BEFORE THE
                      FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                           WASHINGTON, D.C.  20554



MCI TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION,      )
)
Complainant,             )
)
v.                       )   File No. E-97-11
)
PACIFIC BELL,                                )
)
Defendant.               )


                                   ORDER

Adopted:  July 15, 1999                               Released: July 15, 1999

By the Chief, Formal Complaints and Investigations Branch, Enforcement Division, Common
Carrier Bureau:

1.  During a June 23, 1999 status conference in the above-captioned proceeding, the
Commission established various deadlines in connection with pleadings to be filed in the above-
captioned matter.  Specifically, complainant MCI Telecommunications Corporation (MCI) was
directed by the Commission to file, by July 13, 1999, its Request for Damages regarding its claims
made in this matter.  Should MCI decide to serve upon defendant Pacific Bell (PacBell) a related
Request for Interrogatories, those requests were required to be filed and served by July 13, 1999. 
PacBell was directed to file, by July 23, 1999, both its Opposition to the above-referenced MCI
Request for Damages and any objections that it has to MCI's Requests for Interrogatories. 
PacBell was also directed to file and serve, by July 23, 1999, its Request for Interrogatories to
MCI.  MCI was further directed to file and serve, by July 28, 1999, any objections that it has to
PacBell's Requests for Interrogatories.  Finally, an in-person status conference was scheduled in
this matter, to take place on August 2, 1999, at 3:00 p.m., E.S.T.

      2.    MCI, pursuant to section 1.727 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.727, moved
the Commission, on July 12, 1999, to extend each of the above-referenced filing deadlines by a
period of ten (10) days.  The stated reason for the request for extension is that several MCI
employees substantially involved in the preparation of the subject pleadings were unable to
participate in such preparation during much of the period between June 23, 1999 and July 13,
1999.  MCI also represents in its motion that defendant PacBell does not object to MCI's motion.

      3.    It appears that our grant of this motion will result in the Commission being presented
with a more complete record of information, including the relevant facts and legal theories,
necessary to fairly and accurately resolved the disputes underlying this matter.  It also appears that
defendant PacBell does not oppose MCI's motion.  Moreover, the extension requested is
relatively brief, and the difficulty that MCI has experienced in complying with the original
schedule appears to be genuine and unavoidable.  We anticipate that the content of MCI's
pleadings will reflect beneficially the additional preparation time accorded herein.  Consequently,
good cause exists to support the grant of the relief requested in MCI's motion.

      4.    Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED, pursuant to authority under sections 4(i), 4(j),
and 208 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i), 154(j), 208, 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 complainant's Motion for a Ten (10) Day Extension of Filing Deadlines is
hereby GRANTED. 

      5.        5.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to authority under sections 4(i), 4(j),
and 208 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i), 154(j), 208, 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: (1) MCI's Request for Damages and accompanying Interrogatories must be
filed and served by July 23, 1999; (2) PacBell's Opposition to MCI's Request for Damages, along
with its Objections to MCI's Request for Interrogatories, must be filed and served by August 2,
1999; (3) PacBell must file and serve, by August 2, 1999, any Request for Interrogatories that it
has for MCI; (4) MCI must file and serve, by August 9, 1999 any objections that it has to
PacBell's Requests for Interrogatories; and (5) the parties' in-person status conference is now
scheduled to take place on August 12, 1999, at 3:00 p.m., E.S.T.

    
                             FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




                             Alexander P. Starr
                             Chief, Formal Complaints and Investigations
                                  Branch
                             Enforcement Division
                             Common Carrier Bureau