NEWS                                                       October 22, 1997

             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 July 1997.  Statistics from that survey estimated that 93.9% of all households in the
United States had telephone service.  This is unchanged from the last report, for March 1997,
and also unchanged from July 1996.  The report also shows different subscribership levels by
state, income level, race, age, household size, and employment status.

     In July 1997, the telephone subscribership penetration rate was 72.9% for households
with annual incomes below $5,000, while the rate for households with incomes between $60,000
and $74,999 was 99.4%.  By state, the penetration rates ranged from 89.8% in Mississippi to
97.9% in Nebraska.  Households headed by whites had a penetration rate of 95.0%, while those
headed by blacks had a rate of 86.9% and those headed by Hispanics had a rate of 87.0%.  By
age, penetration rates ranged from 84.1% for households headed by a person under 25 to 96.0%
for households headed by a person over 70.  Households with 6 or more people had a pentration
rate of 90.9%, compared to a rate of 95.2% for households with 2 or 3 people.  The penetration
rate for unemployed adults was 88.3%, while the rate for employed adults was 95.8%.

     This report is updated three times a year and is available in the Common Carrier
Bureau's public reference room, 2000 M Street, NW, Room 575, Washington, DC.  Copies may
be purchased by calling International Transcription Service at (202) 857-3800.  This report can
also be downloaded [file name: SUBS0797.ZIP or SUBS0797.PDF] from the FCC-State Link
internet site, which can be reached at http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats on the World Wide Web. 
The report can also be downloaded from the FCC-State Link computer bulletin board system
at (202) 418-0241.

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

- FCC -NEWS