*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 14310.doc*
 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:  January  18,  2002  John  Winston  (202)  418-  7450 
 jwinston@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  PROPOSES  $6  MILLION  FINE  AGAINST  SBC  COMMUNICATIONS,  INC. 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  released  a  Notice  of 
 Apparent  Liability  (Notice)  proposing  that  SBC  Communications,  Inc.  (SBC)  be  held  liable  for  a 
 fine  of  $6  million.  Today’s  action  follows  an  investigation  into  SBC’s  compliance  with  a 
 competition-  related  condition  imposed  by  the  FCC  in  approving  certain  license  transfers  in 
 connection  with  the  1999  merger  of  SBC  and  Ameritech  Corporation. 


 In  approving  the  license  transfers,  the  Commission  required  SBC  to  offer  the  shared  transport 
 unbundled  network  element  in  the  former  Ameritech  states  on  terms  at  least  as  favorable  as  those 
 offered  to  telecommunications  carriers  in  Texas  as  of  August  27,  1999.  In  today’s  Notice,  the 
 Commission  found  that  SBC  appears  to  have  violated  this  condition  in  each  of  the  five  former 
 Ameritech  states  by  attempting  to  restrict  the  use  of  shared  transport  by  carriers  providing 
 intraLATA  toll  service.  The  $6  million  fine  proposed  by  the  Commission  is  the  statutory 
 maximum  for  the  five  apparent  violations  (one  in  each  of  the  former  Ameritech  states). 


 In  accordance  with  procedures  established  by  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  and 
 the  Commission’s  rules,  SBC  has  30  days  to  either  pay  the  proposed  fine  or  to  respond  in 
 writing.  Should  SBC  submit  a  written  response,  the  Commission  will  consider  that  response  and 
 then  proceed  to  issue  a  final  ruling. 


 Action  by  the  Commission,  January  16,  2002,  Notice  of  Apparent  Liability  (FCC  02-  7). 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  John  R.  Winston  and  Suzanne  Tetreault  at  (202)  418-  7450. 
1