International Settlement Rates

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 63

[IB Docket No. 96-261, DA 97-440]

International Settlement Rates

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On December 19, 1996 the Federal Communications Commission

released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of International

Settlement Rates, FCC No. 96-484 (61 FR 68702, December 30, 1996). In

response to a request for an extension of time, on February 27, 1997,

the Commission released an order granting an extension of time for

filing reply comments in this proceeding.

DATES: Reply comments must be submitted on or before March 31, 1997.

ADDRESSES: All supplemental comments and supplemental reply comments

should be addressed to: Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications

Commission, Washington DC 20554. All supplemental comments and

supplemental reply comments will be available for public inspection

during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room 239) of

the Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M St., NW., Washington, DC

20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Giusti, Attorney-Advisor,

Policy and Facilities Branch, Telecommunications Division,

International Bureau, (202) 418-1407.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. On February 21, 1997, the Republic of Panama filed a motion to

extend the reply comment date in the captioned proceeding from March

10, 1997 to April 14, 1997. The Republic of Panama contends that the

current schedule provides it insufficient time to prepare informed

reply comments for two reasons. First, the Republic of Panama asserts

that the failure of the Commission's Record Imaging Processing System

(``RIPS'') has made it difficult for it and other interested parties to

obtain a complete set of the comments filed in this proceeding. Second,

the Republic of Panama states that it needs more time to review the

recent agreement of the World Trade Organization's Group on Basic

Telecommunications and assess the agreement's impact on the proposals

made in this proceeding.

2. Although we do not routinely grant extensions of time, See 47

CFR Sec. 1.46(a), we believe that extending the reply comment date in

this case will serve the public interest by allowing the Republic of

Panama and other interested parties adequate time to review and reply

to any comments that they had difficulty in obtaining because of the

failure of RIPS. We believe that an extension to March 31, 1997 will

provide sufficient time for interested parties to complete their reply

comments. Interested parties may obtain copies of the comments filed in

this proceeding from the Commission's Reference Center, 1919 M Street

NW., Room 239, Washington, DC 20554. Copies of the comments filed in

this proceeding are also available for purchase from the Commission's

copy contractor, International Transcription Services, Inc. (``ITS''),

2100 M Street NW., Suite 140, Washington, DC 20037. In order to

compensate further for the RIPS outage, we will place copies of the

comments filed in this proceeding in the International Bureau Reference

Center, Room 102, 2000 M Street NW., Washington, DC 20554.

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 sections 0.51, 0.261, and 1.46 of the

Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.51, 0.261, and 1.46, that the reply

comment date in the captioned proceeding is extended from March 10,

1997 to March 31, 1997.

4. It is further 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 sections 0.51, 0.261, and 1.46 of the

Commission's rules, 47 CFR 0.51, 0.261, and 1.46, that the Republic of

Panama's motion to extend the reply comment date is granted to the

extent it requests additional time up to March 31, 1997, but is denied

to the extent it requests additional time beyond that date.

[[Page 15869]]

Federal Communications Commission.

Ruth Milkman,

Deputy Chief, International Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97-8442 Filed 4-2-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-P