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                                                       DA 04-1933
                                                    June 29, 2004

               ENFORCEMENT BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON
            QWEST COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. 
    SECTION 272 BIENNIAL AUDIT REPORT IN EB DOCKET NO. 03-198

Comments due:   August 30, 2004 

Pursuant to section 271 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended (the ``Act''),1 the Commission has authorized Qwest 
Communications International, Inc. (``Qwest'')2 to enter the in-
region interLATA market in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, 
Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, 
South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.3  Section 272 of the 
Act requires Bell Operating Companies to offer in-region, 
interLATA service through separate affiliates that comply with 
certain structural, nondiscrimination, and accounting safeguards.  
Section 272(d) requires a biennial compliance audit.4  We have 
received the results of the biennial audit of Qwest's first year 
of operations in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, 
Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South 
Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.  The audit report, ``Qwest 
Communications International, Inc. Report of Independent 
Accountants on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures,'' was submitted 
by Ernst & Young , LLP (``E&Y'') on June 10, 2004.

Section 272(d)(2) of the Communications Act requires that the 
results of the audit be made publicly available.5  We now release 
the Qwest audit report.  In accordance with section 53.213(d) of 
the Commission's rules,  interested parties may file comments on 
the report with the Commission within 60 days. 6  Accordingly, 
comments are due no later than August 30, 2004.
EX PARTE PRESENTATIONS

We find that it would be in the public interest to treat this 
proceeding as an exempt proceeding under the ex parte rules.7  
Therefore, subsequent to the release of this Public Notice, ex 
parte communications to or from Commission decision-making 
personnel are permissible and need not be disclosed, in 
accordance with section 1.1204(b) of the Commission's rules.8  

FILING PROCEDURES

Interested parties may file comments on the biennial audit report 
using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System 
(``ECFS'') or by filing paper copies.9  Comments filed through 
the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to 
.  Generally, only one copy 
of an electronic submission must be filed.  In completing the 
transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, 
Postal Service mailing address, and the applicable docket or 
rulemaking number.  Parties may also submit an electronic comment 
by Internet e-mail.  To get filing instructions for e-mail 
comments, commenters should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, and 
should include the following words in the body of the message, 
"get form