NEWSReport No. CC 96-17                   COMMON CARRIER ACTION 
September 27, 1996

                FCC RELEASES REPORT ON LONG DISTANCE MARKET


     The FCC has released a staff report entitled Long Distance
Market Shares: Second
Quarter 1996.

     The report summarizes publicly available data on long
distance market shares.  Total toll
revenues earned by long distance carriers have increased
consistently since 1984.  At the same
time, average revenue per minute has declined steadily,
stimulating an increase in calling
volume.  AT&T's share of toll revenues fell from nearly 90% in
1984 to 54% as of the second
quarter 1996.  MCI's share of long distance revenues increased
from about 5% to 18% during
that period, Sprint's share increased from 3% to 9%, and LDDS
obtained a market share of
almost 5%.  Smaller carriers grew even faster, increasing from 4%
to 14% during that same
period of time. 

     In addition to information on revenues, the report contains
information on switched
access minutes.  AT&T's share of the overall market for
interstate switched minutes declined
from over 80% in late 1984 to 54% in the second quarter of 1996. 
Also shown in the report
is information on presubscribed lines, of which AT&T's share also
declined, but at a more
gradual rate.

     The report is available for reference in the Common Carrier
Bureau Public Reference
Room, 2000 M Street N.W., Room 575.  Copies may be purchased by
calling International
Transcription Services, Inc., (ITS) at (202) 857-3800.  The
report can also be downloaded [file
name MKSH2Q96.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.


  -FCC-


     For additional information, contact Katie Rangos or Jim
Lande of the Common Carrier
Bureau's Industry Analysis Division, (202) 418-0940.