FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Enforcement Bureau Market Disputes Resolution Division 45 L Street NE Washington, D.C. 20554 April 30, 2021 Copies sent via E-mail Lauren Coppola Michael J. Hunseder Timothy Wenger James P. Young Rebecca Bact Spencer D. Driscoll Robins Kaplan, LLP Alice A. Wang 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2500 Sidley & Austin Boston, MA 02199 1501 K Street, N.W. LCoppola@RobinsKaplan.com Washington, D.C. 20005 mhunseder@sidley.com Christopher Libertelli 4300 Pacific Coast Highway Counsel for AT&T Corp. and AT&T Long Beach, CA 90804 Services, Inc. clibertelli@carrierx.com Counsel for Wide Voice, LLC Scott H. Angstreich Grace W. Knofczynski Jayme L. Weber Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick, P.L.L.C 1615 M Street, N.W., Suite 400 Washington, D.C. 20036 sangstreich@kellogghansen.com Counsel for MCI Communications Services LLC Re: AT&T Corp., AT&T Services, Inc., and MCI Communications Services LLC v Wide Voice, LLC, Proceeding No. 20-362, Bureau ID No. EB-20-MD-005 Dear Counsel: This letter ruling denies a request by the parties to pause the decision deadline for the above- referenced formal complaint that AT&T Corporation, AT&T Services, Inc. (AT&T), and MCI Communications Services LLC (Verizon) filed against Wide Voice, LLC (Wide Voice) pursuant to section 208 of the Act.1 1 Letter from Scott H. Angstreich, Counsel for Verizon, Michael J. Hunseder, Counsel for AT&T, and Lauren Coppola, Counsel for Wide Voice, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Proceeding No. 20- 362, Bureau ID No. EB-20-MD-005 (dated April 28, 2021) (Request). See Formal Complaint of AT&T Corp., AT&T The parties state that they have agreed to participate in staff-supervised settlement efforts and request that the Commission pause the decision deadline contained in section 208(b)(1) of the Act, assuming it applies, for one calendar week beginning one day before settlement discussions begin.2 They further propose that staff- supervised settlement discussions begin with Verizon and Wide Voice and, if those discussions are successful, that the discussions then involve AT&T and Wide Voice.3 The Commission has broad discretion to  conduct its [formal complaint] proceedings as will best conduce to the proper dispatch of business and to the ends of justice. 4 And the Commission always encourages parties to attempt to resolve their disputes informally, with the assistance of Commission staff if necessary.5 The parties proposal, however, comes very late in this proceeding, provides only a one-week period to explore settlement, and is structured such that it involves only one defendant initially. Moreover, based on discussions with the parties during a teleconference on April 29, 2021, it is far from clear that discussions between AT&T and Wide Voice would proceed, even if Verizon and Wide Voice were to resolve their dispute. In short, we believe the requested pause will only serve to delay with little assurance that the litigation will be resolved in its entirety. In other words, the parties have not convinced us that a pause in the proceeding will eliminate the need for the expenditure of additional time and resources by the parties and this Commission. Accordingly, we deny the Request. This letter ruling is issued pursuant to sections 4(i), 4(j), and 208 of the Act, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 154(j), 208, sections 1.720-1.740 of the Commission s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.720-1.740, and the authority delegated in sections 0.111 and 0.311 of the Commission s rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.111, 0.311. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Rosemary H. McEnery Rosemary H. McEnery Chief, Market Disputes Resolution Division Enforcement Bureau Federal Communications Commission cc: Curtis L. Groves, Verizon Brett Farley, AT&T Services, Inc. Services, Inc., and MCI Communications Services LLC, Proceeding No. 20-362, Bureau ID No. EB-20-MD-005 (filed Jan. 11, 2021) (Complaint). 2 Request at 1. 3 Id. 4 47 U.S.C. § 154(j). See, e.g., 47 U.S.C. § l54(i); Amendment of Procedural Rules Governing Formal Complaint Proceedings Delegated to the Enforcement Bureau, Report and Order, 33 FCC Rcd 7178 (2018); Implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Amendment of Rules Governing Procedures to Be Followed when Formal Complaints Are Filed Against Common Carriers, Report and Order, 12 FCC Rcd 22497 (1997); Amendment of Certain of the Commission s Part 1 Rules of Practice and Procedure Relating to the Filing of Formal Complaints Under Section 208 of the Communications Act and Pole Attachment Complaints Under Section 224 of the Communications Act, Order, 29 FCC Rcd 14078 (2014). 5 See 47 CFR § 1.737. 2