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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:  March 15, 2005         Released:  March 15, 
     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.2  On April 29, 2004, Defendants filed reports 
pursuant to section 1.717 of the Commission's rules3 denying 
the allegations in MCI's informal complaints.  Pursuant to 
section 1.718 of the Commission's rules,4 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 several 
times, and ultimately extended the period in which MCI could 
convert its informal complaints to formal complaints to 
March 15, 2005.5  On March 11, 2005, MCI filed another 
consent motion requesting a further waiver of section 1.718 
of the Commission's rules.6  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.''7  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.''8  MCI also states 
that on February 25, 2005, the Commission released an order 
that could impact the scope of the parties' settlement 
discussions, and that the parties are continuing their 
settlement discussions ``with that order under 
consideration.''9  In order to afford their settlement 
efforts the opportunity to succeed, MCI requests a further 
extension of time until April 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.10  MCI indicates that 
counsel for the Defendants has consented to this request.11 

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 April 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   The  informal  complaints  were filed  under  the  name 
WorldCom, Inc. d/b/a MCI, the company name at the time.

3  47 C.F.R. § 1.717.

4  47 C.F.R. § 1.718.

5   See  Informal Complaints  filed  by  MCI, Inc.  Against 
Various  Local Exchange  Carriers, Order,  DA 05-328,  File 
Nos. EB-04-MDIC-0003 to 0057, 0060  to 0064 (Feb. 7, 2005); 
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).  

6   Consent Motion  of  MCI, File  Nos. EB-04-MDIC-0003  to 
0057,  0060  to  0064  (filed  Mar.  11,  2005)  (``Consent 
Motion'').

7  Consent Motion at 2, 3.

8  Id.

9   Id. at  3, citing,  Rules and  Regulations Implementing 
Minimum Customer Account Record Exchange Obligations on All 
Local  and Interexchange  Carriers,  Report  and Order  and 
Further Notice of Proposed  Rulemaking, FCC No. 05-29, 2005 
WL 465538  (rel. Feb. 25,  2005) (discussing, in  part, the 
customer account record exchange process).

10  Consent Motion at 3. 

11  Id.