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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:             NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: 
  May 3, 2000                             Mike Balmoris at (202) 418-0253
                                     Email:    mbalmori@fcc.gov
  
                              
  ROBERT ATKINSON, common carrier bureau's deputy chief, 
      to join Columbia Institute for Tele-Information 
                              
  Washington, DC   Robert Atkinson, currently the Deputy Chief of the Federal
  Communications Commission's (FCC) Common Carrier Bureau, has been named
  Executive Director of the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) at Columbia
  Business School in New York.  At the FCC, Atkinson has been responsible for two of the
  Bureau's divisions, Policy & Program Planning and Industry Analysis.
  
  Working with Professor Eli Noam, CITI's Director and founder, Atkinson will be
  responsible for expanding CITI into a multidisciplinary center, dedicated to research on
  the telecommunications and information industry.  He will begin his CITI duties in mid-
  May. 
  
  Chairman William E. Kennard said, "Bob's presence at the FCC was at a pivotal
  time for ensuring local telecommunications competition.  His energy and hard work to
  open up local telecommunications markets were an invaluable asset to the FCC and he
  will surely be missed."
  
       Larry Strickling, Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau commented, "The Bureau
  and I thank Bob for the major contributions he has made in public service as Deputy
  Bureau Chief.  But the Bureau's loss is CITI's gain.  Columbia has landed not only the
  most experienced and knowledgeable person on local competition but also a fine person. 
  I and many others who depended on Bob for so many things will miss him very much."
  
  Atkinson joined the FCC at the beginning of 1999 after a 27-year career in the
  telecommunications industry including 13 years with Teleport Communications Group
  (TCG), the nation's first Competitive Access Provider (CAP) and Competitive Local
  Exchange Carrier (CLEC). 
  
                          - FCC -