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                            Before the
                Federal Communications Commission
                      Washington, D.C. 20554

In the Matter of                )
                                )       CC Docket No. 97-250
Tariffs Implementing Access Charge Reform)        
                                )
Ameritech                       )       Transmittal No. 1146
Revisions to Tariff F.C.C. No. 2 & 4 )
                                )
Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies)      Transmittal No. 1035
Revisions to Tariff F.C.C. No. 1)
                                )
NYNEX Telephone Companies       )       Transmittal No. 490
Revisions to Tariff F.C.C. No. 1)
                                )
Sprint Local Telephone Companies)       Transmittal No. 50
Revisions to Tariff F.C.C. No. 1)
                                )
U S West Communications, Inc.   )       Transmittal No. 903
Revisions to Tariff F.C.C. No. 3 & 5 )


                  MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

     Adopted:  March 31, 1998           Released:  March 31, 1998

By the Chief, Competitive Pricing Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

                        I.  INTRODUCTION

     1.  On December 30, 1997, the Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) initiated an investigation into
the provisions contained in incumbent local exchange carrier (LEC) access charge reform tariffs. On
January 28, 1998, the Bureau designated the specific issues for investigation in this proceeding in a
separate order.  On March 17, 1998, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies (Bell Atlantic),
NYNEX Telephone Companies (NYNEX), Sprint Local Telephone Companies (Sprint LTCs), and U S
West Communications, Inc. (U S West) filed the above transmittals to revise their interstate tariffs.  These
LECs' transmittals propose revisions to reflect their modified universal service fund (USF) support
obligations resulting from the Commission's issuance of Second Quarter 1998 USF contribution factors. 
NYNEX's transmittal also corrects an error in allocating USF contributions among price cap baskets based
on Bell Atlantic end user revenues instead of NYNEX end user revenues.  In addition, the Sprint LTCs
propose the following revisions: recalculation of non-primary access lines based on actual billing records;
recalculation of the transport interconnection charge (TIC); 
adjustment of certain exogenous costs based on the residual and facilities-based TIC as of June 30, 1997;
and elimination of the DS3 end office and tandem dedicated  trunk ports.  We have no record of the receipt
of any petitions filed against these tariff transmittals to date. 

                        II.  DISCUSSION

     2.  These transmittals raise issues that were designated for investigation in the Access Charge
Reform Tariffs Designation Order.  Therefore, we suspend these transmittals for one day, following the
currently scheduled effective date, and make these transmittals subject to the investigation initiated in the
Access Charge Reform Tariffs Suspension Order.

     3.  At the conclusion of the investigation, the rates that are the subject of this suspension order may
be subject to the special, two-way adjustment mechanism described in the Access Charge Reform Tariffs
Suspension Order, for the reasons stated therein.  We therefore put customers on notice that any revised
rates provided in the transmittal suspended for one day by this order are provisional rates.  If these
provisional rates are found at the conclusion of the investigation initiated by the Access Charge Reform
Tariffs Suspension Order to be below a just and reasonable level, we may allow carriers prospectively to
charge higher rates for some elements to reflect the fact that they were charging less than would have been
permitted for those elements during the pendency of the investigation.  If these provisional rates are found
at the conclusion of the investigation initiated by the Access Charge Reform Tariffs Suspension Order to
be above those permitted by our rules, and thus unreasonably high, we may require the LECs to make
refunds to their customers.  It is also possible that, in some cases in which the same customer has paid both
charges that were found to be too high and charges that were found to be too low, refunds could be offset
by amounts allowed for recoupment.  

                  III.  EX PARTE REQUIREMENTS
                                
     4.  This investigation is a permit-but-disclose proceeding and subject to the permit-but-disclose
requirements under Section 1.1206(b) of the rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.1206(b), as revised.  Persons making oral
ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must contain a summary
of the substance of the presentation and not merely a listing of the subjects discussed.  More than a one or
two sentence description of the views and arguments presented is generally required.  See 47 C.F.R. 
1.1206(b)(2), as revised.  Other rules pertaining to oral and written presentations are set forth in Section
1.1206(b), as well.  


                     IV.  ORDERING CLAUSES

     5.  Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Section 204(a) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  204(a), and through the authority delegated pursuant to Sections 0.91 and
0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91 and 0.291, that the tariff revisions filed by  
Ameritech, Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies, NYNEX Telephone Companies, Sprint Local 
Telephone Companies, and U S West Communications, Inc.,  ARE SUSPENDED for one day from the
effective date and an investigation of the referenced tariff transmittal IS INSTITUTED AND
CONSOLIDATED in CC Docket No. 97-250.


     6.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Ameritech, Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies, NYNEX
Telephone Companies, Sprint Local Telephone Companies, and U S West Communications, Inc., SHALL
FILE, within five business days of the release date of this Order, tariff revisions to reflect the one day
suspension from the currently scheduled effective date of April 1, 1998.   These carriers should cite the DA
number of the instant Order as the authority for this filing. 

     7.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Sections 4(i) and 204(a) of the Communications Act
of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i) and 204(a), and through the authority delegated pursuant to
Sections 0.91 and 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91 and 0.291, that 
Ameritech, Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies, NYNEX Telephone Companies, Sprint Local Telephone
Companies, and U S West Communications, Inc., SHALL KEEP ACCURATE ACCOUNT of all amounts
received by reason of the provisions that are the subject of this investigation.  

                              
       FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                              Jane E. Jackson
                              Chief, Competitive Pricing Division
                              Common Carrier Bureau