NEWS                                                     September 18, 1996

             FCC RELEASES NEW TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERSHIP REPORT

     The FCC today released its latest report on telephone subscribership
levels in the United States.  The report presents subscribership statistics
based on a survey conducted by the Census Bureau in July 1996.  Statistics
from that survey estimated that 93.9% of all households in the United
States had telephone service.  This is up 0.1% from the last report, for
March 1996, but down 0.1% from July 1995, and 0.3% below the maximum
reached in 1993.  Due to sampling variability, none of these changes can
be regarded as statistically significant.  The report also shows different
subscribership levels by state, income level, race, age, household size, and
employment status.

     In July 1996, the telephone subscribership penetration rate was
76.0% for households with annual incomes below $5,000, while the rate
for households with incomes between $60,000 and $75,000 was 99.1%.  By
state, the penetration rates ranged from 86.1% in New Mexico to 98.4% in
Connecticut.  Households headed by whites had a penetration rate of
94.9%, while those headed by blacks had a rate of 87.6% and those headed
by Hispanics had a rate of 87.2%.  By age, penetration rates ranged from
84.9% for households headed by a person under 25 to 96.3% for
households headed by a person over 70.  The penetration rate for
unemployed adults was 89.2%, while the rate for employed adults was
95.7%.

     This report is updated three times a year and is available in the
Common Carrier Bureau's public reference room, 2000 M Street, NW,
Room 575, Washington, DC.  Copies may be purchased by calling
International Transcription Service at (202) 857-3800.  This report can
also be downloaded [file name: SUBS0796.ZIP] from the FCC-State Link
internet site, which can be reached via a link from the Common Carrier
Bureau home page (http://www.fcc.gov/ccb.html) on the World Wide Web. 
The report can also be downloaded from the FCC-State Link computer
bulletin board system at (202) 418-0241.

     For further information, contact Alexander Belinfante at (202) 418-
0944.

- FCC -NEWS