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*****************************************************************
                                 
                            Before the
                FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                     Washington, D.C.  20554


ATU-Long Distance, Inc.,           )
     Complainant,                  )
                              )
     v.                       )    File No. E-97-49
                              )
Alascom, Inc., d/b/a AT&T Alascom, )
     Defendant.                    )
                              )
_______________________________    )
                              )
Alaska Network Systems, Inc.,      )
     Complainant,                  )
                              )
     v.                       )    File No. E-98-01
                              )
Alascom, Inc.,                )
     Defendant.                    )
                              )
                         

                              Order

     Adopted:  December 2, 1997;   Released: December 3, 1997

     By the Acting Chief, Enforcement Division, Common Carrier Bureau:

     1.   On November 5, 1997, defendant AT&T Alascom, Inc. ("AT&T Alascom") filed a
motion to consolidate the two complaints referenced above, pursuant to Section 1.727(a) of the
Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.727(a).  Complainants ATU-Long Distance, Inc. ("ATU-LD")
and Alaska Network Systems, Inc. ("ANS") responded on November 18, 1997 that they have no
opposition to consolidation on the terms that they have reached in negotiation with defendant AT&T
Alascom.  The parties propose the following: (i) complainants shall together be limited to
propounding a total of 45 interrogatories, and defendant shall likewise be limited to propounding a
combined total of 45 interrogatories; (ii) page limits for briefing shall be as if the cases were not
consolidated; and (iii) deadlines for initiating discovery shall be those applicable to the ANS v.
AT&T Alascom (File No. E-98-01), proceeding.  Complainants' response requested that the
Commission grant defendant's motion to consolidate under the terms agreed upon by the parties.

     2.   After due consideration, we are satisfied that the public interest will be served by
granting defendant's motion to consolidate to the extent indicated herein.  Both complaints raise
predominantly identical issues.  Consolidation of the proceedings should facilitate the orderly
exchange of relevant information, and eliminate the need for duplicative discovery efforts and the
filing of substantially identical briefs.

     3.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Sections 4(i) and 4(j) of Communications
Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i), 154(j), and the authority delegated by Sections 0.91
and 0.291 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.91, 0.291, that AT&T Alascom's motion to
consolidate the above referenced proceedings IS GRANTED  to the extent stated herein.

     4.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Complainants are together limited to propounding
a total of 45 interrogatories; defendant is similarly limited to propounding a total of 45
interrogatories jointly to complainants ATU-LD and ANS.

     5.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that discovery deadlines for the consolidated
proceeding will follow the discovery deadlines applicable to the ANS v. Alascom, Inc. (File No. E-
98-01), proceeding. 

     6.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the applicable page limits in the consolidated
proceeding for complainants' joint initial and reply briefs, and defendant's initial and reply briefs will
be governed by Section 1.732(c) of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.732(c).  Complainants'
ATU-LD and ANS' joint initial brief and defendant AT&T Alascom's initial brief shall not exceed
fifty pages; the parties' reply briefs shall not exceed thirty pages.  

     7.   IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this ORDER shall be effective upon adoption.

                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 




                         Robert W. Spangler
                         Acting Chief, 
                         Enforcement Division
                         Common Carrier Bureau