The blame game, Computer snafu pits AT&T against Ameritech >BY Sandra Guy, News Editor

Fingers were pointing in every direction after Ameritech and AT&T experienced a computer mix-up that rejected 150,000 Illinois residents' requests to be switched to AT&T for their local and long-distance services.

AT&T started offering local service April 7 under terms approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. The interexchange carrier advertised free calls of 15 miles or more for three months-August, September and October-and garnered 400,000 switchover customers.

But from Aug. 6 to Sept. 3, Ameritech's computers rejected the electronic files that AT&T sent to accomplish the customer changes.

AT&T says it doesn't know what went wrong but maintains that the local exchange carrier should have told it when the problem started. Ameritech says AT&T changed its system of sending the data files without notifying anyone.

AT&T has filed an informal complaint with the ICC, asking the commission to appoint an independent body to audit the situation. "If there are any costs to the customers, we want them to be made whole," an AT&T spokesman said.

The request, responds an Ameritech spokesman, "is an attempt to deflect the blame."