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

                                )
In the Matter of                )  
                                )  
Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies')
New Expanded Interconnection Tariff)    CC Docket No. 96-165


                             ORDER


Adopted: April 10, 1997                  Released: April 10, 1997

By the Chief, Competitive Pricing Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

     1.   On April 4, 1997, Bell Atlantic filed a motion for an extension of time to file its direct
case in response to the Designation Order in CC Docket No. 96-165.   Bell Atlantic's direct case
is currently due today, April 10, 1997.  Pleadings responding to the direct case are due April 25,
1997 and Bell Atlantic's rebuttal is due on May 2, 1997.

     2.   Bell Atlantic is seeking an extension to April 24, 1997 for filing its direct case so that
it can compile the information the Commission has requested to support its collocation tariff.  Bell
Atlantic contends the same service cost personnel who are developing much of the information
needed for the direct case are also currently engaged in compiling information to support Bell
Atlantic's filings in a number of other proceedings, including ongoing proceedings before several
state commissions who are considering Bell Atlantic's rates for unbundled network elements.  Bell
Atlantic also contends the additional time will enable Bell Atlantic personnel to file the information
in the format needed to meet the Commission's requirements for this proceeding.

     3.   It is the policy of the Commission that motions for extensions of time shall not be
routinely granted.  Nevertheless, after reviewing Bell Atlantic's petition, we find that the record in
this proceeding might not be adequately developed unless Bell Atlantic 






is provided with additional time in which to prepare its direct case.  Therefore, we grant Bell
Atlantic's request for limited additional time requested to file its direct case.  We extend Bell
Atlantic's deadline for the filing its direct case to April 24, 1997.  In order to ensure that parties have
the opportunity to respond to Bell Atlantic's direct case, we also extend the deadline for filing
comments on Bell Atlantic's direct case to May 9, 1997.  Finally, we extend Bell Atlantic's deadline
for filing a rebuttal to May 16, 1997.

     4.   IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Bell Atlantic's motion for an extension of time
IS GRANTED, to extent specified herein.


     

                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                              James D. Schlichting
                              Chief, Competitive Pricing Division
                              Common Carrier Bureau