NEWSReport No. DC 95-5                   Action in Docket Case                       January 5, 1995

      PREVIOUS DECISIONS FINDING WESTERN UNION ENTITLED TO REFUNDS
                             FROM ICPS UPHELD
     (CC DOCKET No. 78-97, PHASES I AND II, and CC DOCKET No. 82-122)

     The Commission has affirmed its previous decisions concluding that Western Union
(WU) is entitled to recover the full public rate for outbound telex and TWX services from the
interconnected carrier parties (ICPs) for the period from January 1978 to August 1979, when
neither a carrier agreement nor a Commission prescription existed that established telex and
TWX rates among the parties and for the period June 1982 to August 1984, when an interim
Commission prescription existed which allowed the ICPs to pay WU less than the public rates. 
The Commission also found that WU was entitled to reimbursement plus interest from the ICPs
for their use of WU's telex and TWX services during that time.

     The Commission's investigation of telex and TWX rates involves a dispute over the
proper allocation of a portion of the total revenues earned in the joint provision of international
telex and TWX services by WU and the ICPs.  The Commission affirmed its earlier orders
requiring certain ICPs to pay WU the difference, plus interest, between the full public rates
prescribed by the Commission for telex andTWX services and the lesser amounts the ICPs
actually paid WU.  The dispute involves two time periods -- January 1978 to July 1979 and June
1982 through August 1984 -- that occurred during the Commission's investigation of WU's rates.

     The Commission decision was appealed to the court and then remanded.  The court did
not dispute the Commission's conclusions, but remanded for further consideration and
explication its treatment of the issues, finding that the Commission's original order relied on
traditional ratemaking principles, not division of revenues principles as required by statute.

     The Commission said it was correct in retroactively applying the public rates for WU's
outbound telex and TWX services to the ICPs during both time periods.  It also determined that
WU should receive interest on the relief awarded.  It ordered WU to recompute the entire
amount of its claim, and to file suppporting data with  the Commission within 30 days of the
Order's release.

     Action by the Commission December 28, 1994, by Memorandum Opinion and Order
(FCC 94-351).  Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong.  

                                  - FCC -

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     Common Carrier Bureau contact: Debra Sabourin at (202) 418-1530.