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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  166 
 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:  January  18,  2002  Released:  January  18,  2002 
 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.  The  Accounting 
 Safeguards  Division  (Division)  granted  several  extensions  of  time  to  the  comment  period  while  the 
 Commission  evaluated  and  considered  the  issues  raised  concerning  Verizon’s  request  for  confidential 
 treatment.  On  January  10,  2002,  the  Commission  released  its  decision  denying  Verizon’s  request.  1  On 
 January  15,  2002,  Verizon  filed  a  petition  for  stay  and  reconsideration  of  the  Commission’s  order. 


 3.  We  grant  an  extension  of  time  until  March  21,  2002  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  March  21,  2002. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 Kenneth  P.  Moran 
 Chief,  Accounting  Safeguards  Division,  CCB 


 1  Accounting  Safeguards  Under  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996:  Section  272(  d)  Biennial  Audit  Procedures, 
 CC  Docket  No.  96-  150,  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order,  FCC  02-  1  (rel.  Jan.  10,  2002). 
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