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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  October  27,  2000  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  John  Winston  (202)  418-  7450 
 FCC  AND  SBC  ENTER  INTO  CONSENT  DECREE  REGARDING  ALARM  MONITORING  SERVICE 
 Washington,  D.  C.  -  Today  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (Commission)  released  an  order  adopting  a  Consent  Decree  between  the  Commission  and  SBC 
 Communications,  Inc  (SBC).  Today's  action  terminates  certain  enforcement  proceedings  pending  before  the  Commission  concerning  compliance,  by  SBC’s 
 affiliates,  Ameritech  Corp.  (Ameritech)  and  SecurityLink,  with  section  275  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934  (Act). 


 Section  275  of  the  Act  generally  prohibits  a  Bell  Operating  Company  (“  BOC”)  from 
 providing  alarm  monitoring  services  before  February  2001.  A  “grandfather”  exception  in  section  275  allows  Ameritech  to  continue  to  provide  alarm  monitoring  services  that  it 


 had  begun  providing  prior  to  February  1996.  Section  275(  a)(  2),  however,  prohibits  Ameritech  from  obtaining  an  equity  interest  in  or  financial  control  of  additional 
 unaffiliated  alarm  monitoring  entities  from  February  1996  until  February  2001. 
 From  mid-  1996  through  the  end  of  1997,  Ameritech  acquired  the  assets  of  five  unaffiliated  alarm  monitoring  entities.  With  respect  to  four  of  the  five  acquisitions,  the 
 Commission  previously  found  that  Ameritech  violated  section  275(  a)(  2)  of  the  Act,  by  obtaining  financial  control  of  unaffiliated  alarm  monitoring  service  entities  prior  to 
 February  2001.  Ameritech  merged  into  SBC  Communications  after  Ameritech  acquired  the  five  alarm  monitoring  entities. 


 In  the  Consent  Decree,  SBC  agrees  to  use  its  best  efforts  to  enter  into  a  contract  with  a 
 Buyer  to  divest  itself  of  SecurityLink,  prior  to  February  9,  2001,  such  that  SBC  does  not  retain  control  of  SecurityLink  or  the  Buyer.  Divestiture  of  SecurityLink  would  result  in 


 divestiture  of  both  the  grandfathered  alarm  monitoring  assets  that  Ameritech  lawfully  held  before  February  1996  and  the  alarm  monitoring  services  assets  that  Ameritech 
 unlawfully  acquired  after  February  1996.  If  SBC  is  unable  to  enter  into  a  contract  to 
 divest  itself  of  SecurityLink  by  February  9,  2001,  SBC  agrees  to  make  a  voluntary  contribution  to  the  United  States  Treasury  of  one  million  dollars  ($  1,000,  000)  on 


 February  10,  2001. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  October  24,  2000,  by  Order  (FCC  00-  385).  Chairman  Kennard,  Commissioners  Ness,  Furchtgott-  Roth,  Powell,  and  Tristiani. 
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 File  Nos.  CCB  Pol.  96-  17,  CCB  Pol.  97-  7,  CCB  Pol.  97-  8,  CCB  Pol.  97-  11 
 -  FCC  -Enforcement 


 Bureau  Contacts:  John  Winston  at  (202)  418-  7450  or  Tonya  Rutherford  at 
 (202)  418-  7450. 
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