February 18, 1999

         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 November 1998.  Statistics from that survey estimated that 94.2% of all households in the
United States had telephone service.  This is up 0.1% from the last report, for July 1998, and up 0.4%
from November 1997.  These increases are not statistically significant.  The report also shows
different subscribership levels by state, income level, race, age, household size, and employment
status.

     In November 1998, the telephone subscribership penetration rate was 78.3% for households
with annual incomes below $5,000, while the rate for households with incomes over $75,000 was
99.0%.  By state, the penetration rates ranged from 86.7% in New Mexico to 98.4% in Minnesota. 
Households headed by whites had a penetration rate of 95.2%, while those headed by blacks had a
rate of 87.7% and those headed by Hispanics had a rate of 88.9%.  By age, penetration rates ranged
from 87.3% for households headed by a person under 25 to 96.3% for households headed by a person
over 70.  Households with either one person or six or more people had a pentration rate of 91.8%,
compared to a rate of 95.3% for households with two or three people.  The penetration rate for
unemployed adults was 89.0%, while the rate for employed adults was 95.6%.

     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: SUBS1198.ZIP or SUBS1198.PDF] from the FCC-State Link internet site, which can
be reached at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats on the World Wide Web.  
     For further information, contact Alexander Belinfante at (202) 418-0944.

                             - FCC -