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If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ***************************************************************** Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 Cuba City Telephone Exchange Company;) Belmont Telephone Company; ) Hager Telecom, Inc.; ) Silver Star Telephone Company, Inc.; ) Deep River Mutual Telephone Company; ) Dixon Telephone Company; ) Ellsworth Cooperative Telephone Association;) NSD File Nos. Frontier Communications of Schuyler, Iowa;) 97-52; 97-58; 97-57; 97-62; 97-61 Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation;) Griswold Cooperative Telephone Company;) La Porte City Telephone Company; ) Ogden River Telephone Company; ) River Valley Telephone Cooperative; ) Webb-Dickens Telephone Company ) ) ) Petitions for Waiver of the ) Four-Digit Carrier Identification Code (CIC)) Implementation Schedule ) ORDER Adopted: December 15, 1997 Released: December 15, 1997 By the Chief, Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau: I. INTRODUCTION 1. Carrier identification codes (CICs) are numeric codes that enable local exchange carriers (LECs) providing interstate interexchange access services to identify the interstate interexchange carrier (IXC) that the originating caller wishes to use to transmit its interstate call. LECs use the CICs to route traffic to the proper IXC and to bill for the interstate access service provided. CICs facilitate competition by enabling callers to use the services of telecommunications service providers either by presubscription or by dialing a carrier access code, or CAC, which incorporates that carrier's unique Feature Group D CIC. Originally, CICs were unique three-digit codes (XXX) and CACs were five-digit codes incorporating the CIC (10XXX). 2. On April 11, 1997, in the CICs Second Report and Order, the Commission approved an industry plan to expand Feature Group D CICs from three to four digits on the ground that it was a reasonable method of meeting future demand for CICs as the supply of three-digit codes was exhausted. The industry agreed that as the expansion from three to four-digit CICs occurred, and as carriers replaced their five-digit CACs with seven-digit CACs, a transition, or permissive dialing period, was needed. The industry, however, was unable to agree on the length of the transition. In its 1994 CICs NPRM, the Commission proposed a six-year period. In the CICs Second Report and Order, however, because of the rapidly depleting pool of available three-digit CICs, the Commission decided to end the transition on January 1, 1998. The Commission also denied requests to "grandfather" (i.e., to permit carriers to continue to use) previously assigned three-digit CICs that are in use at the end of the transition. The Commission's decisions were intended to advance the pro- competitive objectives of the Communications Act of 1934 (the Communications Act or the Act), as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act). 3. On October 22, 1997, in the CICs Order on Reconsideration, the Commission modified the decision in the CICs Second Report and Order regarding the length of the transition during which three and four-digit Feature Group D CICs co-exist, and created a "two-step" end to the transition to four-digit CICs. Under the CICs Order on Reconsideration, all LECs that provide equal access must have completed switch changes to recognize four-digit CICs by January 1, 1998, the end of the first phase. The second phase, which ends on June 30, 1998, is intended to allow interexchange carriers time to prepare their networks for, and educate their customers about, the replacement of three-digit CICs by four-digit CICs. After June 30, 1998, only four-digit CICs and seven-digit CACs will be recognized. The Commission also affirmed its decision in the CICs Second Report and Order not to grandfather the use of three-digit CICs and five-digit CACs that are in use during the transition. 4. In response to several small LECs' petitions for waiver of the CICs Second Report and Order's January 1, 1998 conversion deadline, on December 3, 1997, the Network Services Division of the Commission's Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) granted extensions of the conversion deadline up to, and including, June 30, 1998. We dismissed two petitions as moot. We have received several more petitions for waiver, which we address here. 5. In this Order, for the reasons discussed below, we conclude that the petitions of Cuba City, Belmont, Hager, Silver Star, and each Iowa LEC (Deep River, Dixon, Ellsworth, Frontier-Iowa, Grand River, Griswold, La Porte City, Ogden, River Valley, and Webb-Dickens) should be granted, by extending for them the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability for the time periods requested. In addition, as discussed below, we impose certain requirements on Silver Star and Hager, for whom we grant extensions beyond June 30, 1998, the end of the permissive dialing period. II. PETITIONS A. Requests for Extension of Cuba City and Belmont 6. Cuba City and Belmont, small LECs operating in Wisconsin as sister companies, which became equal access providers in 1990, each filed a petition requesting an extension of the switch conversion deadline until April 1, 1998. Both claim that it may be technically and economically infeasible to comply with the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. Cuba City and Belmont operate Northern Telecom (Nortel) switches using operating systems software release version 4.02, which does not have four-digit CIC capability. Cuba City and Belmont claim that they are located 13 miles apart, and that, effective with the software release upgrade, Belmont will become a remote switch, with Cuba City as a host switch. Cuba City asserts that it has been making good faith efforts to purchase an updated release and the necessary equipment to operate the software. Belmont asserts that it has been making good faith efforts to purchase the remote facilities necessary to accept four-digit CICs. Both companies assert that, in the first quarter of 1997, they began negotiations with their engineers (Iverson Engineering) and Nortel. In addition, Cuba City and Belmont assert that, upon issuance of the CICs Second Report and Order in April 1997, they began assessing the steps necessary to meet the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. Cuba City and Belmont state that they signed contracts with Nortel in July 1997 (Cuba city for an upgrade to release version 4.10 and Belmont for a change to a remote) and received the equipment in late November 1997. Because Nortel is overwhelmed with upgrade requests, however, they claim that installation will not be complete until April 1, 1998. Cuba City and Belmont assert that they have considered purchasing new switching equipment from a different manufacturer but have decided against this option because it would be too costly and take many more months to complete. Both companies assert that the Commission's grant of their waiver requests is consistent with Commission precedent recognizing the technical and economic burdens imposed on small and rural LECs in implementing software upgrades and granting waivers when those burdens are demonstrated. B. Requests for Extension of the Iowa LECs 7. The Iowa LECs on whose behalf GVNW filed its petition participate in centralized equal access service provided by Iowa Network Services (INS). All except of one of the Iowa LECs (Ellsworth) request extensions until June 30, 1998. Ellsworth requests an extension until February 28, 1998. GVNW asserts that the INS centralized equal access function provides presubscription and equal access capabilities through a centralized switching system rather than through provisioning in each end office switch. The Iowa LECs invested in digital switching technology before switch manufacturers made four-digit CICs available. Because they have been providing new services through the INS switch, they have not been required to invest in upgrades to their individual end offices. GVNW asserts that, through the INS, the Iowa LECs were able to provide equal access earlier than many other rural LECs, and although they cannot provide dial-around capabilities to carriers with four-digit CICs, they are able to provide them with equal access presubscription. 8. Based on communications with INS (upon which they rely to obtain information on their four-digit CIC capability), the Iowa LECs believed that they could become four-digit CIC compliant through INS, without upgrading or replacing their own switches. In early November, 1997, however, the Iowa LECs learned that if they did not have signalling system 7 (SS7) capability, they may not be able to upgrade to four-digit CICs. GVNW asserts that, upon learning of these problems, the Iowa LECs have taken immediate action to become four-digit CIC compliant as quickly as technically feasible in order to meet the June 30, 1998 end of the permissive dialing period. GVNW asserts that, in the interim, only the relatively small number of dial-around calls using four-digit CICs will be affected. 9. For each Iowa LEC, GVNW provides specific details regarding serving areas, access lines, switch types, and software. All of the Iowa LECs except one (Grand River) use Nortel DMS 10 switches. The exchange for which Grand River requests a waiver is served by a Stromberg-Carlson DCO switch. All the Iowa LECs serve a small number of access lines. 10. Five of the Iowa LECs, Deep River, Frontier-Iowa, La Porte City (the La Porte City exchange, one of its two exchanges), Ogden, and Webb-Dickens, are pursuing upgrades to their existing switches to become four-digit CIC compliant. Each LEC requests extension of the switch conversion deadline until June 30, 1998. Each is working with Nortel to accomplish upgrades by June 30, 1998. Deep River anticipates completion of the software upgrade by mid-June 1998. Frontier-Iowa asserts that agreement with Nortel on a software upgrade package (costing approximately $75,000) is forthcoming, and is optimistic that it will be able to complete installation by the end of the permissive dialing period. La Porte City is undergoing negotiations with Nortel for a generic software upgrade. Ogden, in addition to working with Nortel to estimate costs and timing for a generic software upgrade, also is considering a possible switch replacement. Ogden asserts that Nortel will provide Ogden with cost estimates for both options on December 14, 1997, and anticipates completion of necessary changes by mid-June, 1998. Webb-Dickens asserts that it has initiated negotiations with Nortel for a generic software upgrade for both of its exchanges, which will cost a total of $400,000, and is optimistic that it will be four-digit CIC compliant by the end of the permissive dialing period. 11. Six of the Iowa LECs, Ellsworth, Grand River, Dixon, Griswold, River Valley, and La Porte City (for the Mount Auburn exchange, the second of its two exchanges), are in the process of replacing their switches to become four-digit CIC compliant. With the exception of Ellsworth, each requests extension of the switch conversion deadline until June 30, 1998. Ellsworth requests an extension until February 28, 1998. Ellsworth asserts that, after completing negotiations in June 1997, they received new switches in the beginning of November 1997. Ellsworth states that installation of the switches will be complete in December 1997, and the switches will become operational in January 1998. Grand River asserts that it had originally scheduled a switch replacement for the last half of 1998, and that it intends to expedite the replacement in order to be four-digit CIC compliant by the end of the permissive dialing period. Dixon, Griswold, La Porte City, and River Valley assert that they are in the process of negotiating switch replacements. Griswold asserts that it has reviewed a bid from Nortel and is expecting a follow-up response from by December 25, 1997. Griswold asserts the estimated cost for its combined switch replacement is $1,000,000 and that the vendor has advised it that the switches will be made available in four months. Griswold asserts that it should be able to make the necessary changes by the end of June 1998. River Valley asserts that it has accepted bids from three manufacturers and initiated the loan process with the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (RFTC). River Valley asserts that it is optimistic about complying with the four-digit CIC requirement by the end of the permissive dialing period. Dixon asserts that the estimated cost for its switch replacement is $150,000, and it is optimistic that it can comply with the four-digit CIC requirement by the end of the permissive dialing period. La Porte City asserts that the current bid for its switch replacement is $370,000, and states that it will make every effort to ensure that it is four- digit CIC compliant by the end of the permissive dialing period. C. Request for Extension of Silver Star 12. Silver Star, an incumbent LEC serving Western Wyoming and Eastern Idaho, requests an extension for one of its six exchanges, the Irwin, Idaho exchange, until August 31, 1998. Silver Star asserts that in 1991, it began a series of network-wide equipment upgrades, to bring new services to its customers, including the four-digit CIC function. Silver Star is in the last year of this multi-year network upgrade project. By January 1, 1998, all but one of Silver Star's exchanges will have four-digit CIC capability. 13. Silver Star asserts that, prior to issuance of the CICs Second Report and Order, it had anticipated completion of its network upgrade plan by August 31, 1998. Upon issuance of the CICs Second Report and Order, Silver Star asserts that it recognized the difficulty in complying with the January 1, 1998 deadline for the Irwin exchange (a Nortel DMS 10 end office with Generic Release 403.31 software) and immediately attempted to expedite conversion of this exchange. After exploring all reasonable alternatives, Silver Star asserts that compliance with the January 1, 1998 deadline for the Irwin exchange will not be possible. Silver Star asserts that grant of its request will allow Silver Star to complete its upgrade to the Irwin exchange in an economically sound manner. Silver Star asserts that a software upgrade for the Irwin exchange would cost almost as much as the planned replacement of the Irwin exchange with a remote. Avoiding this software upgrade would, according to Silver Star, prevent both disruption of Silver Star's ongoing network upgrade project (which is intended to reduce Silver Star's cost of upgrades in the future) and burdens to customers served by the Irwin exchange with the costs of the software upgrade. Moreover, Silver Star argues that only IXCs that have been issued four-digit CICs will be affected by this waiver. Silver Star recognizes that because it is seeking an extension beyond the end of the permissive dialing period, dial-around calls with seven-digit CACs will not be possible in the Irwin exchange between June 30, 1998, and August 31, 1998. Silver Star argues, however, that the burdens imposed on the IXCs served by the Irwin exchange, and on their customers, is outweighed by the costs that would be incurred if Silver Star were required to comply with the January 1, 1998 deadline. In addition, Silver Star asserts that public hearings regarding Extended Area Service offerings from the Irwin exchange may minimize the need for dial-around calls made from that exchange. D. Request for Extension of Hager 14. Hager, a small, rural LEC operating in Wisconsin, requests an extension of the switch conversion deadline until the end of 1998. Hager currently uses a Siemens Stromberg-Carlson DCO switch with Release 17.0 software which does not support four-digit CICs. Hager asserts that it has decided to replace the switch with a remote switch connected to a Nortel host switch owned by West Wisconsin Telecom Cooperative, Inc. (West Wisconsin), which it anticipates being complete by the end of 1998. Hager asserts that it is currently in the process of obtaining a loan from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Following RUS approval, Hager will order the switch from Nortel, with delivery likely to follow ten months later. Hager asserts that, in the interim, it has begun work on the fiber link between Hager and West Wisconsin. While the fiber link has been installed, Hager asserts that the optical terminating equipment will not be delivered and installed until the first half of 1998. Hager asserts that, without a waiver, it would be forced to spend approximately $258,000 to upgrade a switch which it plans to replace within a year. Hager asserts that no carriers have requested that Hager support four-digit CICs. Hager argues that grant of its waiver request would be consistent with the Commission's policy of minimizing regulatory burdens on small telephone companies. In addition, Hager asserts that grant of its waiver would be consistent with other Bureau decisions granting waivers to LECs who planned to replace their switches. For example, Hager cites to a Bureau decision to grant Pacific Bell a waiver of the *82 caller ID unblocking requirement, agreeing that it would be inefficient to upgrade switches which were going to be replaced. Hager also cites to the Bureau's decision to grant waivers of the equal access conversion deadline to LECs who planned to replace their switches. III. DISCUSSION 15. The Commission may waive any provision of its rules, in whole or in part, if good cause is shown. An applicant for waiver must demonstrate that special circumstances warrant a deviation from the general rule and that such deviation will serve the public interest. In the First CICs Waiver Order, we stated the factors we weighed in evaluating each petition for waiver: the LEC's diligence in upgrading its switches; the availability from manufacturers of products required to accomplish the upgrade; and the impact of an extension of the conversion deadline on the IXCs served by the LEC's switches and on customers' ability to reach IXCs through CAC dialing. The same factors have been considered in evaluating each petition before us here. 16. Requests for Extension of Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs. We find that the petitions for waiver filed by Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs demonstrate the special circumstances meriting a waiver of the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. First, each has demonstrated that it is diligently working upgrade its switches. For example, Cuba City and Belmont began negotiations with their engineers and Nortel in the first quarter of 1997, signed contracts with Nortel in July 1997, and received equipment in late November 1997. The Iowa LECs, since they learned recently from INS that they would need to upgrade or replace their individual switches to become four-digit CIC compliant, have demonstrated that they are diligently working to achieve compliance before the end of the permissive dialing period: (1) Deep River is working with Nortel to assess the cost and time for software upgrades; (2) Frontier-Iowa asserts that agreement with Nortel on a software upgrade package is forthcoming; (3) La Porte City is undergoing negotiations with Nortel for a software upgrade for one switch and replacement for another; (4) Ogden is working with Nortel to estimate costs and timing for a generic software upgrade and a possible switch replacement, and expects information from Nortel by December 14, 1997; (5) Webb-Dickens has initiated negotiations with Nortel for generic software upgrades; (6) Ellsworth finished negotiations for new switches in June 1997, received the switches in the beginning of November 1997, and expects switch installation in December 1997, and operation in January 1998; (7) Grand River is expediting its switch replacement originally scheduled for the last half of 1998; (8) Griswold has reviewed a bid from Nortel and is expecting a follow-up response by December 25, 1997; (9) River Valley has accepted bids from three manufacturers and initiated the loan process with the RFTC; and (10) Dixon is in the process of negotiating switch replacements. 17. Second, based on their petitions, we conclude that Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs have demonstrated that the product needed to accomplish the upgrade to their individual networks is not readily available from switch manufacturers, which has delayed their ability to meet the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. Although Cuba City and Belmont have received the equipment necessary to upgrade to four-digit CICs, they assert that, because Nortel is overwhelmed with upgrade requests, installation will not be complete until April 1, 1998. The product, therefore, is effectively "unavailable" because it has not yet been installed. The Iowa LECs did not learn from INS until November 1997 that they would need to upgrade or replace their individual switches to become four-digiti CIC compliant, rather than relying on the centralized, INS switch. Thus, although the product needed to accomplish the upgrades for their individual networks might have been available, because they were unaware of the need for it until November 1997, it is effectively "unavailable" to meet the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. 18. Third, we conclude that the impact of an extension of the conversion deadline on the IXCs served by Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs, and on the ability of those LECs' customers to reach IXCs through CAC dialing, does not outweigh the burden on those LECs that would be imposed by a denial of their petitions for waiver. Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs are all small LECs serving a limited number of access lines. Cuba City serves one exchange and a total of approximately 1,689 access lines, and Belmont serves one exchange and a total of approximately 802 access lines. Deep River serves one exchange with 292 access lines. Dixon serves one exchange with 629 access lines. Ellsworth serves two exchanges with a total of 678 access lines. Frontier-Iowa serves one exchange with 950 access lines. Grand River's one exchange for which it seeks a waiver serves 195 access lines. Griswold serves four exchanges with a total of 2,071 access lines. La Porte City serves two exchanges with a total of 1,986 access lines. Ogden serves one exchange with 1,775 access lines. River Valley serves two exchanges with a total of 1,001 access lines. Webb-Dickens serves two exchanges with a total of 470 access lines. Cuba City and Belmont have requested extensions of the conversion deadline until April 1, 1998. Ellsworth has requested an extension until February 28, 1998. The remainder of the Iowa LECs have requested extensions until June 30, 1998. Accordingly, the grant of their requested waivers will not affect or interfere with the end of the permissive dialing period on June 30, 1998. 19. We recognize that the grant of these extensions will shorten or eliminate the time we provided for IXCs to prepare their networks and to educate their customers, in creating a two-step transition in our Order on Reconsideration. We find, however, that the technical and economic burden on these LECs that would be imposed by a denial of the extensions outweighs the burden to the IXCs and their customers. Each petitioner asserts that, even if it were technically feasible, it would suffer undue economic burden in attempting to meet the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. Further, the economic burdens imposed by a denial of the extensions would be borne by the LECs' customers. We note, moreover, that only IXCs that have been issued a four-digit CIC (who cannot currently receive CAC calls originating with the LECs' customers) will be affected by the grant of the waivers. The petitioners' networks can, and will continue to, accept CAC calling for IXCs with three-digit CICs until the transition ends on June 30, 1998. Although we recognize the potential anticompetitive effects of the dialing disparity and seek to minimize them, we believe that those effects are outweighed by the economic and technical burdens likely to be imposed on the LECs by a failure to extend the conversion deadline for them. Thus, on balance, we find that the impact of an extension of the conversion deadline on the IXCs served by Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs, and on the ability of those LECs' customers to reach IXCs through CAC dialing, does not outweigh the burden on the LECs that would be imposed by a denial of the extension requests. 20. We note that the CICs Order on Reconsideration, in addition to requiring four- digit CIC conversion by equal access LECs as of January 1, 1998, also requires that LECs must offer a standard intercept message beginning on or before June 30, 1998, explaining that a dialing pattern change has occurred and instructing the caller to contact its IXC for further information. The Commission requires that, in developing an intercept message, LECs must consult with IXCs and reach agreement on the content of the message and on the period of time during which the message will be provided. We emphasize that Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs must comply with the Commission's intercept message requirement. 21. Requests for Extension of Silver Star and Hager. While we also find that the petitions for waiver filed by Silver Star and Hager demonstrate the special circumstances meriting a waiver of the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline, we condition our grant of their requested extensions until August 31, 1998, and January 1, 1999, respectively, as described below. 22. We find that Silver Star warrants an extension of the conversion deadline. First, Silver Star has demonstrated that it is diligently working to convert the Irwin exchange under Silver Star's planned network configuration. Upon issuance of the CICs Second Report and Order, Silver Star attempted to expedite conversion of the Irwin exchange. Silver Star has explored other alternatives to enable it to meet the Commission's deadline, although without success. Second, although Silver Star does not maintain that the product needed to accomplish the upgrade is unavailable, Silver Star cannot begin construction pursuant to its network reconfiguration plan until May 1998, because of extreme weather conditions. Third, we conclude that the impact of an extension of the conversion deadline on the IXCs served by the Irwin exchange, and on the ability of Silver Star's customers served by that exchange to reach IXCs through CAC dialing, does not outweigh the burden on Silver Star that would be imposed by a denial of its petition for waiver. The Irwin exchange serves only 407 access lines. The effect on seven-digit CAC dialing for this small number of access lines is not outweighed by the burden that would be imposed on Silver Star by requiring it to spend virtually the same amount of money on a switch upgrade as is budgeted for the switch's reconfiguration. 23. We also find that Hager warrants an extensions of the conversion deadline. First, Hager has demonstrated that it is diligently working to replace its switch. Hager is currently in the process of obtaining a loan from the RUS. After approval of its loan, Hager will order the switch from Nortel, with delivery likely to follow ten months later. Hager asserts that, in the interim, it has begun work on the fiber link between Hager and West Wisconsin, the owner of the host switch to which Hager's new remote switch will connect. Second, based on its petition, we conclude that Hager has demonstrated that the product needed to accomplish the switch replacement to upgrade to four-digit CICs is not readily available from the switch manufacturer, which has delayed Hager's ability to meet the January 1, 1998 conversion deadline. While the fiber link has been installed, Hager asserts that the optical terminating equipment will not be delivered and installed until the first half of 1998. Third, we conclude that the impact of an extension of the conversion deadline on the IXCs served by Hager, and on the ability of Hager's customers to reach IXCs through CAC dialing, does not outweigh the burden on Hager that would be imposed by a denial of its petition for waiver. Hager is a small rural LEC serving approximately 1,950 access lines. The affect on seven-digit CAC dialing for this small number of access lines is not outweighed by the burden that would be imposed on Hager of spending $258,000 to upgrade its existing switch, which it plans to replace within a year. 24. We cannot ignore, however, the difficulties that the IXCs served by Silver Star and Hager will experience in educating their customers about the forthcoming changes in dialing patterns, and the inability of these IXCs' customers to reach them through CAC dialing after the transition ends on June 30, 1998. We, therefore, condition our grant of Silver Star's waiver request until August 31, 1998, and of Hager's waiver request until January 1, 1999. As of June 30, 1998, IXCs will have converted three-digit CICs to four- digits and five-digit CACs to seven digits. IXCs assigned four-digit CICs will expect their customers to be able to reach them by dialing seven-digit CACs. Their customers will have the same expectation. As we did with Cuba City, Belmont, and the Iowa LECs, we require that Silver Star and Hager offer an intercept message by June 30, 1998. We modify that requirement, however, for Silver Star and Hager. Specifically, we require that, beginning on June 30, 1998, in its intercept message, Silver Star indicate that callers will not be able to reach their long distance carriers through access code dialing until August 31, 1998. Likewise, we require that Hager, beginning on June 30, 1998, indicate that callers will not be able to reach their long distance carriers through access code dialing until January 1, 1999. These intercept messages should help minimize disruption to the IXCs served by Silver Star and Hager, and to those IXCs' customers trying to reach them by CAC dialing between June 30, 1998, and the expiration of Silver Star's and Hager's waivers. We also require that Silver Star and Hager provide the same notification in bill inserts to customers. 25. Because we grant Hager an extension significantly beyond the end of the permissive dialing period, we impose an additional requirement on it to assist the Bureau in monitoring Hager's diligence in converting to four-digit CICs by January 1, 1999, the expiration of its waiver. Specifically, Hager must file two reports with the Network Services Division of the Common Carrier Bureau, the first on June, 30 1998 and the second on September 30, 1998, detailing the progress it has made towards installation and operation of its new, four-digit CIC compliant switch. The reports should contain information concerning, but not limited to, the status of: delivery and installation of the optical terminating equipment for the fiber link between Hager and West Wisconsin; action on Hager's RUS loan; Hager's switch order from Nortel; delivery of the switch from Nortel; and installation and testing of the new switch. We believe such a reporting condition is necessary to ensure that Hager complies with the Commission's four-digit CIC conversion requirement in a manner consistent with the public interest and to avoid further requests for waiver of the conversion deadline. IV. ORDERING CLAUSES 26. IT ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and authority delegated in Section 0.91 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, and Section 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, that the Petition for Limited Waiver of Cuba City Telephone Exchange Company IS GRANTED, by extending for it the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability until April 1, 1998. 27. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and authority delegated in Section 0.91 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, and Section 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, that the Petition for Limited Waiver of Belmont Telephone Company IS GRANTED, by extending for it the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability until April 1, 1998. 28. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and authority delegated in Section 0.91 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, and Section 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, that the GVNW/Management Petition of Ten (10) Iowa Local Exchange Telephone Companies for Waiver of the January 1, 1998 Implementation Date for 4-digit CIC IS GRANTED, by extending the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability: for Ellsworth Cooperative Telephone Association until February 28, 1998, and for Deep River Mutual Telephone Company, Dixon Telephone Company, Ellsworth Cooperative Telephone Association, Frontier Communications of Schuyler, Iowa, Grand River Mutual Telephone Corporation, Griswold Cooperative Telephone Company, La Porte City Telephone Company, Ogden River Telephone Company, River Valley Telephone Cooperative, and Webb-Dickens Telephone Company until June 30, 1998. 29. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and authority delegated in Section 0.91 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, and Section 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, that the Petition for Limited Waiver of Silver Star Telephone Company, Inc., IS GRANTED by extending for it the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability until August 31, 1998, subject to the conditions stated herein. 30. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.3 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and authority delegated in Section 0.91 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, and Section 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, that the Request for Waiver of Hager Telecom, Inc., IS GRANTED by extending for it the switch conversion deadline for four-digit CIC capability until January 1, 1999, subject to the conditions stated herein. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Geraldine A. Matise Chief, Network Services Division Common Carrier Bureau