<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
        This schedule  contains  summary  financial  information  extracted from
        Electric  Lightwave,  Inc.'s Consolidated  Financial  Statements for the
        period  ended  March 31, 2000 and is  qualified  in its entirety by
        reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
<CURRENCY>                                     US Dollars

                                            
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                  3-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              Dec-31-2000
<PERIOD-START>                                 Jan-01-2000
<PERIOD-END>                                   Mar-31-2000
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                1
<CASH>                                         25,990
<SECURITIES>                                   0
<RECEIVABLES>                                  28,896
<ALLOWANCES>                                   0
<INVENTORY>                                    0
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                               63,941
<PP&E>                                         824,671
<DEPRECIATION>                                 88,614
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 809,026
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                          123,862
<BONDS>                                        682,243
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          0
<PREFERRED>                                    0
<COMMON>                                       504
<OTHER-SE>                                     (14,039)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                   809,026
<SALES>                                        0
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                               56,778
<CGS>                                          0
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                  20,696
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                               11,575
<LOSS-PROVISION>                               0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                             15,196
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                (34,904)
<INCOME-TAX>                                   235
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                            (35,139)
<DISCONTINUED>                                 0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                0
<CHANGES>                                      0
<NET-INCOME>                                   (35,139)
<EPS-BASIC>                                    (.70)
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  (.70)