NEWSReport No. DC 96-47    ACTION IN DOCKET CASE               May 31, 1996

       COMPREHENSIVE MONITORING REPORT ON TELEPHONE SERVICE RELEASED
                          (CC DOCKET NO. 87-339)

 The staff of the Federal-State Joint Board on separations has released the eighteenth in
a series of reports which are intended to help telecommunications policymakers and the general
public monitor the impact of decisions adopted by the FCC in 1987.

 In these decisions, the Commission adopted the recommendations of the Federal-State
Joint Board in CC Docket No. 80-286 to increase subscriber line charges, expand the federal
lifeline assistance program, retarget the formula for high cost assistance, and modify the common
line pooling system.  Since 1992, the Monitoring Report has been used to monitor the effect of
the above-mentioned decisions, and to report on carriers' revenues, expenses, investments,
infrastructure, new services, and rates for interstate toll usage.

 The Report released today presents current data in each of the eight subject categories
selected for monitoring:  1)  subscribership and penetration levels;  2)  lifeline assistance plans; 
3)  high cost assistance;  4)  network usage and growth;  5)  rates;  6)  revenues, expenses and
investment;  7)  pooling;  and  8)  infrastructure and new services.

 A copy of the Report is available for inspection in the Common Carrier Bureau reference
room, 1919 M Street, NW, Room 509.  The text and tables of the Report can be downloaded
from the FCC-State Link computer bulletin board [file names: MON9605A.ZIP,
MON9605B.ZIP, etc.] by calling (202) 418-0241 with a computer modem.  The FCC-State Link
can also be reached using a gateway feature available through FedWorld, which can be reached
via direct dial access at (703) 321-3339, via internet telnet access (fedworld.gov), or via the
World Wide Web (http://www.fedworld.gov).

 Copies of the Report are available for purchase from the Commission's duplicating
contractor, International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS) at (202) 857-3800.

 For further information contact  Alexander Belinfante at (202) 418-0944.

                                   -FCC-