NOTICE


*************************************************************************
             

                         NOTICE


*************************************************************************

This document was originally prepared in Word Perfect.  

If the original document contained--

                    *  Footnotes
                    *  Boldface & Italics

--this information  is missing in this version

The document format (spacing, margins, tabs, etc.) is changed too.

If you need the complete document, download the Word Perfect version.

For information about downloading documents (FTP) see file pnmc5021.

File  pnmc5021 (.txt & .wp) is in directory \pub\Public_Notices\Miscellaneous.

*************************************************************************
                                Before the
                     Federal Communications Commission
                          Washington, D.C. 20554

                                     )
In the Matter of                     )
                                     )
Implementation of the Non-Accounting )              CC Docket No. 96-149
Safeguards of Sections 271 and 272 of the)
Communications Act of 1934, as amended:)
                                     )
and                                  )
                                     )
Regulatory Treatment of LEC Provision)
of Interexchange Services Originating in the )
LEC's Local Exchange Area            )
                                     )
                                     )


                                  ORDER


   Adopted:  August 28, 1996                                     Released:  August 28, 1996


By the Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division:

     1.     On July 17, 1996, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
initiating the above-captioned proceeding.  In the Notice, the original deadline for receipt of
comments was August 15, 1996, and for receipt of reply comments was August 30, 1996.

     2.     On August 2, 1996, the United States Telephone Association (USTA) filed a
request to extend the comment deadline for two issues raised in the Notice relating to the
regulation of independent local exchange carriers (LECs):  (1) whether the regulatory regime for
independent LECs should be altered in order for these companies to qualify for non-dominant
treatment, and (2) whether the Commission should change the market definition it has previously
used for assessing the presence or absence of market power of independent LECs in providing
"in-region," interstate, interexchange services.  On August 9, 1996, the Policy and Program
Planning Division (Division) of the Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) granted in part USTA's
motion for extension of time, extending the deadline for receipt of comments on the above-
specified issues to August 29, 1996, and for receipt of reply comments on those issues to
September 13, 1996.  The USTA Extension Order specified that it had no effect on the comment
deadlines for other issues raised in the Notice, which remained the same.

     3.     On August 27, 1996, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) filed a
request to extend the deadline for receipt of reply comments on all issues raised in the Notice 
until September 13.  TIA indicates that, to respond to the Commission's inquiries in the Notice,
it must collect and coordinate input from its members.  TIA states that the compressed reply
period established by the Notice, together with the volume of initial comments received in the
proceeding, have made it difficult to obtain and coordinate member input necessary to file reply
comments addressing the full range of issues of concern to TIA's members within the prescribed
timeframe.  In addition, TIA notes that many of the issues raised in the Notice are interrelated,
that there is no statutory deadline applicable to the completion of the instant proceeding, and that
the 15-day reply period for this proceeding is shorter than the 30-day period provided in many
other Commission proceedings.

     4.     The Commission's policy is that extensions of time shall not be routinely granted. 
Moreover, we believe that it is particularly important to complete the instant proceeding in a
timely manner, because it raises implications for other proceedings subject to explicit statutory
deadlines.  For these reasons, we believe the public interest is best served by maintaining the
original reply comment deadline of August 30, 1996, for all issues raised in the Notice that were
not affected by our USTA Extension Order.  Therefore, we deny TIA's request for extension.

     5.     Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Motion for Extension of Time filed by TIA
is DENIED.  

                                   FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


                                   Richard K. Welch
                                   Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division
                                   Common Carrier Bureau