DA 97-1847

In the Matter of	)
	)
Federal-State Joint Board on	)	CC Docket No. 96-45
Universal Service	)
	)
Changes to the Board of	)
Directors of the National Exchange	)	CC Docket No. 97-21
Carrier Association, Inc.	)

1. On August 15, 1997, Metrocall, Inc. (Metrocall) submitted a motion for extension of time to file the Universal Service Worksheet, FCC form 457 (Worksheet). The deadline for filing the Worksheet is September 1, 1997. Metrocall requests an extension until October 1, 1997. Metrocall requests an extension of time until October 1, 1997 to file the Worksheet because it claims that, due to numerous acquisitions of other paging companies, it will be unable to collect and itemize the required data by the Worksheet's filing deadline.

2. It is the policy of the Commission that motions for extensions of time shall not be routinely granted.⁽¹⁾ All contributing entities must collect and compile new data required by the Worksheet by the filing deadline. We find that Metrocall has not raised sufficient justification to warrant an extension of time. In order to meet the September 1 filing deadline, the Commission held that it will allow contributors that cannot derive interstate revenues from their books of account or cannot derive the line-by-line revenue breakdowns from their books of account to provide on the Worksheet good faith estimates of these figures.⁽²⁾ In addition, the new universal service support mechanisms will be implemented starting January 1, 1998. In order to meet the tight implementation schedule, Worksheets must be filed in a timely manner.

3. It is THEREFORE ORDERED, pursuant to 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(a) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. § 0.91, 0.291, and 1.46(a), that Metrocall's motion for an extension of time IS DENIED.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Kenneth P. Moran

Chief, Accounting and Audits Division, Common Carrier Bureau

1. See 47 C.F.R. § 1.46(a).

2. Changes to the Board of Directors of the National Exchange Carrier Association, Inc. and Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service, Order on Reconsideration, Second Report and Order, and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, CC Docket Nos. 97-21 and 96-45, FCC 97-292 (rel. Aug. 15, 1997) at para. 21.