Pay Telephone Reclassification and Compensation Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CC Docket No. 96-128; DA 96-983]

Pay Telephone Reclassification and Compensation Provisions of the

Telecommunications Act of 1996

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of time.

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SUMMARY: In this Order, we are extending the comments and reply

comments deadlines in order to grant to the parties more time to

address all issues raised in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This

Order is issued on the Commission's own motion because of the

relatively short time that was accorded to the parties to comment on

the important issues.

DATES: Comments due: July 1, 1996; Reply Comments due: July 15, 1996.

ADDRESSES: In addition to filing comments with the Secretary, a copy of

any comments on the information collections contained herein should be

submitted to Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications Commission, Room

234, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20554, or via the Internet to

[email protected] and to Timothy Fain, OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB, 725

- 17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20503 or via the Internet to

[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Carowitz, Enforcement

Division, Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-0960. For additional

information concerning the information collections contained in this

Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making contact Dorothy Conway at 202-

418-0217, or via the Internet at [email protected].

[[Page 33075]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Order

Adopted: June 20, 1996; Released: June 20, 1996.

1. On June 14, 1996, the American Public Communications Council

(``APCC'') filed a motion asking that we extend the deadline for filing

comments in the above-captioned proceeding 1 from June 27, 1996,

to July 1, 1996, a period of four days. APCC also requests a

corresponding extension of the due date for reply comments from July 8,

1996, to July 12, 1996. In support of its motion, APCC states that

virtually every issue in the proceeding vitally affects its members and

that, as a result, additional days are required to effectively prepare

comments.2 Also on June 14, 1996, Southwestern Bell Telephone

Company (``SWBT'') filed a motion for an extension of the deadline for

reply comments to July 12, 1996, although it does not request a change

in the deadline for the initial comment cycle. SWBT argues that due to

the forthcoming federal holiday, there will not be a sufficient number

of business days for parties to respond adequately to the initial

comments.

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\1\ Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 96-254 (rel. Jun. 6,

1996); 61 FR 31481, June 20, 1996.

\2\ As a national trade association of independent pay telephone

companies, APCC claims that the comment process will require

coordination with member companies and allied state associations.

APCC claims that this process cannot be completed effectively in the

time allotted.

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2. It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are

not routinely granted.3 However, in light of the important issues

presented in this proceeding and the relatively short period of time

accorded to the parties to comment on those issues, we believe that the

public interest would be served by granting all parties a brief

extension of the deadlines for the comments and reply comments. While

we take this action on our motion, we nevertheless believe that this

Order will grant relief that is substantially similar to that requested

by APCC and SWBT.

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\3\ See 47 CFR Sec. 1.46(a).

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3. Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to Sections 4(i), 4(j), and

5(c) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i),

154(j), and 155(c), and the authority delegated thereunder pursuant to

Sections 0.91 and 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 CFR Secs. 0.91

and 0.291, that the deadline for filing comments in the above-captioned

proceeding is extended to July 1, 1996, and the deadline for filing

reply comments is extended to July 15, 1996. Because they concern

issues that are now moot, the motions of APCC and SWBT for an extension

of time are dismissed.

Federal Communications Commission.

Robert W. Spangler

Deputy Chief (Policy), Enforcement Division, Common Carrier Bureau.

[FR Doc. 96-16396 Filed 6-25-96; 8:45 am]

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