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 NEWS  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 June  20,  2000  John  Winston  (202)  418-  7450 


 Enforcement  Bureau  Announces  that  Bell  Atlantic  Has  Satisfied  Consent  Decree 
 Regarding  Electronic  Ordering  Systems  in  New  York 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Today  the  Enforcement  Bureau  of  the  Federal  Communications 
 Commission  (“  FCC”)  announced  that  Bell  Atlantic  has  satisfied  the  requirements  of  the  March  9, 
 2000  Consent  Decree  adopted  by  the  FCC  in  connection  with  Bell  Atlantic's  loss  or  mishandling 
 of  orders  electronically  submitted  to  Bell  At  lant  ic  by  Bell  At  lant  ic's  local  service  compet  itors 
 earlier  this  year.  Based  on  weekly  reports  Bell  Atlantic  submitted  to  the  FCC,  and  absent  new 
 and  material  evidence  that  the  reports  are  inaccurate,  the  Enforcement  Bureau  has  determined 
 that  Bell  Atlantic  has  no  further  obligations  under  the  Consent  Decree. 


 The  March  9,  2000  Consent  Decree  created  incentives  for  Bell  Atlantic  to  improve  its 
 performance  in  processing  its  local  service  competitors’  orders.  Specifically,  the  Consent  Decree 
 required  that  Bell  Atlantic  file  weekly  performance  reports  with  the  FCC  regarding  its 
 compliance  with  specified  performance  measurements  contained  in  the  Consent  Decree.  In  order 
 for  FCC  monitoring  under  the  Consent  Decree  to  cease,  the  Consent  Decree  required  that  Bell 
 Atlantic  satisfy  the  performance  measurements  for  a  specified  period  of  time.  The  evidence 
 indicates  that  there  have  been  substantial  improvements  in  the  performance  of  Bell  Atlantic’s 
 operations  support  systems  since  the  adoption  of  the  Consent  Decree,  and  that  Bell  Atlantic’s 
 systems  are  performing  within  the  standards  set  forth  in  the  Consent  Decree.  As  it  agreed  to  in 
 the  Consent  Decree,  Bell  Atlantic  has  made  a  voluntary  payment  to  the  United  States  Treasury  of 
 $3  million. 


 The  performance  standards  contained  in  the  FCC’s  Consent  Decree  also  were  adopted  by 
 the  New  York  Public  Service  Commission,  and  Bell  Atlantic  remains  obligated  to  satisfy  those 
 standards  under  the  New  York  Commission’s  Performance  Assurance  Plan. 


 -  FCC  - 
 Enforcement  Bureau  contacts:  John  Winston  (202)  418-  7450,  Richard  Welch  (202)  418-  7450 
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