IN BRIEF : Communications Firm Cutting Back

DSC Communications Corp. said today that it expects to take a $6-million to $8-million after-tax charge to earnings in the fourth quarter and lay off a “preponderance” of 300 employees in California under its consolidation plan.

The $300-million telecommunications company, which manufactures digital switching, transmission and private network systems products, said the consolidation will begin early this year.

The company said it plans to combine its public network and business network systems into a single group, network products. It will also discontinue its North American Standard transmultiplexer business, where many of the layoffs will take place, spokesman Terry Adams said.

He said some of those employees will be transferred to Dallas but “the preponderance will be eliminated.” He said the positions affected by the cuts are in the Santa Clara and San Jose areas.

He said the California operations currently employ between 700 to 900 people out of the company’s total work force of about 3,000.