Federal Communications Commission DA 10-361
Before the
Federal Communications Commission
Washington, D.C. 20554
)
)
) WC Docket No. 09-135
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)
ORDER
Adopted:  March 2, 2010 Released:  March 2, 2010
By the Associate Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau:
1. In this Order, pursuant to section 10(c) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the 
Act),1 we extend by 90 days the date by which the petition requesting forbearance, filed by Qwest 
Corporation (Qwest),2 shall be deemed granted in the absence of a Commission decision that the petition 
fails to meet the standards for forbearance under section 10(a) of the Act.3
2. On March 24, 2009, Qwest filed a petition pursuant to section 10 of the Act requesting that 
the Commission forbear from applying to Qwest certain obligations in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale 
Metropolitan Statistical Area (Phoenix MSA).4 Specifically, Qwest seeks forbearance from loop and 
transport unbundling obligations pursuant to sections 251(c) and 271(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act; Part 61 
dominant carrier tariffing requirements; Part 61 price cap regulation; and dominant carrier requirements 
arising under section 214 of the Act and Part 63 of the Commission’s rules concerning the processes for 
acquiring lines, discontinuing services, and assignment or transfer of control.5 Qwest also requests 
forbearance from Computer III requirements, including Comparably Efficient Interconnection (CEI) and 
Open Network Architecture (ONA) requirements for its mass market and enterprise switched access 
services “to the extent that Qwest offers information services in conjunction with such services” and “any 
remaining BOC-specific Computer III obligations.”6  
  
1 47 U.S.C. § 160(c).
2 Petition of Qwest Corporation for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Phoenix, Arizona 
Metropolitan Statistical Area, WC Docket No. 09-135 (filed Mar. 24, 2009) (Qwest Phoenix MSA Petition).    
3 47 U.S.C. § 160(a).
4 Qwest Phoenix MSA Petition at 1-11.      
5 See id. at 7-10.  
6 Id. at 11.  Qwest proposes certain conditions that it would be “willing to accept” if the Commission were to grant 
the requested forbearance relief.  Id. at 8-10.  We note that the remands by the D.C. Circuit of the Verizon 6 MSA 
Forbearance Order and the Qwest 4 MSA Forbearance Order are relevant to the Qwest Phoenix MSA Petition 
because in both the Verizon 6 MSA Forbearance Order and the Qwest 4 MSA Forbearance Order the Commission 
considered whether to grant forbearance relief from the same unbundling requirements for which Qwest is now 
seeking forbearance in the Phoenix MSA.  See Petitions of 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, Inc., WC Docket No. 06-172, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 22 FCC Rcd 21293, 
21294, para. 1 (2007) (Verizon 6 MSA Forbearance Order) (noting Verizon’s request for forbearance from loop and 
(continued....)
In the Matter of
Petition of Qwest Corporation for Forbearance 
Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) in the Phoenix, 
Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area
Federal Communications Commission DA 10-361
2
3. Section 10(c) of the Act states that a petition for forbearance shall be deemed granted if the 
Commission does not deny the petition for failure to meet the requirements for forbearance under section 
10(a) within one year after the Commission receives it, unless the Commission extends the one-year 
period.7 The Commission may extend the initial one-year period by an additional 90 days if the 
Commission finds that an extension is necessary to meet the requirements of section 10(a).8
4. The Qwest Phoenix MSA Petition raises significant questions regarding whether forbearance 
from application of certain statutory and regulatory requirements for Qwest’s provision of 
telecommunications services in the Phoenix MSA meets the statutory requirements set forth in section 
10(a).  The Bureau thus finds that a 90-day extension is warranted under section 10(c).
5. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to section 10 of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 160, and authority delegated under sections 0.91 and 0.291 of the 
Commission’s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.91, 0.291,9 the date on which the petition seeking forbearance filed 
by Qwest shall be deemed granted, in the absence of a Commission denial of the petition for failure to 
meet the statutory standards for forbearance, is extended to June 22, 2010. 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Marcus Maher
Associate Bureau Chief
Wireline Competition Bureau
  
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transport unbundling obligations under section 251(c)(3) of the Act), remanded, Verizon Tel. Cos. v. FCC, 570 F.3d 
294 (D.C. Cir. 2009) (Verizon v. FCC); Petitions of Qwest Corporation for Forbearance Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 
§ 160(c) in the Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, and Seattle Metropolitan Statistical Areas, WC Docket No. 
07-97, Memorandum Opinion and Order, 23 FCC Rcd 11729, 11730, para. 1 (2008) (Qwest 4 MSA Forbearance 
Order) (noting Qwest’s request for forbearance in the 4 MSAs, including Phoenix, from loop and transport 
unbundling obligations pursuant to sections 251(c) and 271(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the Act), remanded, Qwest Corp. v. FCC, 
No. 08-1257 (D.C. Cir. Aug. 5, 2009) (Qwest Corporation v. FCC).    
7 47 U.S.C. § 160(c).
8 See, e.g., Petition of Ameritech Corporation for Forbearance from Enforcement of Section 275(a) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as Amended, CC Docket No. 98-65, Order, 14 FCC Rcd 6415 (CCB 1999).
9 See 47 U.S.C. § 155(c).