PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830 TTY 202 / 418-2555 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov DA 07-277 January 26, 2007 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU GRANTS EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE COMMENTS ON VERIZON’S PETITIONS FOR FORBEARANCE IN THE BOSTON, NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, PITTSBURGH, PROVIDENCE, AND VIRGINIA BEACH METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS WC Docket No. 06-172 Comments Due: March 5, 2007 Reply Comments Due: April 18, 2007 On January 25, 2007, COMPTEL filed a Motion for Extension of Time (Motion).1 In this Motion, COMPTEL asks for a 30-day extension of the deadlines to file comments and reply comments on the Verizon Telephone Companies’ (Verizon) petitions for forbearance in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Virginia Beach metropolitan statistical areas.2 The current deadline for filing comments is February 2, 2007, and the deadline for filing reply comments is March 19, 2007.3 1 See Letter from Jonathan Lee, General Counsel, COMPTEL, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Jan. 25, 2007). 2 Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Boston Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon Boston Petition); Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the New York Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon New York Petition); Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon Philadelphia Petition); Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon Pittsburgh Petition); Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Providence Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon Providence Petition); Petition of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Virginia Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 06-172 (filed Sept. 6, 2006) (Verizon Virginia Beach Petition) (collectively, Verizon Petitions). 3 On September 14, 2006, the Bureau issued a public notice indicating that the comments would be due on October 30, 2006 and the reply comments would be due on November 29, 2006. See Pleading Cycle Established for Comments on Verizon’s Petitions for Forbearance in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Virginia Beach Metropolitan Statistical Areas, WC Docket No. 06-172, Public Notice, DA 06- 1869 (WCB rel. Sept. 14, 2006). On October 18, 2006, the Bureau extended these deadlines giving parties until DA 07-277 2 Although requests for extensions of time are not routinely granted,4 we do occasionally grant limited extensions of time when we find that the public interest would be served by doing so. In this case, we believe that granting COMPTEL’s request is in the public interest. As COMPTEL notes, on January 25, 2007, the Bureau adopted a Second Protective Order in this docket that affords heightened protection to carrier-specific, geographically-disaggregated E911 data, while providing participating parties access to the relevant data.5 The Second Protective Order will allow for more complete access to the data Verizon relies on in support of its Petitions. By extending the comment and reply comment deadlines by 30 days, parties will have time to obtain access to the information provided under the Second Protective Order before submitting comments, which should lead to a more complete and better-informed record. Parties therefore have until March 5, 2007 to file comments on the Verizon Petitions in this docket, and until April 18, 2007 to file reply comments. For further information regarding this proceeding, contact Tim Stelzig, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-0942. December 15, 2006 to file comments and until January 29, 2007 to file reply comments. See Wireline Competition Bureau Grants Extension of Time to File Comments on Verizon’s Petitions for Forbearance in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Virginia Beach Metropolitan Statistical Areas, WC Docket No. 06-172, Public Notice, DA 06-1869 (WCB rel. Oct. 18, 2006). To address the difficult issues regarding the data in this proceeding and to allow a more complete and well-developed record in this proceeding, the Bureau on December 8, 2006 extended the comment and reply comment deadlines a second time until February 2, 2007 and March 19, 2007, respectively. See Wireline Competition Bureau Grants Extension of Time to File Comments on Verizon’s Petitions for Forbearance in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Virginia Beach Metropolitan Statistical Areas, WC Docket No. 06-172, Public Notice, DA 06- 2483 (WCB rel. Dec. 8, 2006). 4 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.46(a). 5 See Petitions of the Verizon Telephone Companies for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, and Virginia Beach Metropolitan Statistical Areas, WC Docket No. 06-172, Order, DA 07-208 (WCB rel. Jan. 25, 2007) (Second Protective Order).