Bell Atlantic has joined the ranks of regional Bell operating companies filing to enter the lucrative $80bn US long distance telecoms market. The company yesterday filed its application with the New York Public Services Commission saying it was confident of success. So far BellSouth Corp, Ameritech Corp and SBC Communications Corp have all had applications rejected either by the relevant local PSC or the FCC, which has the ultimate say on the licensing. Bell Atlantic says it is confident that it has taken the steps needed to gain a long distance license under the Telecommunications Act 1996 by opening up its local telephone market. The company says it has signed 33 interconnection agreements with competitive providers in New York and has sold more than 108,000 lines wholesale to competitors to resell businesses and consumers. According to the company, it could begin offering long distance service in New York by mid-1998, after gaining regulatory approval. By then it says it would have spent around $1bn in part of its effort to its gain entrance to the long-distance market. In support of its bid the company offered an independent auditors report saying that the companies network was ready to handle six times its current average daily traffic load. Yesterday’s filing follows an initial filing made in February, which was responded to in July by an administrative law judge who identified various areas that needed to be addressed. Bell Atlantic said the current filing incorporates those measures. Bell Atlantic is asking the New York PSC to endorse the application by confirming that the company has it met the 14 point competitive checklist outlined in the FCC’s license regulations. á
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