Federal Communications Commission	DA 23-10


Before the
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of

Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services
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WC Docket No. 12-375

ORDER

Adopted:  January 5, 2023		Released:  January 5, 2023

Revised Reply Comment Date:  March 3, 2023

By the Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau:

1. By this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) grants a 45-day extension of time for filing reply comments on the Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the above-captioned proceeding. With the 45-day extension, reply comments are now due March 3, 2023.
2. On September 30, 2022, the Commission released the Fourth Report and Order and Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Rates for Interstate Inmate Calling Services, WC Docket No. 12-375, Fourth Report and Order and Sixth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 22-76 (rel. Sept. 30, 2022) (Sixth Further Notice).
  In that item, the Commission adopted reforms of interstate inmate calling services, including improvements to access to communications services for incarcerated people with communication disabilities. Id. at para. 3.
  In the Sixth Further Notice portion of the item, the Commission sought comment on a number of outstanding issues. Id. at paras. 93-162.
  The filing deadlines were set at December 15, 2022 for initial comments and January 17, 2023 for reply comments. Comment Due Dates Set for Sixth Further Notice on Calling Services for Incarcerated People, WC Docket No. 12-375, Public Notice, DA 23-1249 (rel. Dec. 2, 2022).
  
3. On December 19, 2022, HEARD, the Wright Petitioners, Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc., Hearing Loss Association of America, National Association of the Deaf, the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Gallaudet University, Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, Prison Policy Initiative, Public Knowledge, United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, and Worth Rises (collectively, the Public Interest Parties) filed a motion to extend the reply comment deadline by 45 days to March 3, 2023. The Public Interest Parties, Motion for Extension of Time, WC Docket No. 12-375, at 2 (filed Dec. 19, 2022) (Motion for Extension).
  Movants assert that an additional grant of time would allow for “a thorough and well-developed record, including from stakeholder reply comments” and “would enable more fulsome public participation in the reply comment round.” Motion for Extension at 1, 3.
   They argue, inter alia, that their analysis of the record, “totaling over 500 pages, including at least 100 pages of expert reports, statistical studies, and other exhibits,” will cause “resource challenges,” and request the additional time to help “secure the resources necessary to actively participate.” Motion for Extension at 2-3.
  
4. Section 1.46 of the Commission’s rules provides that “[i]t is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time shall not be routinely granted.” 47 CFR § 1.46. 
  Upon review, however, we agree with the Public Interest Parties that an extension of time will more fully allow parties to provide us with fulsome comments that will facilitate the compilation of a complete record in this proceeding, without causing undue delay to the Commission’s consideration of these issues. 
5. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to sections 0.204, 0.291, and 1.46 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.204, 0.291, and 1.46 that the Motion for Extension of Time filed by the Public Interest Parties on December 19, 2022 is GRANTED.
6. IT IS ALSO ORDERED that the deadline for filing reply comments to the Sixth Further Notice is EXTENDED to March 3, 2023.
7. To request materials in accessible formats (such as Braille, large print, electronic files, or audio format), send an e-mail to: fcc504@fcc.gov, or call the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice) or (202) 418-0432 (TTY).
8. For further information concerning this proceeding, please contact Erik Raven-Hansen, Pricing Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, (202) 418-1532, Erik.Raven-Hansen@fcc.gov.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



Trent Harkrader
Chief
Wireline Competition Bureau

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