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                    FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                          Common Carrier Bureau
                           Enforcement Division
            Informal Complaints and Public Inquiries Branch
                                Suite 6202
                         Washington, D.C. 20554
                          Phone: (202) 632-7553


                                                       In Reply Refer To:
January 1990                                                       63203
                                                              ICB-FS-036


              RUMORS REGARDING A COMPUTER MODEM SURCHARGE

The FCC has received letters from a number of computer modem users
expressing concern about an alleged "proposal" before the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) that would result in a surcharge for
the use of computer modems on the telephone network.

There is _no_ proposal pending before the FCC that would result in the
application of a surcharge for the use of computer modems on the
telephone network.

The FCC has been informed that various computer bulletin board systems
are encouraging computer modem users to write to the FCC and to their
congressional representatives to oppose this alleged proposal.  The FCC's
Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) staff has contacted several bulletin board
systems and requested those systems to advise their users that there is no
proposal before the FCC at this time regarding a computer modem surcharge.
Bureau staff is continuing to investigate possible sources of the surcharge
rumors and to distribute correct information to computer modem users.

                                 - FCC -
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