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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:  December  19,  2002  Michael  Balmoris  202-  418-  0253 
 Email:  mbalmori@  fcc.  gov 
 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION  AUTHORIZES  SBC  TO  PROVIDE  LONG  DISTANCE  SERVICE  IN  CALIFORNIA 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Today,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  announced  that  it  voted  to  approve  SBC  Communications’  (SBC)  application  to  provide 
 in-  region,  interLATA  service  originating  in  California.  Approval  of  SBC’s  application  promises  benefits  to  consumers  in  California  by  making  increased  competition  in  all 
 markets  for  telecommunications  services  possible. 
 SBC  stated  in  its  application  that  competing  carriers  serve  approximately  2.6  million  lines  in  California,  which  account  for  13%  of  the  total  lines  in  the  state.  With  the 
 FCC’s  approval  of  SBC’s  application  for  California  and  BellSouth’s  joint  application  for  Florida  and  Tennessee,  which  was  also  adopted  today,  the  percentage  of  Bell  Operating 
 Company  (BOC)  lines  approved  for  in-  region,  interLATA  service  reached  68.3%. 
 With  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996  (1996  Act),  Congress  envisioned  fundamental,  pro-  competitive  changes  in  the  telecommunications  markets  by  making  a 
 BOC’s  entry  into  the  long  distance  market  subject  to  it  first  opening  its  local  service  market  to  competition.  A  BOC  satisfies  this  contingency  by  demonstrating  compliance 
 with  section  271  of  the  1996  Act.  After  a  BOC  files  a  section  271  long  distance  application  with  the  FCC,  the  FCC  has  90  days  to  determine  whether  a  BOC  has  taken 
 the  statutorily  required  steps  to  open  its  local  telecommunications  markets  to  competition,  including  compliance  with  the  1996  Act's  14-  point  'competitive  checklist'  in  section  271. 


 Since  the  passage  of  the  1996  Act,  the  FCC  has  denied  five  long  distance  applications  and  now  has  approved  applications  to  provide  in-  region,  long  distance 
 service  in  26  states.  Additionally,  applications  for  16  states  have  been  withdrawn.  Currently,  there  are  section  271  applications  for  12  states  –  Qwest’s  joint  application  for 
 Colorado,  Idaho,  Iowa,  Montana,  Nebraska,  North  Dakota,  Utah,  Washington  and  Wyoming,  and  Verizon’s  joint  application  for  Maryland,  Washington  DC,  and  West 
 Virginia  –  pending  before  the  Commission. 
 A  summary  of  all  section  271  applications  can  be  accessed  at  the  following  FCC  web  page: 


 www.  fcc.  gov/  Bureaus/  Common_  Carrier/  in-  region_  applications/ 
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 The  FCC  emphasizes  that  SBC  must  continue  to  comply  with  the  section  271  checklist  requirements,  and  the  Commission  has  a  number  of  enforcement  tools  at  its 
 disposal  to  ensure  compliance,  including  imposing  penalties  or  suspension  of  approval. 
 -FCC- 
 Docket  No.:  WC  02-  306 
 Action  by  the  Commission  December  19,  2002,  by  Report  and  Order  (FCC  02-  330).  Chairman  Powell  and  Commissioner  Copps  issuing  separate  statements; 
 Commissioner  Martin  dissenting  and  issuing  a  statement;  and  Commissioner  Adelstein  not  participating. 


 Wireline  Competition  Bureau  Staff  Contact:  Renee  Crittendon  at  202-  418-  1580 
 News  about  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  can  also  be  found  on  the  Commission’s  web  site  www.  fcc.  gov. 
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