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                                Before the
                     Federal Communications Commission
                          Washington, D.C. 20554


In the Matter of                       )
                                       )
Amendment of Part 0 of the             )
Commission's Rules to Reflect the      )
Elimination of the Competition Division)
                                       

                                     
                                   ORDER


Adopted:  June 23, 1998;                           Released:  June 29, 1998


By the Commission:

     1.  In this Order, the Commission eliminates the Competition Division of the Office of
General Counsel.  We conclude that this action, and reassignment of the personnel involved,
will make more effective and efficient use of the Commission's scarce resources. 

     2.  The implementation of this decision requires amendment of Part 0 of the
Commission's Rules and Regulations.  This Order makes the necessary revisions and other
minor editorial changes in Part 0 of the Commission's Rules.  To ensure continuity in the
dispatch of the duties and functions performed by the Competition Division, certain
responsibilities and delegations of authority are being reassigned.  In particular, 47 C.F.R.
  0.21 and 0.41 are amended by revising the duties and responsibilities of the Office of
General Counsel by eliminating paragraph (g) of section 0.41 and by transferring from the
Office of General Counsel to the Office of Plans and Policy the responsibility to help ensure
that FCC policy encourages and promotes competitive market structures by providing bureaus
and offices with the necessary support to identify, evaluate, and effectively and consistently
resolve competitiveness issues.  

       3.  The General Counsel currently has delegated authority, pursuant to 47 C.F.R.
 0.251(g), to act upon any application for a determination of exempt telecommunications
company status filed pursuant to section 34(a)(1) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act
of 1935, as amended by section 103 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.  The
Commission has concluded that the effective and efficient dispatch of these duties and
responsibilities is best ensured by delegating such authority to the Common Carrier Bureau.  

       4.  The amendments adopted herein pertain to agency organization.  The notice and
comment and effective date provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C.  553,
are therefore inapplicable.  Authority for the amendments adopted herein is contained in
Sections 4(i), 5(b) and 5(c) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 C.F.R.
 154(i), 155(b) and 155(c). 

       5.  ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED that Part 0 of the Rules and Regulations ARE
AMENDED as set forth in the Appendix, effective upon publication in the Federal Register.



                                             FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


                                             Magalie Roman Salas
                                             Secretary

                                FINAL RULES

       Part 0 of Chapter 1 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as
follows:

       PART 0 - COMMISSION ORGANIZATION

1.     Section 0.21 pertaining to the functions of the Office of Plans and Policy is amended
by adding a new paragraph (j) to read as follows:

       Section 0.21  Functions of the Office.

                               *  *  *  *  *

       (j)  To help ensure that FCC policy encourages and promotes competitive
       market structures by providing bureaus and offices with the necessary support
       to identify, evaluate, and effectively and consistently resolve competitiveness
       issues.


2.     Section 0.41 pertaining to the functions of the Office of General Counsel is amended
by removing paragraph (g) and redesignating paragraphs (h) through (o) as (g) through (n).  


3.     Section 0.251 pertaining to delegations of authority to the General Counsel is amended
by removing paragraph (g) and redesignating paragraphs (h) and (i) as (g) and (h).


4.     A new Section 0.304 pertaining to a delegation of authority to the Chief, Common
Carrier Bureau is added to read as follows:

       Section 0.304  Authority for determinations of exempt telecommunications
       company status.

       Authority is delegated to the Chief, Common Carrier Bureau to act upon any
       application for a determination of exempt telecommunications company status
       filed pursuant to section 34(a)(1) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of
       1935, as amended by section 103 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.