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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  BELLSOUTH  TO  PROVIDE  LONG  DISTANCE  SERVICE  IN  FLORIDA  AND  TENNESSEE 


 BellSouth  Becomes  First  Bell  Operating  Company  to  Obtain  Authority  for  Long  Distance  Service  Throughout  its  Region 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Today,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  announced  that  it  voted  to  approve  BellSouth’s  joint  application  to  provide  in-  region, 
 interLATA  service  originating  in  Florida  and  Tennessee.  Approval  of  BellSouth’s  application  promises  benefits  to  consumers  in  Florida  and  Tennessee  by  making 
 increased  competition  in  all  markets  for  telecommunications  services  possible. 
 BellSouth  stated  in  its  application  that  competing  carriers  provide  approximately  1.3  million  lines  in  Florida,  which  account  for  18%  of  the  total  lines  in  the  state,  and 
 nearly  364  thousand  lines  in  Tennessee,  accounting  for  nearly  13%  of  the  total  lines  in  the  state.  With  the  FCC’s  approval  of  BellSouth’s  joint  application  for  Florida  and 
 Tennessee  and  SBC’s  application  for  California,  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. 
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 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/ 
 The  FCC  emphasizes  that  BellSouth  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-  307 
 Action  by  the  Commission  December  18,  2002,  by  Memorandum  Opinion  and  Order  (FCC  02-  331).  Chairman  Powell  and  Commissioner  Copps  issuing  separate 
 statements;  Commissioner  Adelstein  not  participating. 
 Wireline  Competition  Bureau  Staff  Contact:  Christine  Newcomb  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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