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  In the Matter of
  
  Implementation of Sections 255 and 251(a)(2) of the 
  Communications Act of 1934, as Enacted by the Telecommunications
  Act of 1996
  
  Access to Telecommunications Service, Telecommunications Equipment and 
  Customer Premises equipment by Persons with Disabilities
  
  WT Docket No. 96-198
  
  
              ORDER GRANTING EXTENSION OF TIME
  
  Adopted:  November 4, 1999         Released:  November 4, 1999
  
  By the Chief, Common Carrier Bureau:
  
  1. On September 29, 1999, the Commission released a Report and Order and
  Further Notice of Inquiry in the above-captioned proceeding, in which it solicited
  comment on certain access issues presented by communications services and equipment
  not covered by the rules and policies adopted in the Report and Order.  The current
  comment and reply comment deadlines for the Further Notice of Inquiry (FNOI) are
  November 14, 1999, and December 14, 1999, respectively. 
   
  2.  On October 22, 1999, the Voice on the Net Coalition (VON Coalition) filed a
  motion pursuant to section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, requesting an extension of 60
  days for each deadline, or until January 13, 2000 and February 14, 2000, respectively. 
  Von Coalition states that the requested extension will provide parties additional time in
  which to meet to more clearly frame the issues and establish the basis for a continuing
  dialogue between industry representatives and advocates for the disability community
  regarding accessibility.
  
  3.  VON Coalition further states that the requested extension will alleviate
  potential concerns regarding the sufficiency of notice, which it attributes to the delay in
  Federal Register publication of the FNOI.    VON Coalition maintains that extending the
  comment and reply comment deadlines will ensure that no party is disadvantaged due to
  the delay in Federal Register publication. 
  
  4.  As set forth in Section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, it is our policy that
  extensions of time shall not be routinely granted.  In this instance, however, in order to
  evaluate the array of communications-related services available today that are not covered
  by the rules adopted in the Report and Order and which may present accessibility issues,
  we expect interested parties to provide complex economic and technical data and analyses
  on a broad range of issues.  Under these circumstances, we believe it reasonable to
  provide parties additional time to compile and analyze the data and identify apparent
  trends and their implications for people with disabilities.  Therefore, we will grant the
  motion and extend the deadline for filing initial comments to January 13, 2000, and the
  deadline for filing reply comments to February 14, 2000.
  
  5.  Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Motion for Extension of Time filed by
  VON Coalition IS GRANTED.
  
  6.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the deadlines for filing comments and reply
  comments in this proceeding ARE EXTENDED to January 13, 2000, and February 14,
  2000, respectively.
   
  7.  This action is taken pursuant to authority found in sections 4(i) and 303(r) of
  the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i), 303(r), and sections
  0.291 and 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.291, 1.46.
  
                           FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
  
  
                           
                      Lawrence E. Strickling
                           Chief, Common Carrier Bureau