FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
March 23, 1999                               Emily Hoffnar (202) 418-
0253

 Report No. CC 99-9   COMMON CARRIER ACTION                      

      COMMISSION ACTS TO OPEN REGIONAL LONG DISTANCE MARKETS
                          TO COMPETITION
                      (CC Docket No. 96-98)

      In an Order released today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) established
new deadlines by which local exchange carriers must implement dialing parity for regional long
distance calls (i.e., consumers will not have to dial extra digits to use a competitor's service).  The
Commission took these actions in light of the Supreme Court's January 25, 1999 decision that
reversed, in part, the rulings of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and
held that the Commission has general jurisdiction to implement the 1996 Act's local competition
provisions.

     Dialing parity means that consumers will be able to choose which long distance carrier
should carry all of their regional toll calls, without having to dial any extra digits.  Without dialing
parity, local carriers carry in-region toll calls, which means that consumers must dial extra digits
(i.e., 101-XXXX) to use a different, and possibly less expensive, toll carrier.  The implementation
of  toll dialing parity means that full competition will now be available for all regional toll traffic.   

     The FCC established the following deadlines for opening regional toll markets to
competition:

                    Carriers whose plans have been approved by a State Commission must implement
          dialing parity no later than May 7, 1999.

                    No later than April 22, 1999, carriers that have not yet filed dialing parity plans
          must file them with the appropriate State Commission.  States have until  June 22,
          1999, to review and approve the plan, following which the local carrier must
          implement dialing parity within 30 days of the state's approval.

                    Carriers whose plans have not been approved by a State commission  by June 22,
          1999,  must file the plan with the FCC no later than that date and must implement
          dialing parity within 30 days of FCC approval.

     The FCC emphasized that these dates are outside parameters, and that State Commissions
may require an earlier deadline for local carriers to implement toll dialing parity.  

     Action by the Commission March 23, 1999 by Order (FCC 99-54).  Chairman Kennard,
Commissioners Ness, Furchtgott-Roth, Powell, and Tristani with Commissioner Furchtgott-Roth
issuing a statement..

                              -FCC-
           
Common Carrier Bureau contact:  Gregory M. Cooke at (202) 418-2320.
TTY: (202) 418-0485