May 7, 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 March 1999.  Statistics from that survey estimated that 94.0% of all households in the
United States had telephone service.  This is down 0.2% from the last report, for November 1998,
and down 0.1% from March 1998.  These decreases are not statistically significant.  The report also
shows different subscribership levels by state, income level, race, age, household size, and
employment status.

     In March 1999, the telephone subscribership penetration rate was 75.9% for households with
annual incomes below $5,000, while the rate for households with incomes over $75,000 was 98.6%. 
By state, the penetration rates ranged from 87.1% in Mississippi to 98.2% in Delaware. Households
headed by whites had a penetration rate of 95.1%, while those headed by blacks had a rate of 87.3%
and those headed by Hispanics had a rate of 89.2%.  By age, penetration rates ranged from 86.3%
for households headed by a person under 25 to 95.8% for households headed by a person over 70. 
Households with one person had a penetration rate of 90.9%, compared to a rate of 95.3% for
households with two or three people.  The penetration rate for unemployed adults was 89.1%, while
the rate for employed adults was 95.7%.

     This report is updated three times a year and is available in the FCC's Reference Information
Center, Court Yard Level, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. Call International
Transcription Service at (202) 857-3800 to purchase a copy.  This report can also be downloaded
[file name: SUBS0399.ZIP or SUBS0399.PDF] from the FCC-State Link Internet site at
http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats on the World Wide Web.  

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

                             - FCC -