**Before the**

**Federal Communications Commission**

# Washington, D.C. 20554

+----------------------------------+----+------------------------------+
| In the Matter of                 | )  | WC Docket No. 05-337         |
|                                  |    |                              |
| High-Cost Universal Service      | )  | CC Docket No. 96-45          |
| Support                          |    |                              |
|                                  | )  |                              |
| Federal-State Joint Board on     |    |                              |
| Universal Service                | )  |                              |
|                                  |    |                              |
|                                  | )  |                              |
|                                  |    |                              |
|                                  | )  |                              |
+----------------------------------+----+------------------------------+

**ORDER**

**Adopted: May 15, 2008 Released: May 15, 2008**

**Revised Filing Date:**

**Reply Comments Due**: **June 2, 2008**

By the Acting Associate Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau:

1.  On January 29, 2008, the Commission released three Notices of
    Proposed Rulemaking (collectively, *Notices*), seeking comment
    regarding the high-cost universal service support program.[^1] On
    March 4, 2008, summaries of the *Notices* appeared in the Federal
    Register, setting a comment cycle of April 3, 2008 for comments and
    May 5, 2008 for reply comments.[^2] The Wireline Competition Bureau
    later extended the pleading cycle, setting a comment cycle of May 5,
    2008, for comments and May 19, 2008, for reply comments.[^3] On May
    1, 2008, six associations jointly filed a motion for a three week
    extension of the reply comment deadline.[^4] The associations state
    that grant of an extension will allow parties to develop
    well-considered and thorough responses to the substantial record
    amassed in this proceeding, and will not cause prejudice to any
    party.[^5]

2.  We note that it is the policy of the Commission that extensions of
    time shall not be routinely granted.[^6] The associations indicate
    that an extension will provide commenters with sufficient time to
    fully review, assess, and respond comprehensively to the
    *Notices*.[^7] We agree with the associations, and find that an
    extension of the reply comment deadline in this proceeding is
    appropriate under these circumstances. We find, however, that two
    additional weeks is sufficient time for commenters to complete their
    reply comments. The deadline for filing reply comments in response
    to the *Notices* is extended from May 19, 2008 to June 2, 2008.

3.  ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED that, 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), 155(c), and sections 0.91, 0.291, and 1.46 of the
    Commission\'s rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 0.91, 0.291, 1.46, the pleading
    cycle established in this matter shall be modified as follows:

    Reply Comments Due: June 2, 2008

    FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

    Jeremy D. Marcus

    Acting Associate Chief

    Wireline Competition Bureau

[^1]: *High-Cost Universal Service Support, Federal-State Joint Board on
    Universal Service*, WC Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45,
    Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 23 FCC Rcd 1467 (2008) (*Identical
    Support Rule NPRM*); *High-Cost Universal Service Support,
    Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service*, WC Docket No.
    05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 23 FCC
    Rcd 1495 (2008) (*Reverse Auctions NPRM*); *High-Cost Universal
    Service Support, Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service*, WC
    Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45, Notice of Proposed
    Rulemaking, 23 FCC Rcd 1531 (2008) (*Joint Board Comprehensive
    Reform NPRM*)*.*

[^2]: *See Identical Support Rule NPRM*, 73 Fed. Reg. 11580 (Mar. 4,
    2008); *Reverse Auctions NPRM*, 73 Fed. Reg. 11591 (Mar. 4, 2008);
    *Joint Board Comprehensive Reform NPRM*, 73 Fed. Reg. 11587 (Mar. 4,
    2008). In a public notice announcing the establishment of comment
    cycles, it was noted that parties may file consolidated comments and
    reply comments in response to all three *Notices*. *Comment Cycles
    Established for Commission's Notices of Proposed Rulemaking
    Regarding the Identical Support Rule, the Use of Reverse Auctions to
    Set High-Cost Universal Service Support, and the Federal-State Joint
    Board on Universal Service's Recommendations for Comprehensive
    Reform of High-Cost Universal Service Support*, WC Docket No.
    05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45, Public Notice, DA 08-499 (Wireline
    Comp. Bur., rel. Mar. 4, 2008).

[^3]: *High-Cost Universal Service Support, Federal-State Joint Board on
    Universal Service*, WC Docket No. 05-337, CC Docket No. 96-45,
    Order, DA 08-674 (Wireline Comp. Bur., rel. Mar. 24, 2008).

[^4]: Independent Telephone and Telecommunications Alliance (ITTA),
    National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA), National
    Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), Organization for
    the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies
    (OPASTCO), United States Telecom Association (USTelecom) and Western
    Alliance (WTA) Motion for Extension of Time, WC Docket No. 05-337,
    CC Docket No. 96-45 (filed May 1, 2008) (Motion).

[^5]: *Id.* at 1. The National Association of State Utility Consumer
    Advocates (NASUCA) and the national Association of Regulatory
    Utility Commissioners filed in support of the Motion. *See* Letter
    from David C. Bergmann, Assistant Consumers' Counsel, Chair, NASUCA
    Telecommunications Committee, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC,
    CC Docket 96-45, WC Docket No. 05-337 (filed May 6, 2008); Letter
    from James Bradford Ramsey, General Counsel, and Grace Soderberg,
    Assistant General Counsel, NARUC, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary,
    FCC, CC Docket No. 96-45, WC Docket No. 05-337 (filed May 13, 2008).

[^6]: 47 C.F.R. § 1.46(a).

[^7]: Motion at 2 (noting that over 90 parties filed comments in
    response to the *Notices*)*.*