NEWS

                                                               May 29, 1997

                    PRELIMINARY DOMESTIC INFORMATION
            FROM STATISTICS OF COMMUNICATIONS COMMON CARRIERS
                             RELEASED BY FCC



    The FCC has released a compilation of financial and operating data
concerning domestic communications carriers for the year ending December 31,
1997.  The Statistics of Communications Common Carriers, issued annually
since 1939, is the reference work widely used by academics, consultants, and
other researchers in the field of telecommunications.  

    Annual reports from carriers arrive at different times throughout the year. 
Because the information from the domestic telecommunications carriers arrives
earlier, the Commission has prepared that segment of the publication first.  The
tables being released today are labeled "preliminary" because some corrections
and additions are still being received.

    The report is available in the Common Carrier Bureau's Public Reference
Room, 2000 M Street, NW, 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:  97PSOCC.ZIP] from the FCC-State Link
internet site at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats 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 the Industry Analysis Division at (202)
418-0940, or, for users of TTY equipment, call 202-418-0484.