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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  April  5,  2002  Martha  Contee  at  (202)  418-  0263 
 FCC  CHAIRMAN  POWELL  DESIGNATES  COMMISSIONER  KEVIN  J.  MARTIN  TO  CHAIR  THE  FEDERAL-  STATE  JOINT  CONFERENCE  ON  ADVANCED 
 TELECOMMUNICATIONS  SERVICES 
 Washington,  D.  C.  –  Federal  Communications  Commission  Chairman  Michael  K.  Powell  today  announced  the  designation  of  Kevin  J.  Martin,  Commissioner  of  the  FCC,  to  serve  as  Chair 


 of  the  Federal–  State  Joint  Conference  on  Advanced  Telecommunications  Services  (Joint  Conference). 


 The  Joint  Conference  was  convened  by  the  FCC  in  1999  to  further  the  vision  of  Section  706  of  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996.  Patterned  on  a  resolution  by  the  National 
 Association  of  Regulatory  Utility  Commissioners,  the  Joint  Conference  joins  federal  and  state  forces  to  encourage  the  deployment  of  advanced  telecommunications  services  to  all  Americans. 


 The  Joint  Conference  is  comprised  of  five  state  and  four  federal  commissioners,  and  one  ex-  officio  state  commissioner.  In  addition  to  Chairman  Powell  and  Commissioner  Martin, 
 members  of  the  Joint  Conference  are  Kathleen  Q.  Abernathy,  FCC  Commissioner;  Michael  J.  Copps,  FCC  Commissioner;  Lila  Jaber,  Chair  of  the  Florida  Public  Service  Commission; 
 G.  Nanette  Thompson,  Chair  of  the  Regulatory  Commission  of  Alaska;  Jo  Anne  Sanford,  Chair  of  the  North  Carolina  Utilities  Commission;  Irma  Muse  Dixon,  Commissioner  of  the  Louisiana 
 Public  Service  Commission;  Brett  Perlman,  Commissioner  of  the  Public  Utility  Commission  of  Texas;  and  Bob  Rowe,  Commissioner  of  the  Montana  Public  Service  Commission  (ex  officio 
 member). 


 Further  information  about  the  Joint  Conference  can  be  found  on  its  web  site:  www.  fcc.  gov/  jointconference. 


 --  FCC  -- 
 FCC  Contact:  Dr.  Emily  Hoffnar,  (202)  418-  7396  or  ehoffnar@  fcc.  gov. 
 CC  Docket  No.  99-  294 
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