Click here for Adobe Acrobat version
Click here for Microsoft Word version
********************************************************
NOTICE
********************************************************
This document was converted from Microsoft Word.
Content from the original version of the document such as
headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers
will not show up in this text version.
All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the
original document will not show up in this text version.
Features of the original document layout such as
columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins
will not be preserved in the text version.
If you need the complete document, download the
Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat version.
*****************************************************************
Before the
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20554
APCC Services, Inc., )
Data Net Systems, LLC )
Davel Communications, Inc. )
Jaroth, Inc. dba Pacific Telemanagement )
Services, and )
Intera Communications Corp., )
)
Complainants, )
)
v. ) File No. EB-03-MDIC-0002
)
Orion Telecommunications Corp. )
)
Defendant. )
ORDER
Adopted: November 7, 2003 Released: November
7, 2003
By the Deputy Division Chief, Market Disputes Resolution
Division, Enforcement Bureau:
1. On December 20, 2002, APCC Services, Inc., et al.
(``APCC'' or ``Complainants'') filed an informal complaint
alleging that Orion Telecommunications Corp. (``Orion'') is
responsible for paying dial around compensation for certain
types of completed calls carried by its network that
originated from APCC's payphones. Pursuant to section 1.718
of the Commission's rules,1 the Complainants are required to
convert their informal complaint into a formal complaint
within six months of the date that the Defendant replies to
the informal complaint, or their informal complaint will be
deemed to be abandoned. In this case, following a series of
extensions granted by Commission staff, the Complainants
were required to convert the informal complaint into a
formal complaint by November 7, 2003.2
2. Since the filing of the informal complaint the
parties have engaged in discussions in an attempt to resolve
the disputes about dial around compensation issues.3 On
November 6, 2003, the parties filed jointly a Request for
Extension of Time to File Complainants' Formal Complaint in
this matter.4 The parties seek a waiver of section 1.718 of
the Commission's rules, and, in particular, request an
extension of the deadline for filing a formal complaint from
November 7, 2003, to November 21, 2003.5 The Joint Waiver
Request explains that the parties are attempting to resolve
this dispute without further litigation, and that an
extension is necessary to continue negotiations and work
toward settling this matter.6
3. We are satisfied that granting the parties' Joint
Waiver Request will serve the public interest by promoting
the private resolution of disputes and by postponing the
need for further litigation and expenditure of further time
and resources of the parties and of this Commission until
such time as may actually be necessary. We find that this
postponement provides the parties with sufficient time to
devote their resources to reaching a settlement within the
time estimated by the parties, yet establishes a reasonable
deadline in the event that such an agreement proves
unobtainable.
4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to sections
4(i), 4(j), and 208 of the Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. §§ 154(i), 154(j), and 208, and sections
1.3 and 1.718 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 1.3,
1.718, and the authority delegated in sections 0.111 and
0.311 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.111, 0.311,
that the Request for Extension of Time to File Complainants'
Formal Complaint IS GRANTED.
5. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, unless otherwise
extended by order, the deadlines that would otherwise apply
under section 1.718 of our rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.718, are
hereby waived, and the date that APCC Services, Inc., et al.
must convert their informal complaint against Orion to a
formal complaint pursuant to section 1.718 of our rules, 47
C.F.R. § 1.718, is extended to November 21, 2003.
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Radhika V. Karmarkar
Deputy Chief, Market Disputes
Resolution Division
Enforcement Bureau
_________________________
1 47 C.F.R. § 1.718.
2 See Letter from Gregory D, Kwan, Attorney for
Complainants, and Ronald T. Bevans, Jr., Attorney for
Orion, to Warren Firschein, Attorney, Market Disputes
Resolution Division, Enforcement Bureau, FCC, File No. EB-
03-MDIC-0002 (November 6, 2003) (``Joint Waiver Request'');
APCC Services, Inc., et al., v. Orion Telecommunications
Corp., Order, File No. EB-02-MDIC-0002 (October 6, 2003);
APCC Services, Inc., et al., v. Orion Telecommunications
Corp., Order, File No. EB-02-MDIC-002 (August 27, 2003).
Orion replied to the Complaint on March 3, 2003. Joint
Waiver Request, n.2.
3 Joint Waiver Request at 2.
4 Id. at 1.
5 Id.
6 Id. at 2.