Qwest urged the FCC not to impose a ‘complete when filed’ rule as...

“complete when filed” rule, petitioners would have to include all supporting information in the initial petition or reset the time limit on forbearance proceedings. In meetings with aides to Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, Qwest said the rule would unfairly block petitioners “from providing additional data requested by the FCC, from responding to objections or arguments from third parties, or from updating the data if the petition takes 12-15 months to resolve.” But Qwest agreed that the forbearance process “could be improved.” It suggested that the FCC require third parties to produce data relevant to forbearance proceedings. “Petitioners may not have access to all such data but the information is nonetheless critical to make a determination of whether the petition satisfies the statutory criteria for forbearance,” it said. The “complete when filed” rule is receiving much discussion at the commission, said an attorney for competitive local exchange carriers. CLECs believe Qwest’s objections are fair, and would support a “nuanced” rule that would allow the petitioner to provide additional data in certain circumstances, the lawyer said.