[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 242 (Monday, December 17, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64946-64947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30984]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 51

[CC Docket No. 01-318, CC Docket No. 98-56, CC Docket No. 98-157, CC 
Docket No. 96-98, CC Docket No. 98-141; DA 01-2859]


Performance Measurements and Standards for Unbundled Network 
Elements and Interconnection

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document grants a motion requesting an extension of the 
comment period established in the above-captioned docket. The order 
grants a 21-day extension to both the comment and reply comment 
deadlines.

DATES: Comments are due January 22, 2002 and Reply Comments are due 
February 12, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy Carpino, Attorney Advisor, 
Policy and Program Planning Division, Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-
1580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. On November 19, 2001, the Commission released a Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (66 FR 59759 (November 30, 2001)) establishing the 
pleading cycle for comments and reply comments in the above-captioned 
docket. The deadline for comments was established as December 31, 2001, 
and January 22, 2002 for reply comments.
    2. On December 3, 2001, the United States Telecom Association 
(USTA) filed a Motion for Extension of Time to extend the date for 
comments and reply comments by 30 days. According to USTA, it seeks 
this extension to permit its membership the opportunity ``to undertake 
the dialogue necessary to pursue an industry wide solution'' to 
unbundled network element (UNE) performance standards in response to 
the UNE Measurements and Standards Notice. USTA argues that the current 
comment schedule, which, it notes, falls within the upcoming holiday 
season, would not provide USTA's members an

[[Page 64947]]

adequate opportunity to consider the issues raised in this proceeding 
and that an extension would not prejudice the interests of other 
parties.
    3. On December 4, 2001, BellSouth Corporation (BellSouth) filed 
comments in support of USTA's extension request, noting that during 
this holiday season, many of BellSouth's personnel who are necessary to 
address the issues raised in this proceeding are often unavailable. 
BellSouth argues that affording the parties additional time to prepare 
comments will facilitate the development of a more complete record that 
will, in turn, enable the Commission to conclude this proceeding in a 
reasonable and timely manner. On December 5, 2001, the Competitive 
Telecommunications Association (CompTel) filed similar comments in 
support of the USTA Motion. Like BellSouth, CompTel contends that a 
modest extension of the comment period would permit interested parties 
to provide more substantive and complete comments on the complex issues 
raised in the UNE Measurements and Standards Notice. CompTel argues 
that the subject matter about which the Commission requested comment 
will require a great deal of inter-company coordination between 
operations, engineering, provisioning and policy experts to provide the 
Commission with the most useful information. CompTel notes that the 
upcoming holiday season will only exacerbate an undertaking that will 
already be complicated by the dispersion of expertise within the 
organizations of both competitive and incumbent carriers.
    4. It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are 
not routinely granted. In this instance, however, the Bureau finds that 
USTA, BellSouth, and CompTel have shown good cause for a limited 
extension of the deadline for filing comments and reply comments in 
this proceeding. Because of the complexity and the sheer number of 
issues presented in the UNE Measurements and Standards Notice, the 
Commission's desire to obtain a complete record with input from both 
carriers and state public utility commissions, and the impending 
holiday season, a 21-day extension is granted for both comments and 
reply comments from the dates those comments were due initially.
    5. Accordingly, pursuant to authority found in section 4(i) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), and sections 
0.91, 0.291 and 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.91, 0.291, 
1.46, USTA's Motion for Extension of Time is granted to the extent 
described herein to establish a new comments deadline of January 22, 
2002 and reply comments deadline of February 12, 2002.

Federal Communications Commission.
Michelle M. Carey,
Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division.
[FR Doc. 01-30984 Filed 12-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P