DS 98-185
                                   
                            Bell Atlantic
                                   
            Revisions to Tariff NHPUC-No. 77 to Introduce
                        "Weekend Choice" Plan
                                   
            Order Extending the Time for Review by 30 Days
                                   
                       O R D E R   N O.  23,065
                                   
                          November 13, 1998
                                   
         On October 15, 1998, New England Telephone and
Telegraph Company, d/b/a Bell Atlantic (Bell Atlantic), filed a
petition with the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission
(Commission) requesting authority to revise certain tariff pages
for effect November 14, 1998.  The petition introduces a new
optional residential intraLATA toll calling plan called "Weekend
Choice".  Subscribers of 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.  The minimum monthly
charge per subscriber line will be $5.95.  There is no service
establishment or subscription charge for this service.  Weekend
Choice is available only to residential customers who utilize
Bell Atlantic as their local and intraLATA toll service provider. 
         Along with the petition, Bell Atlantic provided
documents asserting forecasted average revenues per minute of
usage (ARPM) will exceed the cost of relevant access, a
requirement pursuant to Order No. 20,916 in docket DE 90-002.
Based on the formula prescribed by Order No. 20,916, the current
cost of relevant access is $.0775 per minute. 
         Bell Atlantic's filing anticipates that customers
migrating from message telecommunication service or 603
CallAround to Weekend Choice will double the amount of their
current conversation minutes during Weekend days.  These are
minutes of usage that will not be rated as Weekend Choice
customers.  Based on their analysis of demand characteristics,
the Company believes ARPM generated by Weekend Choice customers
will exceed the relevant cost of access.
         Staff has reviewed the petition and recommends that the
Commission extend the time for review.  In Staff's opinion, the
documents attached to the Company's filing do not adequately
support ARPM projections.  On November 3, 1998, Staff made a
request to the Company for supplemental information that would
provide greater detail in support of this petition.  Staff has
not yet received all the information requested.  Staff is
concerned that ARPM projections will decrease due to greater
increases in weekend calling than anticipated by Bell Atlantic. 
A greater increase in the demand for Weekend calling, and thus
lower ARPM, will result in the cost of access exceeding ARPM.
         We have reviewed the petition and Staff's
recommendation.  Because the Company has not provided sufficient
information in support of projected ARPM, we will extend the time
for review of this petition for 30 days pursuant to RSA 378:6,
IV, and order Bell Atlantic to provide the information necessary
to insure that ARPM generated by the Weekend Choice service
exceed the relevant cost of access pursuant to Order No. 20,916.
         Based upon the foregoing, it is hereby
         ORDERED,that pursuant to RSA 378:6, IV the time for
review of this petition is extended for 30 days; and it is
         FURTHER ORDERED, that Bell Atlantic file information
necessary to insure that ARPM for Weekend Choice service exceed
the relevant cost of access.
         By order of the Public Utilities Commission of New
Hampshire this thirteenth day of November, 1998.

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


Attested by:


                                 
Thomas B. Getz
Executive Director and Secretary