Civil Action No.: 1:05CV02102 (EGS)

Civil Action No.: 1:05CV02103 (EGS)

Judge Emmitt G. Sullivan

April 17, 2006

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

)

United States of America,	)

)	Civil Action No.: 1:05CV02102 (EGS)

Plaintiff,	)

)

v.	)

)

SBC Communications, Inc. and	)

AT&T Corp.,	)

)

Defendants.	)

)

)

United States of America,	)

)	Civil Action No.: 1:05CV02103 (EGS)

Plaintiff,	)

)

v.	)

)

Verizon Communications Inc. and	)

MCI, Inc.,	)

)

Defendants.	)

)

RESPONSE OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMPTEL'S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE AN OPPOSITION TO THE UNITED STATES' MOTION FOR ENTRY OF THE FINAL JUDGMENTS

The United States does not oppose COMPTEL's Motion for Leave to File an Opposition to the United States' Motion for Entry of the Final Judgments.1 Although nothing in that Opposition warrants a conclusion that the proposed Final Judgments in these matters fail to fall within the reaches of the public interest and most of what COMPTEL argues is repetitive of its prior filings, the United States has no objection to the Court accepting COMPTEL's filing. If the Court grants COMPTEL's Motion for Leave to File an Opposition, the United States offers the attached Reply as its filing in response to the Opposition.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/

Laury E. Bobbish

Assistant Chief

/s/

Lawrence M. Frankel (D.C. Bar No. 441532)

Matthew C. Hammond

Trial Attorneys

Telecom & Media Section

Antitrust Division

U.S. Department of Justice

1401 H Street, N.W., Suite 8000

Washington, D.C. 20530

(202) 514-5621

Attorneys for the United States

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on the 17th day of April, 2006, I caused a copy of the foregoing RESPONSE OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMPTEL'S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE AN OPPOSITION TO THE UNITED STATES' MOTION FOR ENTRY OF THE FINAL JUDGMENTS with attached REPLY OF THE UNITED STATES TO COMPTEL'S OPPOSITION TO THE UNITED STATES' MOTION FOR ENTRY OF THE FINAL JUDGMENTS to be mailed, by U.S. mail, postage prepaid, to the attorneys listed below:

FOR DEFENDANT

SBC COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Wm. Randolph Smith (D.C. Bar No. 356402)

Crowell & Moring LLP

1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20004

(202) 624-2700

FOR DEFENDANT AT&T CORP.

David L. Lawson (D.C. Bar No. 434741)

Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP

1501 K Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20005

(202) 736-8088

FOR MOVANT COMPTEL

Kevin R. Sullivan (D.C. Bar No. 411718)

King & Spalding LLP

1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20006

(202) 737-0500
FOR DEFENDANT

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC.

John Thorne (D.C. Bar No. 421351)

Verizon Communications, Inc.

1515 North Courthouse Road

Arlington, Virginia 22201

(703) 351-3900

FOR DEFENDANT MCI, INC.

Paul M. Eskildsen (D.C. Bar No. 337790)

MCI, Inc.

22001 Loudoun County Parkway

Ashburn, Virginia 20147

(703) 886-4051

/s/

Matthew C. Hammond

Attorney

Telecommunications & Media Section

Antitrust Division

U.S. Department of Justice

City Center Building

1401 H Street, N.W., Suite 8000

Washington, D.C. 20530