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



In the Matter of                  )
                                 )
Informal   Complaints  filed  by  )   File Nos. EB-04-MDIC-0003 to 
MCI, Inc.  Against Various Local  )   0057
Exchange Carriers                 )   File Nos. EB-04-MDIC-0060 to 
                                     0064


                            ORDER

       Adopted:  February 7, 2005       Released:   February 
     8, 2005

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

On March 12, 2004, pursuant to section 1.716 of the 
Commission rules,1 MCI, Inc. (``MCI'') filed informal 
complaints against the local exchange carriers identified on 
Attachment A (``Defendants'') in the above-captioned matter.  
On April 29, 2004, Defendants filed reports pursuant to 
section 1.717 of the Commission's rules2 denying the 
allegations in MCI's informal complaints.  Pursuant to 
section 1.718 of the Commission's rules,3 MCI was required 
to convert its informal complaints into formal complaints by 
October 29, 2004 to ensure that, for purposes of the statute 
of limitations, the formal complaints related back to the 
March 12, 2004 filing date of the informal complaints.  

At the parties' prior requests, the Commission previously 
waived section 1.718 of the Commission's rules and extended 
the period in which MCI could convert its informal 
complaints to formal complaints to February 8, 2005.4  On 
February 4, 2005, MCI filed another consent motion 
requesting a further waiver of section 1.718 of the 
Commission's rules.5  In its request, MCI states that the 
parties ``continue to explore the possibility of 
settlement'' and that ``[s]ettlement discussions and 
agreement negotiations are continuing.''6  Specifically, MCI 
has exchanged a settlement proposal with the Defendants, and 
the parties ``have discussed various provisions within that 
proposal and exchanged modified language in an effort to 
address concerns raised by both parties.''7  In order to 
afford this settlement effort the opportunity to succeed, 
MCI requests a further extension of time until March 15, 
2005 within which to convert its informal complaints into 
formal complaints and still have those formal complaints 
relate back to the filing date of MCI's informal 
complaints.8  MCI indicates in its Consent Motion that 
counsel for the Defendants has consented to this request.9 

We are satisfied that granting MCI's Consent Motion 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 the 
Consent Motion of MCI, Inc. IS GRANTED.

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 on which MCI must convert its informal 
complaints against the Defendants into formal complaints 
pursuant to section 1.718 of our rules, 47 C.F.R. § 1.718, 
is extended to March 15, 2005.

                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION




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

                          ATTACHMENT A

Armstrong Telephone Company North (EB-04-MDIC-0003)
Armstrong Telephone Company Maryland (EB-04-MDIC-0004)
Armstrong Telephone Company New York (EB-04-MDIC-0005)
Armstrong Telephone Company Pennsylvania (EB-04-MDIC-0006)
Armstrong Telephone Company West Virginia (EB-04-MDIC-0007)
Armstrong Telephone Company Northern Division (EB-04-MDIC-0008)
Brantley Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0009)
Bruce Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0010)
Calaveras Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0011)
Cascade Utilities, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0012)
Rio Virgin Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0013)
Central Montana Communications, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0014)
Triangle Telephone  Cooperative  Association,  Inc.  (EB-04-MDIC-
0015)
Chester Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0016)
Ridgeway Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0017)
Lockhart Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0018)
Chibardun Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0019)
CTC Telcom, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0020)
Chickasaw Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0021)
Citizens Telephone Company of Higginsville, Missouri (EB-04-MDIC-
0022)
Clay County Rural Telephone Cooperative (EB-04-MDIC-0023)
Concord Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0024)
Darien Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0026)
DTC Communications (EB-04-MDIC-0027)
Egyptian Telephone Cooperative Association (EB-04-MDIC-0028)
Five Area Telephone Cooperative (EB-04-MDIC-0029)
West Plains Telecommunications, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0030)
Hardy Telecommunications, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0031)
Hickory Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0032)
Horry Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0033)
HTC Communications (EB-04-MDIC-0034)
Lackawaxen Telecommunications Services, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0035)
Loretto Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0036)
Madison Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0037)
Margaretville Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0038)
Marquette-Adams Telephone Cooperative (EB-04-MDIC-0039)
Mid-Century Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0040)
Mid-Maine Communications  d/b/a Mid-Maine  Telecom, Inc.  (EB-04-
MDIC-0041)
Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0043)
Nicholville Telephone Co., Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0045)
North Central Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0046)
Northeast Nebraska Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0047)
NebCom, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0048)
North-Eastern Pennsylvania Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0049)
Poka Lambro Communications (EB-04-MDIC-0051)
Public Service Telephone Company of Georgia (EB-04-MDIC-0052)
3 Rivers Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0053)
Siskiyou Telephone (EB-04-MDIC-0054)
Smart City Telecommunications LLC  d/b/a Smart City Telecom  (EB-
04-MDIC-0055)
Smithville Telephone Co., Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0056)
Stayton Cooperative Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0057)
Trumansburg Telephone Company, Inc. (EB-04-MDIC-0060)
United Telephone Company (United Telco) (EB-04-MDIC-0061)
Volcano Telephone Company (EB-04-MDIC-0063)
Washington County Rural Telephone Cooperative (EB-04-MDIC-0064)






_________________________

1  47 C.F.R. § 1.716.

2  47 C.F.R. § 1.717.

3  47 C.F.R. § 1.718.

4   See  Informal Complaints  filed  by  MCI, Inc.  Against 
Various Local Exchange Carriers, Order, DA 05-48, File Nos. 
EB-04-MDIC-0003  to 0057,  0060  to 0064  (Jan. 10,  2005); 
Informal  Complaints filed  by  MCI,  Inc. Against  Various 
Local Exchange  Carriers, Order, DA 04-3871,  File Nos. EB-
04-MDIC-0003 to 0057, 0060 to 0064 (Dec. 9, 2004); Informal 
Complaints  filed  by  MCI,   Inc.  Against  Various  Local 
Exchange Carriers, Order, DA 04-3394, File Nos. EB-04-MDIC-
003 to 0057, 0060 to 0064 (Oct. 26, 2004).  

5  Consent  Motion of  MCI ,  File Nos.  EB-04-MDIC-0003 to 
0057,  0060  to  0064   (filed  Feb.  5,  2005)  (``Consent 
Motion'').

6  Consent Motion at 2.

7  Consent Motion at 2.

8  Id. at 3. 

9  Id.