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                         Before the
              Federal Communications Commission
                   Washington, D.C. 20554




                                 )
In the Matter of                  )
                                 )
Verizon,                          )
                                 )   File No. EB-04-MDIC-095
                            Com-  )
plainant,                         )
                                 )
v.                                )
                                 )
Operator Communications, Inc.,    )
                                 )
                          Defen-
dant.

                            ORDER


       Adopted:  December 17, 2004      Released:   December 
     20, 2004

By the Chief, Market Disputes Resolution Division, 
Enforcement Bureau:

On June 30, 2004, pursuant to section 1.716 of the 
Commission rules,1 Verizon filed an informal complaint 
against Operator Communications, Inc., (``OCI'') in the 
above-captioned matter.2  On July 16, 2004, Verizon 
responded to written questions posed by Commission staff, 
and on September 3, 2004, OCI responded to Verizon's 
informal complaint.  At the request of Commission staff, 
Verizon submitted a written reply to OCI's response on 
October 27, 2004.  Both parties agreed to participate in 
FCC-supervised mediation, which was initially scheduled for 
December 23, 2004.  At the request of the parties, the 
mediation session was rescheduled for January 11, 2005.  
Pursuant to section 1.718 of the Commission's rules,3 
Verizon is required to convert its informal complaint into a 
formal complaint by December 30, 2004 to ensure that, for 
purposes of the statute of limitations, the formal complaint 
relates back to the June 30, 2004 filing date of the 
informal complaint 

On December 16, 2004, Verizon, with the consent of OCI, 
requested that the FCC extend the conversion deadline for 
four months, until April 30, 2005.4  Verizon therefore 
requests that the Commission waive section 1.718 of the 
Commission's rules, and further extend until April 30, 2005 
the period in which Verizon can convert its informal 
complaint to a formal complaint in order to provide the 
parties time to mediate their dispute and resolve the matter 
without the need for formal litigation.  Verizon indicates 
in its letter requesting an extension that counsel for OCI 
has consented to this request.5 

We are satisfied that granting Verizon's request for 
extension 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.

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 
Verizon's request for extension IS GRANTED.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, unless otherwise extended by 
order, the deadlines that would otherwise apply under 
section 1.718 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.718, 
are hereby waived, and the date on which Verizon must 
convert its informal complaints against OCI into a formal 
complaint pursuant to section 1.718 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.718, is extended to April 30, 2005.

                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




                         Alexander P. Starr 
                         Chief,  Market Disputes  Resolution 
                    Division
                         Enforcement Bureau


_________________________

1  47 C.F.R. § 1.716.

2 Letter from  Kathleen M. Grillo, counsel  for Verizon, to 
Radhika  Karmarkar,  Market Disputes  Resolution  Division, 
Enforcement  Bureau,  File  No. EB-04-MDIC-0095  (June  30, 
2004).  Verizon  filed a corrected version  of its informal 
complaint on  July 2,  2004.  See  Letter from  Kathleen M. 
Grillo, counsel  for Verizon, to Radhika  Karmarkar, Market 
Disputes Resolution Division,  Enforcement Bureau, File No. 
EB-04-MDIC-0095 (July 2, 2004).

3  47 C.F.R. § 1.718.

4 Letter from  Kathleen M. Grillo, counsel  for Verizon, to 
Radhika  Karmarkar,  Market Disputes  Resolution  Division, 
Enforcement Bureau, File  No. EB-04-MDIC-0095 (December 16, 
2004).

5  Id.