[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44699-44700]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18187]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 51 and 54

[CC Docket No. 98-121, FCC 00-173]


Applications of BellSouth Corporation, BellSouth 
Telecommunications, Inc., and BellSouth Long Distance, Inc., for 
Provision of In-Region, InterLATA Services in Louisiana .

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; petition for reconsideration.

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SUMMARY: This document denies to reconsider the Commission's Second 
BellSouth Louisiana Order with respect to the issues on which 
reconsideration is sought, no petitioner raises arguments that would 
cause us to change our decision to deny BellSouth's application to 
provide long distance service in the state of Louisiana.

DATES: Effective July 19, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice M. Myles, Paralegal Specialist; 
Johanna Mikes; and/or Ann Stevens, Attorney, Common Carrier Bureau, 
Policy and Program Planning Division, (202) 418-1580. Further 
information may also be obtained by calling the Common Carrier Bureau's 
TTY number: (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order 
on Reconsideration adopted May 15, 2000, and released June 19, 2000. 
The full text of this Order is available for inspection and copying 
during normal business

[[Page 44700]]

hours in the FCC Reference Center, 445 12th Street SW, Room CY-A257, 
Washington, DC. The complete text also may be obtained through the 
World Wide Web, at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/CommonCarrier/Orders/fcc00-173.wp, or may be purchased from the Commission's copy 
contractor, International Transcription Services, Inc., (202) 857-3800, 
1231 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

Regulatory Flexibility Certification

    In this present Order, the Commission promulgates no additional 
final rules, and our action does not affect the previous analysis.

Synopsis of Order on Reconsideration

    1. BellSouth Corporation (BellSouth), AT&T Corp. (AT&T), and Sprint 
Communications Company (Sprint) filed petitions for reconsideration 
and/or clarification of the Commission's order denying BellSouth's 
application for authority to provide in-region, interLATA services in 
the state of Louisiana pursuant to section 271 of the Communications 
Act of 1934, as amended (Act). For the reasons discussed below, we deny 
these petitions.
    2. With respect to the issues on which reconsideration is sought, 
no petitioner raises arguments that would cause us to change our 
decision to deny BellSouth's application to provide long distance 
service in the state of Louisiana. Section 271's statutory framework 
requires the Commission to evaluate complex issues arising in the 
relevant state's local telecommunications market as it transitions to 
competitive market conditions. In this context, the Commission 
frequently relies upon its specialized judgment and expertise to render 
informed decisions and predictions about market conditions. Having done 
so in this case, the Commission finds that the petitioners have not 
raised any new facts or arguments that warrant reconsideration of the 
Second BellSouth Louisiana Order. Therefore, there is no reason to 
reconsider our initial analysis.
    3. As to the range of issues for which the petitioners seek further 
guidance for future section 271 applications, we believe that we have 
provided sufficient guidance on the requirements of section 271. The 
Second BellSouth Louisiana Order followed four prior orders addressing 
section 271 applications, including a prior application by BellSouth 
for Louisiana. Each of these orders informed parties of the 
requirements of section 271. Moreover, the Commission recently approved 
Bell Atlantic's section 271 application to provide long distance 
services in New York. In the order approving that application, the 
Commission included a comprehensive recitation of the requirements for 
in-region, interLATA entry under section 271.
    4. The petitions for reconsideration and/or clarification filed in 
the captioned docket are Denied.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-18187 Filed 7-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P