DS 98-185
                                   
                            Bell Atlantic
                                   
            Revisions to Tariff NHPUC-No. 77 to Introduce
                        "Weekend Choice" Plan
                                   
                Order Granting Confidential Treatment
                                   
                       O R D E R   N O.  23,057
                                   
                           November 2, 1998
                                 
         On October 15, 1998, New England Telephone and
Telegraph Company, d/b/a Bell Atlantic (Bell Atlantic), filed
with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (Commission),
certain revised tariff pages for effect November 14, 1998.  The
filing introduces a new optional residential calling plan to be
called "Weekend Choice".  Subscribers to Weekend Choice may make
unlimited intraLATA calls on the weekend at no charge and will be
billed $0.15 per minute on all weekday calls. 
         On the same date, Bell Atlantic filed a Motion for
Protective Order seeking to exempt from disclosure portions of
the Weekend Choice support information (the Information),
pursuant to RSA 91-A and N.H. Admin. Rule Puc 204.06.  Bell
Atlantic filed the Information in redacted form as well as full,
unredacted copies.  Pursuant to Puc 204.05(b), documents
submitted to the Commission or Commission Staff accompanied by a
motion for confidentiality shall be protected as provided in
204.06(d) until the Commission rules on the Motion for
Confidential Treatment.
         In its motion, Bell Atlantic avers that the Information
contains competitively sensitive data that falls within the
"confidential, commercial or financial information" exemptions
from disclosure set forth in RSA 91-A:5,IV and N.H. Admin. Rules,
Puc 204.06, including competitively sensitive data such as
targeted market demand forecasts and revenue projections.  Bell
Atlantic also avers that the Information is not readily available
to competitors, and would be of value to competitors in
developing competitive marketing strategies.  Bell Atlantic
states that this information is regularly protected from
disclosure or dissemination in the Company's ordinary course of
business. 
         The Information provides revenue and demand forecasts
at specific price points for specific market segments and was
developed at significant expense and effort. By affidavit, a Bell
Atlantic Product Manager, Robert Perry, attests that the
representations of fact regarding the Information contained in
the Motion are true and accurate.
         The Motion states that neither the Commission Staff nor
the Office of Consumer Advocate take a position with regard to
this Motion.

         We find that the Information contained in the filing
meets the requirements of N.H. Admin. Rule Puc 204.06 (b) and
(c).  Based on the company's representations, under the balancing
test we have applied in prior cases, See e.g., Re New England
Telephone Company (Auditel), 80 NHPUC 437 (1995); Re Bell
Atlantic, Order No. 22,851 (February 17, 1998); Re EnergyNorth
Natural Gas, Inc., Order No. 22,859 (February 24, 1998), we find
that the benefits to Bell Atlantic of non-disclosure in this case
outweigh the benefits to the public of disclosure.  The
Information should be exempt from public disclosure pursuant to
RSA 91-A:5,IV and N.H. Admin. Rule 204.06.   
         Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
         ORDERED, New England Telephone and Telegraph Company,
d/b/a Bell Atlantic Motion for Protective Order is GRANTED; and
it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that this Order is subject to the
ongoing rights of the Commission, on its own motion or on the
motion of Staff, any party or any other member of the public, to
reconsider this Order in light of RSA 91-A, should circumstances
so warrant.

         By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this second day of November, 1998.


                                                                          
               Douglas L. Patch     Susan S. Geiger        Nancy Brockway
                   Chairman            Commissioner         Commissioner


Attested by:


                                 
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary