BeforetheMEMORANDUMOPINIONANDORDER.doc

Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 ) Petition of U S West Communications, Inc. ) CC Docket No. 98-157 For Forbearance from Regulation as a Dominant ) Carrier in the Phoenix, Arizona MSA ) ) Petition of the SBC Companies ) CC Docket No. 98-227 For Forbearance from Regulation as a Dominant ) Carrier for High Capacity Dedicated Transport ) Services in Specified MSAs ) ) Petition of U S West Communications, Inc. ) CC Docket No. 99-1 For Forbearance from Regulation as a Dominant ) Carrier in the Seattle, Washington MSA ) ) Petition of Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies ) CC Docket No. 99-24 For Forbearance from Regulation as Dominant ) Carriers in Delaware; Maryland; Massachusetts; ) New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; ) Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; Washington, D.C.; ) Vermont; and Virginia ) ) Petition of Ameritech for Forbearance from ) CC Docket No. 99-65 Dominant Carrier Regulation of its Provision ) Of High Capacity Services in the Chicago LATA ) ) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Adopted: November 22, 1999 Released: November 22, 1999 By the Commission: INTRODUCTION On August 24, 1998, U S West Communications, Inc. (U S West) filed a petition with the Commission under Section 10 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act or the Act), seeking pricing flexibility in the form of forbearance from dominant carrier regulation in the provision of certain special access and high capacity dedicated transport services in the Phoenix, Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). After U S West filed its Phoenix forbearance petition, U S West, SBC Companies (SBC), Bell Atlantic Telephone Companies (Bell Atlantic) and Ameritech Operating Companies (Ameritech) (collectively the Regional Bell Operating Company (BOC) petitioners) filed several additional forbearance petitions pursuant to Section 10 of the Act seeking pricing flexibility in the provision of certain special access and high capa