LANSING, August 16.  The Michigan Public Service Commission
today granted RVP Fiber Company, L.L.C., Enkido, Inc., United Telecom,
Inc., B & S Telecom, Inc. and RACC Enterprises, LLC each a license to
provide basic local telephone service in Michigan.   These companies join
more than 150 companies that are currently licensed to provide basic local
telephone service in Michigan.
     The Commission approved the licenses because it determined that the
companies possess  sufficient technical, financial and managerial resources
and abilities to provide basic local telephone service to all residential and
commercial customers within the geographic area of their licenses and intend
to provide service within one year from today's order.  The Commission
concluded that competition for telephone service can be advantageous to
Michigan residents and, by granting these requests for a license, opportunities
for competition will expand.  The Commission conditioned the licenses on
compliance with the Commission's anti-slamming procedures, the number
portability provisions of the Michigan Telecommunications Act and the
Commission's number reclamation process, and failure to comply may result
in revocation of the license or other penalties.  The Commission also
conditioned the licenses upon the companies providing service to customers
within a reasonable time, indicating that failure to do so may result in
revocation of the license.  Finally, the Commission noted that any numbers
obtained by the companies are a public resource and are not owned by the
companies.  Therefore, if any of the companies fail to provide service or go
out of business, any numbers assigned to it are subject to reclamation.
     RVP and Enkido received a license to provide basic local telephone
service for all telephone exchanges currently served by Ameritech Michigan,
Verizon North Inc. and Contel of the South, Inc., d/b/a Verizon North
Systems.   Telephone exchanges are geographic boundaries that define
customer's local calling area.   RVP and Enkido applied for a license on
March 29, 2001 and April 18, 2001, respectively.
     United Telecom was granted a license to provide basic local telephone
service for all the telephone exchanges currently served by Ameritech
Michigan, Verizon North Inc., Contel of the South, Inc., d/b/a Verizon North
Systems, CenturyTel of Michigan, Inc., CenturyTel of Northern Michigan,
Inc., CenturyTel Midwest, Inc., and CenturyTel of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. 
United Telecom applied for a license on April 24,  2001.
     B & S Telecom received a license to provide basic local telephone
service in all exchanges currently served by Ameritech Michigan.  B & S
Telecom applied for a license on April 12, 2001.  
     RACC Enterprises  received a license to provide basic local telephone
service for all telephone exchanges currently served by Ameritech Michigan,
Verizon North Inc., Contel of the South, Inc. d/b/a Verizon North Systems,
CenturyTel of Michigan, Inc., CenturyTel of Northern Michigan, Inc.,
CenturyTel Midwest, Inc., and CenturyTel of the Upper Peninsula, Inc. 
RACC Enterprises applied for a license on May 8, 2001.
     These companies will be able to begin to provide basic local telephone
service once they have finalized interconnection arrangements with other
telephone service providers and have filed approved tariffs with the
Commission, reflecting the services they will offer and identifying the
telephone exchanges in which they will offer service.  Interconnection
arrangements allow the companies' customers to place calls to, and receive
them from, customers of other local telephone service providers.
      RVP, Enkido, United Telecom, B & S Telecom and RACC
Enterprises  are headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Paramus, New
Jersey, Alanson, Michigan, Lansing, Michigan and Alanson, Michigan,
respectively.
     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and
Industry Services.



Cases Nos. U-12895, U-12920, U-12928, U-12911 and U12941
August 16, 2001
(MPSC grants five competitive local telephone service provider licenses)