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                                                       DA 97-1392

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


In the Matter of                             )
                                        )
Applications of                              )
Centerior Telecom Company,                   )
Centerior Communications Holdings, Inc., and      )    File No. ETC-97-6
Centerior PCS Cleveland, Inc.                )
for a Determination of Exempt Telecommunications  )
Company Status Under Section 34 of the Public Utility  )
Holding Company Act of 1935, as added by          )
Section 103 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 )    

                              ORDER

     Adopted:  July 2 , 1997                 Released: July 2, 1997


By the General Counsel:


     1.   On May 22, 1997, Centerior Telecom Company (Centerior Telecom), Centerior
Communications Holdings, Inc. (Centerior Communications), and Centerior PCS Cleveland, Inc.
(Centerior PCS) (individually an "Applicant" and collectively the "Applicants") filed a
consolidated application with the Commission for a determination that each Applicant qualifies
for "exempt telecommunications company" ("ETC") status pursuant to section 34(a)(1) of the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 ("PUHCA"), as added by section 103 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996.  The Applicants' application was placed on public notice for
comment on the adequacy and accuracy of the representations contained therein on May 23,
1997.  Centerior Telecom Company, et al., Public Notice, DA No. 97-1084 (OGC rel. May 12,
1997).  No comments were filed in response to the public notice.  As explained below, each
Applicant individually satisfies the statutory criteria required for an affirmative determination of
ETC status and, therefore, the Applicants' consolidated application is granted.

     2.   Each of the Applicants represents that it is an Ohio corporation.  Centerior
Telecom and Centerior Communications are each wholly-owned subsidiaries of Centerior
Enterprises, Inc, which is in turn a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centerior Energy Corporation. 
Centerior PCS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centerior Communications.  The Applicants
further represent that each is and will continue to be engaged, directly or indirectly through one
or more "affiliates," as defined in Section 2(a)(11)(b) of PUHCA, and exclusively in the business
of providing telecommunications services, information services, other services or products
subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission, or products or services that are related or
incidental to the provision of such products or services, within the meaning of Section 34(a)(1) of
PUHCA.  The respective activities of each Applicant are discussed below.

     3.   According to the consolidated application, Centerior Telecom provides a variety
of communications services and facilities to the affiliated companies of Centerior Energy and to
outside customers.  Centerior Telecom's activities include the construction and operation of an
extensive fiber optic transmission network in northern Ohio, and the construction and
maintenance of wireless transmission facilities on property leased from Centerior Energy's utility
affiliates.  While Centerior Telecom states that its long-term plans include the provision of
network services to end-users, at present its activities focus on the provision of services and
facilities to interexchange carriers, competing access providers, and wireless communications
services providers. 

     4.   According to the consolidated application, Centerior Communications provides no
communications services to the public and has no technical operations.  Rather, Centerior
Communications participates in investment activities relating to communications companies,
advanced technology, and communications related ventures.  At present, Centerior
Communications' sole investment activity is its 100 percent equity ownership of Centerior PCS.

     5.   Centerior PCS does not directly provide communications services to the public. 
However, Centerior PCS participates as a 25 percent equity owner in AT&T Wireless PCS of
Cleveland, LLC, which is constructing a PCS network in the Cleveland, Ohio Metropolitan
Trading Area.

     6.   Based upon the representations contained in the Applicants' consolidated
application, we find that each Applicant meets the statutory requirements for a determination that
it is an exempt telecommunications company as that term is defined in PUHCA section 34(a)(1),
as amended.

     7.   Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that Applicants' consolidated application IS
GRANTED.  IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Securities and Exchange Commission
SHALL BE NOTIFIED of this determination.

                         FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION



                         William E. Kennard
                         General Counsel