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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  1253 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service 
 Virginia  Cellular  LLC  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the 
 State  of  Virginia 


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 CC  Docket.  No.  96-  45 


 ORDER 
 Adopted:  May  24,  2002  Released:  May  24,  2002 
 By  the  Assistant  Chief,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division,  Wireline  Competition  Bureau: 
 Revised  Filing  Dates: 
 Comments  Due:  June  3,  2002  Reply  Comments  Due:  June  11,  2002 


 1.  On  April  26,  2002,  Virginia  Cellular  LLC  (Virginia  Cellular)  filed  with  the  Commission  a  petition  under  section  214(  e)(  6),  seeking  designation  as  an  eligible  telecommunications  carrier  (ETC)  in 
 the  state  of  Virginia.  1  On  May  15,  2002,  the  Commission  released  a  Public  Notice  to  develop  a  record  regarding  Virginia  Cellular’s  petition.  2  The  Public  Notice  stated  that  interested  parties  could  file 
 comments  on  or  before  May  24,  2002,  and  reply  comments  on  or  before  May  31,  2002.  On  May  21,  2002,  NTELOS,  Inc.  (NTELOS)  filed  a  petition  to  extend  the  deadlines  for  filing  comments  and  reply 
 comments  in  this  proceeding  to  June  7,  2002  and  June  21,  2002,  respectively.  3 


 1  See  Virginia  Cellular  LLC  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of 
 Virginia,  filed  April  26,  2002  (Virginia  Cellular  Petition). 
 2  See  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service,  Virginia  Cellular  LLC  Petition  for  Designation  as  an 
 Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  CC  Docket  No.  96-  45,  Public  Notice,  DA  02-  1152  (rel.  May  15,  2002)  (Public  Notice). 


 3  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service,  Virginia  Cellular  LLC  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible 
 Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  CC  Docket  No.  96-  45,  Request  for  Extension  of  Comment  Period  (filed  May  21,  2002)  (NTELOS  Request).  NTELOS  is  the  parent  company  of  two  incumbent  local 


 exchange  carriers  in  Virginia  and  has  wireless,  competitive  local  exchange  carrier,  and  Internet  operations  in  Virginia  and  West  Virginia. 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  1253 
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 2.  NTELOS  wishes  to  delay  the  comment  due  dates  until  after  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Virginia  Telecommunications  Industry  Association  (VTIA)  on  May  29-  31,  2002.  4  NTELOS  explains  that 
 many  small  Virginia  telecommunications  companies  rely  on  VTIA  to  present  their  concerns.  Accordingly,  only  after  the  VTIA  annual  meeting  will  these  companies  be  able  to  determine  whether 
 VTIA  will  file  comments  for  them  or  whether  they  should  file  comments  on  their  own. 
 3.  We  grant  in  part  and  deny  in  part  the  request  of  NTELOS  for  extension  of  time  to  file  comments  and  reply  comments.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  Commission  that  extensions  of  time  are  not 


 routinely  granted.  5  We  find  that  there  is  good  cause  to  grant  an  extension  of  time  to  allow  carriers  to  gather  additional  information  at  the  VTIA  annual  meeting.  We  are  not  persuaded,  however,  to  grant  the 
 full  extension  of  time  requested,  because  the  Commission  has  committed  to  resolving  the  merits  of  all  ETC  petitions  filed  before  it  within  six  months  of  the  dates  filed.  Accordingly,  we  grant  a  more  limited 
 extension  than  requested  by  NTELOS.  Parties  may  file  comments  by  June  4,  2002,  and  reply  comments  by  June  11,  2002.  This  will  give  commenters  additional  time  to  develop  the  record  without  unduly 
 delaying  the  proceeding.  All  other  requirements  discussed  in  the  Public  Notice  remain  in  effect. 
 4.  For  further  information,  please  contact  Sheryl  Todd,  Wireline  Competition  Bureau,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division,  at  202-  418-  7400. 


 5.  ACCORDINGLY,  IT  IS  ORDERED  that,  pursuant  to  sections  4(  i),  4(  j),  and  5(  c)  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  47  U.  S.  C.  §§  154(  i),  154(  j),  155(  c),  and  sections  0.91,  0.291, 
 and  1.46  of  the  Commission’s  rules,  47  C.  F.  R.  §§  0.91,  0.291,  1.46,  the  request  for  extension  of  time  filed  by  NTELOS,  Inc.  IS  GRANTED  IN  PART  AND  DENIED  IN  PART  as  discussed  herein. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 Mark  G.  Seifert  Deputy  Chief,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division 
 Wireline  Competition  Bureau 


 4  NTELOS  Request  at  2. 
 5  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46(  a). 
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