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EXHIBIT 12
WILLIAMS COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, INC.
COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
(Dollars in thousands)
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Six Months Ended June 30, Year Ended December 31,
------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
2000 1999 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995
--------- ---------- -------- --------- --------- --------- ----------
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Earnings:
Income (loss) before income taxes
and cumulative effect of change
in accounting principle $ 4,182 $(153,931) $(367,472) $(190,826) $ (28,005) $ (3,146) $ 6,763
Add:
Interest expense-net 95,905 20,235 97,212 7,468 933 17,367 13,999
Rental expense representative
of interest factor 72,973 32,408 96,786 44,590 28,120 18,786 1,784
Minority interest income (loss)
of consolidated subsidiaries (25,327) (11,272) (31,503) (15,645) 13,506 -- --
Equity losses 7,155 18,682 36,440 7,908 2,383 1,601 72
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Total earnings (loss) as adjusted plus
fixed charges $ 154,888 $ (93,878) $(168,537) $(146,505) $ 16,937 $ 34,608 $ 22,618
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
Fixed charges:
Interest expense-net $ 95,905 $ 20,235 $ 97,212 $ 7,468 $ 933 $ 17,367 $ 13,999
Capitalized interest 64,741 8,798 39,518 11,182 7,781 -- --
Rental expense representative
of interest factor 72,973 32,408 96,786 44,590 28,120 18,786 1,784
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
Total fixed charges $ 233,619 $ 61,441 $ 233,516 $ 63,240 $ 36,834 $ 36,153 $ 15,783
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) (a) 1.43
========= ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
</TABLE>
(a) Earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges by $78,731,000,
$155,319,000, $402,053,000, $209,745,000, $19,897,000, and $1,545,000
for the six months ended June 30, 2000 and 1999 (unaudited) and the
years ended 1999, 1998, 1997, and 1996, respectively.
