Government Seeks Delay in Ruling

The government joined telecommunications companies AT&T;, MCI and Sprint in requesting a delay in implementing a federal judge’s order that struck down key portions of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Meanwhile, the judge included Bell Atlantic in a ruling that allowed two others to offer long-distance telephone service. The Justice Department asked U.S. District Judge Joe Kendall of Wichita Falls, Texas, to stay his Dec. 31 decision until an appeal is heard to avoid “considerable disruption” to the telecommunications market. Kendall had ruled that the law discriminates against at least two Bells--SBC Communications and US West--because it does not apply to other local phone companies.