**Before the**

**Federal Communications Commission**

**Washington, D.C. 20554**

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| In the matter of                 | *  | WC Docket No. 02-304         |
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| BellSouth Telecommunications,    | ** |                              |
| Inc.                             |    |                              |
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| Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal    | *) |                              |
| No. 657                          | ** |                              |
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**ORDER**

**Adopted: December ­31, 2002 Released: January 2, 2003**

By the Commission:

1.  In this order we terminate the investigation of the tariff revisions
    proposed in BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. (BellSouth) Tariff
    FCC No. 1, Transmittal No. 657.

2.  On July 19, 2002, BellSouth filed Transmittal No. 657 to become
    effective August 3, 2002.[^1] In this transmittal, BellSouth sought
    to expand the deposit provisions of its interstate access tariff.
    BellSouth's existing tariff allows it to collect deposits from a
    customer with a proven history of late payment or no established
    credit. BellSouth's proposed revisions also would have allowed it to
    collect deposits from a customer, "if that existing \[c\]ustomer's
    credit worthiness decreases to a commercially significant extent as
    compared to the level of credit worthiness determined by BellSouth
    when that \[c\]ustomer's service was established."[^2] On August 2,
    2002, the Pricing Policy Division of the Wireline Competition Bureau
    suspended for five months and set for investigation BellSouth's
    proposed revisions.[^3] On September 18, 2002, the Pricing Policy
    Division designated issues for investigation of BellSouth's proposed
    revisions.[^4] BellSouth filed its Direct Case on October 10, 2002.
    On October 24, 2002 ten parties, including two groups of competitive
    local exchange carriers, AT&T, WorldCom, and Sprint, filed
    oppositions. On December 23, 2002, BellSouth withdrew the proposed
    deposit revisions.[^5] BellSouth's withdrawal renders moot the
    investigation of the proposed deposit revisions. Accordingly, we
    terminate the investigation of the revisions.

3.  ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to section 204 of the
    Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 204, the
    investigation order imposed by the Wireline Competition Bureau in WC
    Docket No. 02-304 with respect to BellSouth Telecommunications,
    Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal No. 657, IS TERMINATED.

    FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

    Marlene H. Dortch

    Secretary

[^1]: BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal
    No. 657 (July 19, 2002).

[^2]: BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal
    No. 657, Second Revised Page 2-21.1, section 2.4.1(A).

[^3]: BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal
    No. 657, Order, DA 02-1886 (WCB rel. Aug. 2, 2002).

[^4]: *BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal
    No. 657,* Order, WC Docket No. 02-304, DA 02-2318 (WCB rel. Sept.
    18, 2002).

[^5]: BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., Tariff FCC No. 1, Transmittal
    No. 687 (Dec. 23, 2002).