III. Conclusion

While we regret BBOC's need to withdraw from service in California, we recognize that our rules for competitive carriers provide the flexibility for such action, subject to proper measures to notify customers in advance and to assist them in transferring smoothly to another carrier. BBOC customers will be assured of continued service provisioned through the ILEC as "carrier of last resort" if the customers have not chosen another carrier on their own.

We will, therefore, grant the application of BBOC to withdraw from providing local exchange service and long distance service subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. We will require BBOC to send a notice within ten days of this order to all of its current customers. The notice shall explain that the Commission has approved the withdrawal and that if the customer does not choose a new service provider within ten days, the customer will be transferred to the ILEC.

2. Customers shall be given a minimum of ten days from the date of this notification to terminate their service and to find another carrier.

3. At the end of the 10-day notice period, we will require BBOC to transfer to the underlying ILEC any customers that do not choose another provider, subject to the ILECs' existing rights of termination after proper notice.

4. BBOC shall send confirmation to the assigned ALJ certifying that the final notice has been sent as directed and that any remaining customers have been transferred to the underlying ILEC.

On the condition that BBOC complies with proper notice requirements and the other terms specified in this decision, we will authorize BBOC to withdraw from offering local exchange service, intraLATA and interLATA service in California.