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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  03-  2194 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 
 In  the  Matter  of 
 Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service 


 ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible 
 Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Virginia 


 ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible 
 Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Alabama 


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 CC  Docket  No.  96-  45 


 ORDER 
 Adopted:  July  3,  2003  Released:  July  3,  2003 
 By  the  Chief,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division: 
 Reply  Comments  Due:  July  14,  2003 
 1.  On  April  14,  2003,  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  (ALLTEL),  a  commercial  mobile  radio  service  (CMRS)  carrier,  filed  with  the  Commission  separate  petitions  under  section 


 214(  e)(  6)  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  seeking  designation  as  an  eligible  telecommunications  carrier  (ETC)  to  receive  federal  universal  service  support  for  services 
 offered  throughout  its  licensed  service  areas  in  the  states  of  Alabama  and  Virginia.  1  On  June  3,  2003,  the  Wireline  Competition  Bureau  released  separate  public  notices  inviting  parties  to  file 
 comments  in  response  to  the  ALLTEL  petitions  10  days  after  Federal  Register  publication  of  the  public  notices  and  reply  comments  17  days  after  such  publication.  Ten  days  after  Federal 
 Register  publication  of  the  public  notices  was  June  30,  2003,  and  17  days  after  Federal  Register  publication  is  July  7,  2003.  2  On  July  2,  2003,  ALLTEL  filed  a  petition  to  extend  the  deadlines 


 1  See  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the 
 State  of  Alabama,  filed  April  14,  2003;  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  Petition  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  filed  April  14,  2003.  On  May  21,  2003,  ALLTEL  filed 


 amendments  to  its  petitions  further  delineating  and  modifying  the  list  of  wire  centers  for  which  ALLTEL  seeks  ETC  designation.  See  First  Amendment  to  the  Application  of  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  for  Designation  as  an 
 Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the  State  of  Alabama,  filed  May  21,  2003;  First  Amendment  to  the  Application  of  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  for  Designation  as  an  Eligible  Telecommunications  Carrier  in  the 
 State  of  Virginia,  filed  May  21,  2003.  2 
 See  68  Fed  Reg.  36548  (Jun.  18,  2003);  68  Fed.  Reg.  36549  (Jun.  18,  2003). 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  03-  2194 
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 for  filing  reply  comments  in  response  to  the  petitions  by  one  week  to  July  14,  2003.  3  ALLTEL  requests  an  extension  of  time  in  order  to  give  the  parties  additional  time  to  consider  and  evaluate 
 oppositions  to  its  petitions  filed  by  Verizon  and  the  Alabama  Rural  Local  Exchange  Carriers  (Alabama  LECs). 


 2.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  Commission  that  extensions  of  time  are  not  routinely  granted.  4  In  this  instance,  we  find  good  cause  for  granting  ALLTEL’s  request.  Specifically, 
 ALLTEL  did  not  receive  comments  in  a  timely  manner  due  to  delays  in  the  Commission’s  Electronic  Comment  Filing  System  (ECFS).  In  addition,  according  to  ALLTEL,  Verizon  and 
 Alabama  LECs  do  not  oppose  ALLTEL’s  request  for  an  extension.  Accordingly,  we  grant  ALLTEL’s  request  for  extension  of  time  to  file  reply  comments.  Parties  may  file  reply 
 comments  by  July  14,  2003.  This  will  enable  commenters  additional  time  to  develop  the  record  without  unduly  delaying  these  proceedings.  These  matters  shall  continue  to  be  treated  as 
 “permit-  but-  disclose”  proceedings  in  accordance  with  the  Commission’s  ex  parte  rules.  5  All  other  requirements  discussed  in  the  public  notices  remain  in  effect. 


 3.  For  further  information,  please  contact  Sheryl  Todd,  Wireline  Competition  Bureau,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division,  202-  418-  7400. 
 4.  ACCORDINGLY,  IT  IS  ORDERED  that,  pursuant  to  sections  4(  i),  4(  j),  and  5(  c)  of  the  Communications  Act,  47  U.  S.  C.  §§  154(  i),  154(  j),  155(  c),  and  sections  0.91,  0.291,  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  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  IS  GRANTED. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 
 Eric  Einhorn,  Chief  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division 
 Wireline  Competition  Bureau 


 3  See  ALLTEL  Communications,  Inc.  Motion  for  Extension  of  Time,  CC  Docket  No.  96-  45,  filed  July  2,  2003. 
 4  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46(  a). 
 5  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.1206. 
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