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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  03-  4028 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Elimination  of  Rate-  of-  Return  Regulation  of  Incumbent  Local  Exchange  Carriers 


 Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service 


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 RM  No.  10822 
 CC  Docket  No.  96-  45 
 ORDER 
 Adopted:  December  17,  2003  Released:  December  18,  2003 
 By  the  Chief,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division: 
 1.  On  November  19,  2003,  the  Commission  released  a  Public  Notice  in  the  above-captioned  proceeding  regarding  Western  Wireless  Corporation’s  (“  Western  Wireless”)  Petition 
 for  Rulemaking  to  Eliminate  Rate-  of-  Return  Regulation  of  Incumbent  Local  Exchange  Carriers  (“  Petition”),  Report  No.  2638  (November  19,  2003).  On  December  12,  2002,  CenturyTel,  Inc. 
 (CenturyTel)  filed  a  motion  to  extend  the  comment  and  reply  comment  deadlines  to  January  16,  2004  and  February  13,  2004,  respectively.  1 


 2.  We  hereby  grant  CenturyTel’s  motion  for  extension  of  time.  It  is  the  policy  of  the  Commission  that  extensions  of  time  are  not  routinely  granted.  2  We  find,  however,  that 
 CenturyTel  has  shown  good  cause  for  an  extension  of  the  deadlines  for  filing  comments  and  reply  comments  in  this  proceeding.  CenturyTel  maintains  that  the  Petition  raises  issues  with 
 broad  regulatory  implications  that  are  likely  to  generate  a  substantial  number  of  comments  from  interested  parties,  and  that  an  extension  of  time  for  the  filing  of  comments  and  reply  comments 
 would  permit  more  full  and  informed  responses  to  these  issues  and  help  the  parties  to  develop  a  better  record  for  the  Commission’s  decision,  without  prejudicing  the  interests  of  any  parties.  3 
 CenturyTel  also  notes  that  the  filing  period  during  which  comments  and  reply  comments  are  due  includes  the  Christmas  and  New  Year’s  holidays  and  that  numerous  other  pleadings  are  due 
 before  the  Christmas  holiday.  Accordingly,  we  find  that  CenturyTel  has  shown  good  cause  for  an  extension. 


 1  Federal-  State  Joint  Board  on  Universal  Service,  CC  Docket  No.  96-  45,  Motion  for  Extension  of  Time 
 (December  12,  2003)  (“  Motion”).  The  current  comment  and  reply  comment  deadlines  are  December  19,  2003  and  January  5,  2004,  respectively. 


 2  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46(  a). 
 3  Motion  at  1-  2.  CenturyTel  states  that  counsel  for  Western  Wireless  fully  supports  the  extension. 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  03-  4028 
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 3.  This  matter  shall  continue  to  be  conducted  as  a  permit-  but-  disclose  proceeding  in  accordance  with  the  Commission’s  ex  parte  rules.  4  All  other  requirements  discussed  in  the 
 Public  Notice  remain  in  effect.  For  further  information  please  contact  Theodore  Burmeister,  Attorney,  Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division,  Wireline  Competition  Bureau  at  (202) 
 418-  7400,  TTY  (202)  418-  0484. 
 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  motion  for  extension  of  time  filed  by  CenturyTel,  IS  GRANTED. 


 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATION  COMMISSION 


 Eric  N.  Einhorn  Chief, 
 Telecommunications  Access  Policy  Division  Wireline  Competition  Bureau 


 4  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.1206. 
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