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 NEWS  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:  July  27,  2004  Janice  Wise  (202)  418-  8165 
 Janice.  Wise@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  AND  VERIZON  ENTER  INTO  $300,  000  CONSENT  DECREE  CONCERNING  ACCOUNTING  AND  OTHER  LOCAL  COMPETITION  SAFEGUARDS 
 Washington,  D.  C.:  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  entered  into  a  Consent  Decree  with  the  Verizon  Telephone  Companies  to  resolve  two  Commission  investigations  into 
 whether  Verizon  violated  certain  accounting  safeguards  and  non-  discrimination  requirements  under  Section  272  of  the  Communications  Act. 


 In  the  Consent  Decree,  Verizon  has  agreed  to  make  a  voluntary  payment  of  $300,000  to  the  United  States  Treasury  and  to  take  additional  specific  measures  to  ensure  future  compliance  with 
 the  requirements  of  Section  272,  including  measures  concerning  its  (1)  valuation  of  services  provided  to  its  separate  long-  distance  affiliates  that  are  not  required  to  be  made  available  to  third 
 parties;  (2)  automated  voice  response  announcements  notifying  local  customers  of  their  ability  to  choose  long-  distance  carriers  other  than  the  Verizon  long-  distance  affiliate;  (3)  procedures  for 
 contract  bidding  in  the  provision  of  pre-  paid  calling  card  services;  (4)  procedures  ensuring  timely  and  accurate  posting  of  affiliate  contract  terms  on  its  Web  site;  and  (5)  employee  training. 


 Section  272  requires  a  Bell  Operating  Company  (“  BOC”)  that  has  received  authority  to  provide  in-  region  interLATA  telecommunications  service  pursuant  to  Section  271  of  the  Act  to  provide 
 that  service  through  a  separate  affiliate  and  establishes  certain  structural,  transactional,  and  nondiscrimination  safeguards  that  govern  the  relationship  between  a  BOC  and  its  272  affiliate. 
 On  September  8,  2003,  the  Commission  released  a  Notice  of  Apparent  Liability  proposing  a  forfeiture  of  $283,800  against  Verizon  for  apparent  violations  of  Section  272.  This  Consent 
 Decree  resolves  the  investigation  that  led  to  that  Notice  as  well  as  a  subsequent,  similar  investigation. 


 Action  by  the  Commission:  July  27,  2004,  by  Order  (FCC  04-  180). 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  Janice  Wise  (202)  418-  8165  and  Trent  Harkrader  (202)  418-  2955 
 -FCC- 


 News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov 
 TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 


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