For Immediate Release Contact: Patrick K. Petree Reference: Cause No. RM 980000004

Corporation Commission Hosts Roundtable To Jump Start Local Phone Competition

Oklahoma City- The Oklahoma Corporation Commission will host a roundtable on Friday, March 13 to discuss the status of competition in the local telephone exchange market in Oklahoma and what, if any, steps need to be taken to improve or encourage competition.

As a result of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, the legal barriers that prevented consumers from selecting a local exchange company other than the existing provider were removed. The Corporation Commission enacted Oklahoma specific rules to facilitate local competition in March 1996.

Despite these efforts and the approval of numerous interconnection agreements between existing telecommunications providers and prospective competitors, the goals and promises of local competition have not been realized.

The Notice of Inquiry (NOI), which is the official docket of this roundtable, contains 32 questions regarding the status of local competition. The Commission invited all interested parties to submit comments on or before March 10, 1998. All comments will be available for public inspection during regular business hours at the Court Clerk's Office of the Commission, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The roundtable will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 301, Third Floor, Jim Thorpe Building, 2101 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Time has been set aside at the roundtable for the public to make comments.

Questions concerning the Notice of Inquiry should be directed to Cece Coleman, Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Council, P.O. Box 52000-2000, OKC, OK 73152-2000, Phone (405) 521-4103, or C.Coleman@occemail.com, or to Steve Wilt, Coordinator, Public Utility Division, P.O. Box 52000-2000, OKC, OK 73105-2000, Phone (405) 522-3350, or S.Wilt@occemail.com