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                           Before the
               Federal Communications Commission
                     Washington, D.C. 20554
                                                                                                                        
                                   
In the Matter of                        )
                                   )
Billed Party Preference for                  )    CC Docket No. 92-77
InterLATA 0+ Calls                      )

                             ORDER
                                
    Adopted: October 29, 1998;   Released:  October 30, 1998

By the Chief, Enforcement Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

     
1.   In its Second Report and Order in this proceeding, the Commission adopted rules, generally
effective July 1, 1998, applicable to carriers providing interstate operator services, particularly non-
access code calls from aggregator locations and from phones set aside for use by prison inmates. 
The Commission stated that it was prepared to consider waiver requests on a specific factual
showing of good cause.  Thereafter, a number of petitioners, including McLeodUSA
Telecommunications Services, Inc., Consolidated Communications Telecom Services, Inc.,
Consolidated Communications Public Services, Inc., and Consolidated Communications Operator
Service,  Inc. (McLeodUSA) sought certain limited waivers or extensions of time to come into
compliance with these rules.  On June 30, 1998, the Common Carrier Bureau (the Bureau) granted
McLeodUSA, among others, a four-month extension of time until November 1, 1998, to come into
compliance with the new rules, and until January 1, 1999, to do so with respect to collect call and
inmate operator services.  

     2.    On October 16, 1998, McLeodUSA filed with the Commission a petition for an
additional extension of the compliance date to January 1999.  In its Petition, McLeodUSA states that it needs additional time to fully implement and test its new system to ensure that the software
works properly, does not disrupt its network, and guarantees customer satisfaction.

     3.   Waiver of the Commission's rules is appropriate only if special circumstances warrant
a deviation from the general rule, and such a deviation will serve the public interest.  In its order
granting certain limited waivers, the Bureau noted that "the Commission adopted the original July
1, 1998 effective date because it found that it was in the public interest to provide protection for
consumers as soon as possible in the area of operator services."  The Bureau stated that it "will not
hesitate to enforce the Commission's rules to the fullest extent should carriers fail to comply with
extended compliance dates."  The Bureau further stated that if petitioners, including McLeodUSA, 
should need additional time to implement actual rate quotation systems, they could comply with the
oral rate disclosure requirement "by delivering maximum rate quotations rather than actual rate
quotations obtained from the rate database."  We find that McLeodUSA has not shown special
circumstances that warrant a further extension of the date by which its interstate, non-collect operator
services from aggregator locations must comply with the provisions of Section 64.703(a)(4) of the
Commission's Rules.

     4.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Sections 1, 4(i), 4(j), of the
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  151, 154(i), 154(j), Section l.3 of the
Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.3, and the authority delegated under Sections 0.91 and 0.291 of
the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, 0.291, that the Petition for Extension of Waiver, jointly
filed by McLeodUSA Telecommunications Services, Inc., Consolidated Communications Telecom
Services, Inc., Consolidated Communications Public Services, Inc., and Consolidated
Communications Operator Services, Inc. on October 16, 1998, IS DENIED.

     5.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Order is effective upon its adoption.
 
                              FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                              Dorothy T. Attwood
                              Chief, Enforcement Division
                              Common Carrier Bureau