PSC Recommends BellSouth Be Denied Permission to Enter Long-Distance in Florida

Business Wire, Nov 3, 1997

TALLAHASSEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1997--The Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) Monday agreed with its staff and recommended denying BellSouth's application to enter the long-distance market in Florida.

While the final decision rests with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the law calls for the FCC to consult with both the state regulatory commission, which recommends whether BellSouth has met the statutory requirements, and the Department of Justice, which applies a public-interest test to the application. Other parties can submit comments as well. To date, the FCC has rejected every Bell application. The attached chart provides an update on the status of BellSouth filings for entry into the long-distance market in BellSouth states.

The following statement can be attributed to Barry Johnson, AT&T director of corporate affairs - Florida.

"Today's decision by the Florida Public Service Commission is the right one, given the overwhelming evidence that BellSouth has a long way to go before it should be allowed into the long-distance industry. The commission agreed with the PSC staff, as we do, that BellSouth needs to fully comply with the mandates of the Telecommunications Act. The decision sends the message that BellSouth must deliver, not just talk about welcoming competition in the local telephone marketplace. The faster BellSouth complies with the law, the faster AT&T and other potential competitors can offer local service to business and residential customers in Florida.

"The federal Telecommunications Act requires that demonstrated local competition exist before BellSouth is allowed in long-distance. The average Floridian knows that he or she has no choice for local service. This recommendation supports that fact."

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                       BELLSOUTH LONG-DISTANCE ENTRY
                             9-STATE SCORECARD


    Here's a BellSouth territory scorecard on decisions about whether
or not BellSouth should be allowed in long-distance at this time:

                       Commissioners    Staff    ALJ
Alabama                    No

Florida                    No            No

Georgia                    No            No
                           No            No

Kentucky                   No

Louisiana                                No      No
                          Yes            No      No

Mississippi(a)

North Carolina (b)

South Carolina (c)        Yes           Didn't
                                        Participate

Tennessee                                No

Notes:  Blank spaces indicate that either no ALJ was involved or
that one or none of the bodies in a given state have not yet ruled
on BellSouth's proposal to get into long-distance.

(a) Hearings began Oct. 28.
(b) Hearings conducted, no decisions yet.  Decision expected early
December.
(c) The U.S. Department of Justice is expected to issue its
recommendation to the FCC tomorrow (Nov. 4) on BellSouth's request
to get into the long-distance market in South Carolina.  The FCC's
decision is expected by Dec. 30.  This is the first recommendation
or ruling by a federal agency on a BellSouth request to get into
long-distance.