Section 10 of the Communications Act requires the Commission to forbear from applying to a telecommunications carrier any Communications Act provision or Commission regulation if certain statutory criteria are met. Under section 10(c), any telecommunications carrier or class of telecommunications carriers may file a petition with the Commission asking that it exercise this forbearance authority. If the Commission fails to act on a forbearance petition within one year (extended by three months, if necessary), the petition is "deemed granted" by operation of law. In its June 2009 Forbearance Procedures Order, the Commission adopted procedural rules to govern its consideration of forbearance petitions. Since the "complete as filed" rule took effect on April 5, 2010. All the forbearance procedural rules are now in effect.

Congress enacted section 10 in 1996. Since then, the Commission has addressed numerous forbearance petitions. The following table lists the forbearance petitions currently pending before the Commission.

Pending Forbearance Petitions

Petition   Date Filed Docket No. Public Notice Comments (Replies) Statutory Deadline Contact Person
USTelecom 5/4/18 WC Docket No. 18-141

Public Notice

DA 18-475

Extension Order

DA 18-574

Protective Order

DA 18-575

 

 6/7/2018 (6/22/2018) 5/4/2019

Michele Berlove

(202) 418-1477

USTelecom 10/6/14 WC Docket No. 14-192

Public Notice

DA 14-1585

Joint Protective Order

DA 14-1586

 

12/05/2014 (12/22/2014) 1/4/2016

Alex Johns

(202) 418-1167
 

CenturyLink 12/13/13

WC Docket No. 14-9

Public Notice
DA 14-36

Public Notice
Quiet Period
DA 15-271

2/13/14 (2/28/14)

3/13/15

Alex Johns

(202) 418-1167

NTUA Wireless, LLC 10/17/13

WT Dkt No. 10-208 AU Dkt No. 13-53

Public Notice
DA 13-2111

11/15/2013 (11/22/2013)

10/17/2014

Sayuri Rajapakse

(202) 418-2579

 

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