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This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 29, 1999 |
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Paris (202) 418-0500 |
Statement of FCC Chairman William E. Kennard Regarding
SBC/Ameritech Proposal on Market Opening Conditions to
Address April 1st Letter on Merger
The Common Carrier Bureau's merger review team has reported to me that they have completed discussions with SBC and Ameritech concerning conditions which mitigate the public interest concerns associated with their proposed merger. The staff team has indicated that they expect to recommend to the Commission that the merger should be approved with the proposed conditions, subject to review of the proposal and the comments and reply comments from interested parties.
I am encouraged by SBC and Ameritech's commitment to open their markets to competition, and their agreement to suffer stiff penalties if they do not. I look forward to working with my colleagues to closely evaluate the companies' proposal. I also look forward to receiving comments on the proposal from the public. Our paramount goal must be to hasten the day when consumers enjoy the benefits of more competition in local and long distance phone service.