$/Public Notice/Area Code Plan for Dallas and Houston, DA
96-794/$
FOR RECORD ONLY

  PUBLIC NOTICE

 Federal Communications Commission
 1919 M St., N.W.
 Washington, D.C. 20554                                          
_________________________________________________________________
_______

DA 96-794

     PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED FOR COMMENTS ON PUBLIC UTILITY
     COMMISSION OF TEXAS' PETITION FOR EXPEDITED DECLARATORY
RULING AND APPLICATION FOR EXPEDITED REVIEW OF AREA CODE PLAN FOR
DALLAS
                               AND HOUSTON

                           Released:  May 17, 1996 

 On May 9, 1996, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT),
through the Office
of the Attorney General of Texas, filed a petition for expedited
declaratory ruling and an
application for expedited review.  In its petition for expedited
declaratory ruling, the PUCT
requests that the Federal Communications Commission (Commission)
declare:  (1) that the
refusal of the Chief, Network Services Division, Common Carrier
Bureau, in a letter of April
11, 1996, to direct the North American Numbering Plan
Administrator (NANPA) to assign
area codes to Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (SWBT) for use
as wireless overlays in
Dallas and Houston was erroneous; (2) that NANPA is directed to
assign such codes to
SWBT; and (3) that the PUCT's March 13, 1996 order directing a
combination wireline area
code split and wireless overlay in Dallas and Houston is lawful. 
In its application for
expedited review, PUCT requests that the Commission:  (1) review
and reverse the Network
Services Division's action in its letter to NANPA; (2) order
NANPA to assign the requested
area codes for use as wireless overlays in Dallas and Houston;
and (3) uphold the PUCT's
order pursuant to analysis of Commission precedent.   

          Interested parties should file comments on both PUCT
filings by June 6, 1996, and
reply comments by June 21, 1996, with the Secretary, FCC, 1919 M
Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20554.  A copy should also be sent to Carmell
Weathers, Network Services
Division, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC, Room 220, 2000 M Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C.
20554, and to the Commission's contractor for public service
records duplication, ITS, Inc.,
2100 M Street, N.W., Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20037.  The PUCT
petitions are available
for inspection and copying in the Network Services Division's
Public Reference Room, Room
220, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., from 8:30 A.M. to
3:00 P.M., Monday through
Thursday, and from 8:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. on Friday.  Copies can
also be obtained from
ITS by calling (202) 857-3800.

     For further information contact Scott Shefferman, Network
Services Division, Common
Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-2320. 

- FCC -