February 15, 2002 -- BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) asked the Federal Communications Commission to allow the company to offer long distance service to its customers in Louisiana and Georgia.

The petition renews a request that was withdrawn by BellSouth on December 20, 2001 so that additional and more current information requested by the Commission could be gathered and presented. BellSouth asked that the record of the previous filing be incorporated to streamline the re-application process. The new application concentrates on five issues identified by the Commission and provides the proof required to demonstrate that BellSouth has met the legal requirements for entering the long distance market.

BellSouth's application includes evidence of upgrades to BellSouth's operational support systems as well as letters from third parties affirming that they have been able to integrate BellSouth's pre-ordering and ordering systems. Affidavits and statistical analysis also attest to improvements in service order accuracy, enhanced stability of BellSouth's performance data, information regarding how BellSouth coordinates changes to its operating support systems with its competitors and other steps taken by BellSouth to comply with the requirements of Section 271 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

"We believe the information we are providing with this filing should give the FCC the additional information that it requested in these key areas," said Margaret Greene, BellSouth President - Regulatory and External Affairs.

State regulators in both states earlier endorsed BellSouth's application. The FCC has 90 days to make its determination. The Department of Justice has an opportunity to comment on the application no later than 35 days into the cycle.

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