September 9, 1999

               FCC RELEASES FIBER DEPLOYMENT UPDATE


The FCC has released a report entitled Fiber Deployment Update - End of Year 1998. 
This report presents fiber deployment data and associated information for interexchange
carriers, incumbent local telephone companies, and competitive providers of exchange
access or local exchange service who have constructed their own fiber facilities.

Current estimates indicate that interexchange carrier fiber miles of fiber in place
increased by more than 30% in 1998.  For entities providing long haul fiber mileage
data over 3.6 million fiber miles have been installed.  Incumbent local telephone
companies reported more than 16 million fiber miles in place at the end of 1998.  Of
that amount, the Bell companies reported about 13.8 million fiber miles -- an increase
of about 13%.  Competitive providers of local telephone services who are included in
this year's study had in place about 3 million fiber miles by the end of 1998.

The report presents additional data, such as fiber investment and lit fiber, to the extent
such information is available.  For the largest incumbent local telephone companies, the
report also includes limited information on the use of fiber and copper in the plant
associated with subscriber loops.

This report is available for reference in the FCC's Information Center at 445 12th
Street, S.W.,  Courtyard Level.  Copies may be purchased by calling International
Transcription Services,  Inc. at (202) 857-3800.  The report can also be downloaded
from the FCC-State Link internet site maintained by the Common Carrier Bureau
(http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/stats --Infrastructure web page, file names:  FIBER98.ZIP and
FIBER98.PDF).  For additional information, contact Jonathan Kraushaar of the
Common Carrier Bureau's Industry Analysis Division (202) 418-0940, or for users of
TTY equipment, call (202) 418-0484. 

                               -FCC-