VI. Prehearing Conferences

A Prehearing Conference (PHC) was held on Pacific Bell's applications before assigned Commissioner Henry M. Duque and ALJ Galvin in San Francisco on December 1, 1998. Appearances were received from Pacific Bell (Applicant), MCI Telecommunications (MCI WorldCom), AT&T Communication (AT&T-C), the California Cable Television Association (CCTA), and the Office of Ratepayer Advocates (ORA).

Pursuant to the Assigned Commissioner's November 4, 1998 Ruling Setting a Prehearing Conference and Establishing Procedures, all parties addressed the merits of consolidating Pacific Bell's applications at the PHC. These applications were consolidated at the PHC by the assigned ALJ pursuant to Rule 55 of the Commission's Rules, which provides for proceedings involving related questions of law or fact to be consolidated.