 147 CC Docket Nos. 98- 147, 96- 98, 98- 141 Order Adopted: December 7, 2001 Released: December 7, 2001 By the Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division: 1. On November 19, 2001, the Commission released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking establishing the pleading cycle for comments and reply comments in the above-captioned docket. 1 The deadline for comments was established as 30 days after the Notice for this proceeding was published in the Federal Register, and the deadline for reply comments was 51 days after publication in the Federal Register. These dates are December 31, 2001 and January 22, 2002, respectively. 2. On December 3, 2001, the United States Telecom Association (USTA) filed a Motion for Extension of Time to extend the date for comments and reply comments by 30 days. 2 According to USTA, it seeks this extension to permit its membership the opportunity "to undertake the dialogue necessary to pursue an industry wide solution" to unbundled network element (UNE) performance standards in response to the UNE Measurements and Standards 1 Performance Measurements and Standards for Unbundled Network Elements and Interconnection, et al., Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, CC Docket No. 01- 318, FCC 01- 331 (rel. Nov. 19, 2001) (UNE Measurements and Standards Notice). 2 United States Telecom Association, Motion for Extension of Time, CC Docket No. 01- 318 (filed Dec. 3, 2001) (USTA Motion). 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 01- 2859 2 Notice. 3 USTA argues that the current comment schedule, which, it notes, falls within the upcoming holiday season, would not provide USTA's members an adequate opportunity to consider the issues raised in this proceeding and that an extension would not prejudice the interests of other parties. 4 3. On December 4, 2001, BellSouth Corporation (BellSouth) filed comments in support of USTA's extension request, noting that during this holiday season, many of BellSouth's personnel who are necessary to address the issues raised in this proceeding are often unavailable. 5 BellSouth argues that affording the parties additional time to prepare comments will facilitate the development of a more complete record that will, in turn, enable the Commission to conclude this proceeding in a reasonable and timely manner. 6 On December 5, 2001, the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel) filed similar comments in support of the USTA Motion. 7 Like BellSouth, CompTel contends that a modest extension of the comment period would permit interested parties to provide more substantive and complete comments on the complex issues raised in the UNE Measurements and Standards Notice. 8 CompTel argues that the subject matter about which the Commission requested comment will require a great deal of inter- company coordination between operations, engineering, provisioning and policy experts to provide the Commission with the most useful information. CompTel notes that the upcoming holiday season will only exacerbate an undertaking that will already be complicated by the dispersion of expertise within the organizations of both competitive and incumbent carriers. 9 4. It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are not routinely granted. 10 In this instance, however, the Bureau finds that USTA, BellSouth, and CompTel have shown good cause for a limited extension of the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in this proceeding. Because of the complexity and the sheer number of issues presented in the UNE Measurements and Standards Notice, the Commission's desire to obtain a complete record with input from both carriers and state public utility commissions, and the impending holiday season, a 21- day extension is granted for both comments and reply comments from the dates those comments were due initially. 5. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to authority found in section 4( i) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U. S. C. § 154( i), and sections 0.91, 0.291 and 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.91, 0.291, 1. 46, USTA's Motion for Extension of 3 USTA Motion at 2. 4 Id. 5 BellSouth Corporation Comments, CC Docket No. 01- 318 (filed Dec. 4, 2001). 6 Id. at 2. 7 Competitive Telecommunications Association Comments in Support of the Motion for Extension of Time Filed by the United States Telecom Association, CC Docket No. 318 (filed Dec. 5, 2001). 8 Id. at 1. 9 Id. at 2. 10 47 CFR § 1.46( a). 2 Federal Communications Commission DA 01- 2859 3 Time IS GRANTED to the extent described herein to establish a new comments deadline of January 22, 2002 and reply comments deadline of February 12, 2002. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Michelle M. Carey Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division Common Carrier Bureau 3