PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                  DA 98-653

News media information 202/418-0500     Fax-On-Demand  202/418-2830     Internet:  http://www.fcc.gov    ftp.fcc.gov


                                          Released: April 6, 1998

   Bell Atlantic Establishment of New Rate Elements to Offer 
                    Enterprise SONET Service
                                
                       CCB/CPD No. 98-27

                   Pleading Cycle Established


COMMENTS:  May 6, 1998

REPLY COMMENTS:  May 21, 1998

     On April 2, 1998, Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies (Bell Atlantic) filed a Petition for Establishment
of New Rate Elements to Offer Enterprise SONET Service.  Bell Atlantic requests authority to establish three
new rate elements to enable it to offer its customers the transport of Switched Access Service using Enterprise
SONET Service (ESS) and Intellilight Customer Assurance Network Service (ICAN).  

     In its petition Bell Atlantic states that these new services will be available to all customers under their
access tariffs and will be priced at the same fully compensatory levels as are the comparable special access
elements.  Bell Atlantic states that this will enable them to compete with other providers that already offer both
SONET and asynchronous transport of switched access services. Bell Atlantic notes that these new services
will give customers additional competitive choices in an increasingly diverse marketplace, and customers that
choose to retain their existing asynchronous services will not be harmed.
     
     Interested parties may file comments on Bell Atlantic's petitions no later than May 6, 1998. Replies
must be filed by May 21, 1998. When filing comments and/or replies, please reference the internal file number:
CCB/CPD 98-27.

     An original and four copies of all comments and replies must be filed in accordance with Section
1.51(c) of the Commission's Rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.51(c).  In addition, one copy of  each pleading must be
filed with International Transcription Services (ITS), the Commission's duplicating contractor, at its office
at 1231 - 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 and one copy with the Chief, Competitive Pricing
Division, Room 518, 1919 M Street, N.W.,Washington, D.C. 20554.

           For further information contact, Wanda M. Harris, Competitive Pricing Division, Common Carrier
Bureau, (202) 418-1530.
                             
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