NEWSReport No. CC 95-31                COMMON CARRIER ACTION               May 31, 1995
                                                                         
             FCC RELEASES COMMON CARRIER COMPETITION REPORT

     In 1993, telecommunications common carriers reported revenues of $170.2 billion. 
Where is this money being spent?  What trends are shaping future projections?  Is
communications a competitive market and how has competition benefitted consumers?  The
FCC released the first in a series of periodic reviews of the state of the common carrier
industry that seeks to answer those questions and others, presenting a picture of today's
telecommunications market and how it may change our lives in the future. 
  
     It has been called the final frontier.  The battle for competition in the local telephone
loop has caught the attention of press, policymakers and interested consumers.  This first
Report on Competition, produced by the Commission's Common Carrier Bureau, begins an
examination of the nature of competition in the local market, both for direct local service and
access service that allows long distance carriers to reach consumers in various local markets. 

     Even as all eyes are on the local market, the long distance market continues to evolve
and this issue of the Report examines the impact of competition in that market on industry
players and consumers in terms of market share, revenue and prices.  

     Not all Americans have benefitted from the communications revolution.  As this
Report notes, subscribership has increased in recent years but has recently dipped slightly. 
The reasons for decline are still unclear, and the change raises important concerns.

     The Report and other background materials are available for reference in the Industry
Analysis Division Reference Room, Common Carrier Bureau, 1250 23rd Street, N.W., Plaza
Level.  Copies may be purchased by calling International Transcription Services, Inc. (ITS)
at (202) 857-3800.  The Report [BBS file name: CCC2Q95.ZIP] and other information on
the common carrier industry can also be downloaded from the FCC-STATE LINK computer
bulletin board at (202) 418-0241 .  The FCC-STATE LINK also can be reached through the
National Technical Information Service's FedWorld system at (703) 321-8020 or through
FedWorld's telnet internet node (fedworld.gov).


   FCC
 
     For additional information, contact the Common Carrier Bureau's Industry Analysis
Division, (202) 418-0940.