PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554                                            DA 98-385

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                                                Released: February 26, 1998

     MCI Telecommunications Corporation Petition the Commission for 
        Prescription of Tariffs Implementing Access Charge Reform
                          CC Docket No. 97-250

                       Pleading Cycle Established

COMMENTS:  March 18, 1998

REPLY COMMENTS:  March 30, 1998

        On February 24, 1998, MCI Telecommunications Corporation (MCI) filed a Petition for
Prescription of Tariffs Implementing Access Charge Reform.

        In its petition, MCI states that unless access rates are lowered to forward-looking economic cost
and incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) are required to recover presubscribed interexchange
carrier charges (PICCs) directly from end users, long distance carriers will continue to be competitively
disadvantaged, long distance consumers will be harmed, and competition in local markets will be
seriously jeopardized.  MCI requests an immediate prescription of key levels, terms, and conditions in
the pending tariff investigation.

        MCI asserts the Commission should eliminate the distinctions between primary and non-primary
lines, as the costs associated with implementing such distinctions clearly outweigh the benefits.  MCI
states that the Commission should also hold ILECs responsible for collection of PICCs until such time
as they can provide all necessary information to interexchange carriers (IXCs) in advance of billing;
prescribe a standardized, independently verifiable, definition of primary and non-primary lines; require
the ILECs immediately to provide auditable line count information, by telephone number; move as
quickly as possible to grant the Sprint petition or prescribe language that makes clear that IXCs can notify
ILECs of de-PICs; and standardize the date used by ILECs to decide which customers' PICCs are
assigned to a particular IXC.  

        MCI states that, in addition, the Commission should require the ILECs to provide to each IXC
the amount of universal service fund (USF) pass through each IXC is receiving in its access bills every
month.  
        Interested parties may file comments on MCI's petition  no later than March 18, 1998. Replies
must be filed by March 30, 1998. When filing comments and/or replies, please reference the internal
file number: CCB/CPD 98-12.

        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.  1.15(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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