Press Release Wednesday, October 6, 1999	Contact: David Butler, (202) 462-6262 Consumers Union Washington, DC Office

Gene Kimmelman, co-director of Consumers Union in Washington, DC, made the following statement today in response to the Federal Communications Commission's approval of the merger of SBC Communications Inc. and Ameritech.

"This is an enormous disappointment. It's embarrassing that the chairman of the FCC is surrendering to the monopolies like this. These so-called 'conditions' that the FCC is imposing cannot undo the problems that this will cause. Adding one monopoly to a second monopoly only gives you a bigger monopoly. It does not mean more choices or lower prices for consumers."

Consumers Union, Publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is an independent nonprofit testing, educational and information organization serving only the consumers. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public and protect consumers.