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DA 96-24 Federal Communications Commission Record 11 FCC Red No. 4 
Before the 
Federal Communications Commission 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
CC Docket No. 87-124 
In the Matter of 
Access to Telecommunications 
Equipment and Services by Persons 
With Disabilities 
ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR 
EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE COMMENTS 
Adopted: January 17, 1996; Released: January 17, 1996 
By the Deputy Division Chief, Network Services Di­
vision, Common Carrier Bureau: 
Comment Date: January 29, 1996 
Reply Comment Date: February 29, 1996 
1. On November 28, 1995, the Commission adopted a 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FCC 95-474, re­
leased November 28, 1995, seeking comment on proposals 
to increase access by persons with hearing disabilities to 
telephones in workplaces, confined settings and hotels and 
motels. Public notice of this action appeared in the Federal 
Register on December 12, 1995. See 60 Fed. Reg. 63667 
(1995). Comments were initially due to be filed by January 
12, 1996 and reply comments by February 16, 1996. On 
January 11, 1996 the Commission extended the comment 
filing date from January 12, 1996 to January 16, 1996, due 
to a weather emergency and a budget-related shutdown of 
the Commission. See Public Notice. DA 96-2. Procedures 
For The Filing of Documents That Were Due During The 
Government Shutdown Or During The Weather Emer­
gency. released January 11, 1996. 
2. On January 11, 1996. the Commission received a 
request from the Telecommunications Industry Association 
(TIA) to extend the deadline for thirty days for filing 
_comments and reply comments. In its request. TIA states 
that it needs additional time to contact FCC staff to obtain 
clarifications regarding technical proposals, and circulate 
comments among TIA members, but that TIA has been 
unable to do this because of the government shutdown and 
the weather emergency. 
3. As set forth in Section 1.46 of the Commission's 
Rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.46, it is Commission policy that 
extensions of time not be routinely granted. We find, how­
ever, that TIA has shown good cause for the grant of 
additional time to file comments and reply comments in 
this proceeding. The technical proposals in the NPRM are 
critical to the proposed expanded access by persons with 
hearing disabilities to telephones in workplaces, confined 
settings and hotels and motels. Furthermore, TIA and its 
members are uniquely qualified to comment on these tech· 
nical proposals, since TIA represents many telecommunica­
tions manufacturers. 
1814 
4. TIA has requested a thirty-day extension, however, and 
we consider such an extension unnecessarily long. Except 
for the technical proposals, the proposals in the NPRM 
were thoroughly discussed by the Hearing Aid Compatibil­
ity Negotiated Rulemaking Committee. Furthermore, we 
understand that TIA will be able to circulate the NPRM's 
technical proposaJs among its members electronically, and 
we believe this process can be completed in substantially 
less time than thirty days. 
5. We agree, however, that the public interest would be 
served by granting an extension of time in which to file 
comments and replies to the NPRM. Accordingly, we will 
grant the requested relief in part. 
6. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Request for 
Extension of Time filed by the Telecommunications In· 
dustry Association (TIA) IS GRANTED to the extent in­
dicated herein, and IS OTHERWISE DENIED. 
7. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the date for filing 
comments to the NPRM in this proceeding IS EX­
TENDED to January 29, 1996, and the date for filing 
replies IS EXTENDED to February 29, 1996. 
8. This action is taken pursuant to authority found in 
Sections 4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i) and 303(r), and 
Sections 0.204(b), 0.291 and 1.46 of the Commission's 
Rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.204(b), 0.291 and 1.46. 
9. For further information concerning this proceeding, 
contact Greg Lipscomb, Network Services Division, Com­
mon Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-2340. 
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 
Linda B. Dubroof 
Deputy Chief, Network Services Division 
Common Carrier Bureau