Federal Communications Commission	DA 26-598


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

In the Matter of

Petition of AT&T for Preemption and Declaratory Ruling Regarding California’s Carrier of Last Resort and Related Requirements

Petition of AT&T for Forbearance Under 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) from Requirements Imposed on Eligible Telecommunications Carriers by 47 U.S.C. § 214(e)
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WC Docket No. 26-125



WC Docket No. 26-123



ORDER GRANTING EXTENSIONS OF TIME

Adopted:  June 16, 2026	Released:  June 16, 2026

Comment Date:  July 7, 2026
Reply Comment Date:  July 22, 2026

By the Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau: 

1. By this Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) grants in part a motion for an extension of time to file comments and reply comments in the above-captioned proceedings filed by the People of the State of California and the California Public Utilities Commission (collectively, the CPUC) on June 8, 2026, California Public Utilities Commission, Motion for Extension of Time to File Comments, WC Docket No. 26-125 (filed June 8, 2026) (Preemption Petition Motion) (requesting that the Commission extend the deadline for initial comments to July 22, 2026 and the deadline for reply comments to August 21, 2026); California Public Utilities Commission, Motion for Extension of Time to File Comments, WC Docket No. 26-123 (filed June 8, 2026) (Forbearance Petition Motion) (collectively, Motions).
 in response to the May 22, 2026 Public Notices issued by the Bureau Petition of AT&T for Preemption and Declaratory Ruling Regarding California’s Carrier of Last Resort and Related Requirements, WC Docket No. 26-125, Public Notice, DA 26-520 (WCB May 22, 2026); Petition of AT&T for Forbearance under 47 U.S.C. § 160(c) from Requirements Imposed on Eligible Telecommunications Carriers by 47 U.S.C. § 214(e), WC Docket No. 26-123, Public Notice, DA 26-518 (WCB May 22, 2026).
 seeking comment on a Petition for Preemption and Declaratory Ruling and a Petition for Forbearance (collectively, the Petitions) filed by AT&T on May 20, 2026. AT&T Services, Inc., Petition for Preemption and Declaratory Ruling, WC Docket No. 26-125 (filed May 20, 2026); AT&T Services, Inc., Petition of AT&T for Forbearance under 47 U.S.C. § 160(c), WC Docket No. 26-123 (filed May 20, 2026). 
  For the reasons stated below, the Bureau finds that partial extensions of the comment and reply comment deadlines in both proceedings are warranted and thus extends the comment and reply comment dates to July 7, 2026, and July 22, 2026, respectively. 
2. The CPUC notes that both Petitions were filed the same day and that, contemporaneously with filing the Petitions, AT&T also filed with the Commission two applications seeking to discontinue residential and business plain old telephone service (POTS) in certain wire centers in California. Motions at 1; see also AT&T Services, Inc., Section 63.71 Application of AT&T, WC Docket No. 26-121 (filed May 20, 2026); AT&T Services, Inc., Section 63.71 Application of AT&T, WC Docket No. 26-120 (filed May 20, 2026).  The CPUC also asserts that it must respond to a lawsuit and request for injunction that AT&T filed in federal court in California seeking a declaration that California’s COLR requirements are preempted.  Motions at 1-2 (citing Pacific Bell Tel. Co. d/b/a AT&T California v. John Reynolds et al., Case No. 3:26-cv-03148, Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief (S.D. Cal. filed May 20, 2026)).
  Given the multiple dates in June 2026 on which it must respond to AT&T’s various filings, the CPUC contends that an extension of time “will help the CPUC provide comments in a timely fashion.” Motions at 1-2.
  Further, the CPUC asserts that the Commission should allow sufficient time for other interested parties to comment in response to AT&T’s Petitions, particularly because (1) “the regulations at issue [in the preemption petition] fall within California’s traditional powers to protect the health and safety of her people,” Preemption Petition Motion at 5.
 and (2) and “the Commission cannot meet its statutory mandate [under section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended] if California and her citizens lack an adequate opportunity to participate.” Forbearance Petition Motion at 4.
  Finally, the CPUC asserts that the requested extensions would not “prejudice AT&T’s interests” because the Commission has not yet granted the requested discontinuance authorization and because AT&T does not intend to discontinue POTS service until June 1, 2027 at the earliest Id. at 4-5; Preemption Petition Motion at 5-6.
 and it “will not prevent the Commission from meeting the one-year statutory deadline for ruling on AT&T’s [forbearance] petition.” Forbearance Petition Motion at 4.
     
3. As set forth in section 1.46 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 1.46.
 the Commission does not routinely grant extensions of time for filing comments.  In this case, however, we find that due to the overlapping timeframes in which the CPUC must respond to the Petitions and to the filings in the other cited proceedings, the public interest will be served by granting a limited extension of the comment and reply comment deadlines in the above-captioned proceedings.  Although this extension is shorter than requested by the CPUC, we find that it will allow adequate time for more input on the issues raised in the Petitions and give interested parties more time to develop fulsome comments that will enable a more informed decision by the Commission without introducing unnecessary delay in the proceedings.  Accordingly, we extend the deadlines for filing comments to July 7, 2026 and reply comments to July 22, 2026.
4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to section 4(i)-(j) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 154(i)-(j), and sections 0.91, 0.291, 1.3, and 1.46 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.91, 0.291, 1.3, 1.46, the Motions for Extension of Time to File Comments ARE GRANTED IN PART to the extent described herein, and the deadlines to file comments and reply comments in response to AT&T’s Petitions in the above captioned dockets ARE EXTENDED to July 7, 2026, and July 22, 2026, respectively.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



Joseph S. Calascione
Chief
Wireline Competition Bureau

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