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     As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 1996.

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-A

               FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN CLASSES OF SECURITIES
                    PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE
                        SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

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                         DSC COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



               DELAWARE                                    54-1025763
(State of incorporation or organization)       (IRS Employer Identification No.)

             1000 COIT ROAD
              PLANO, TEXAS                                  75075
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)



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Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of each class                               Name of each exchange on which
to be so registered                               each class is to be registered
- -------------------                               ------------------------------



                                      None
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Securities to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

                        PREFERRED SHARE PURCHASE RIGHTS
                                (Title of Class)


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Item 1.  Description of Registrant's Securities to be Registered.

    On April 25, 1996, the Board of Directors of DSC Communications Corporation
(the "Company") declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a
"Right") for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $.01 per share,
of the Company (the "Common Stock").  The dividend is payable on May 22, 1996
(the "Record Date") to the stockholders of record on that date.  Each Right
entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth
of a share of Series B Junior Participating Preferred Stock, par value $1.00
per share, of the Company (the "Preferred Stock") at a price of $175.00 per one
one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock (the "Purchase Price"), subject to
adjustment.  The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement dated as of April 25, 1996 (the "Rights Agreement"), between the
Company and KeyCorp Shareholder Services, Inc., as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agent").

    Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 days following a public announcement
that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (with certain
exceptions, an "Acquiring Person") has acquired beneficial ownership of 15% or
more of the outstanding shares of Common Stock or (ii) 10 business days (or
such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior
to such time as any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring
Person) following the commencement of, or announcement of an intention to make,
a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the
beneficial ownership by a person or group of 15% or more of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the
"Distribution Date"), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the
Common Stock certificates outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common
Stock certificate together with a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase
Shares of Preferred Stock of DSC Communications Corporation (the "Summary of
Rights") that will be mailed to the holders of such stock as of the Record
Date.

    The Rights Agreement provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier
expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only with
the Common Stock.  Until the Distribution Date (or earlier expiration of the
Rights), new Common Stock certificates issued after the Record Date upon
transfer or new issuances of Common Stock will contain a notation incorporating
the Rights Agreement by reference.  Until the Distribution Date (or earlier
expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for
shares of Common Stock outstanding as of the Record Date, even without such
notation or a copy of the Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer
of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented by such
certificate.  As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate
certificates evidencing the Rights ("Right Certificates") will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the
Rights.

    The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date.  The Rights
will expire on April 25, 2006 (the "Final Expiration Date"), unless the Final
Expiration Date is advanced or extended or unless the Rights are earlier
redeemed or exchanged by the Company, in each case as described below.

    The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred Stock or
other securities or property issuable, upon exercise of the Rights is subject
to adjustment from time to time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock
dividend on, or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the
Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of
certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a
price, or securities convertible into Preferred Stock with a conversion price,
less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon
the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness
or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in
Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).

    The number of outstanding Rights is also subject to adjustment in the event
of a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock or
subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in
any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.





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    Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not
be redeemable.  Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled, when, as and if
declared, to a minimum preferential quarterly dividend payment of $10.00 per
share but will be entitled to an aggregate dividend of 1,000 times the dividend
declared per share of Common Stock.  In the event of liquidation, dissolution
or winding up of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Stock will be
entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of $1,000.00 per share
(plus any accrued but unpaid dividends) but will be entitled to an aggregate
payment of 1,000 times the payment made per share of Common Stock.  Each share
of Preferred Stock will have 1,000 votes, voting together with the Common
Stock.  Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction
in which outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, each
share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 1,000 times the amount
received per share of Common Stock.  These rights are protected by customary
antidilution provisions.

    Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock's dividend, liquidation and
voting rights, the value of the one one-thousandth interest in a share of
Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the
value of one share of Common Stock.

    In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated persons
becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights
beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void),
will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right that number
of shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times the exercise price
of the Right.

    In the event that, after a person or group has become an Acquiring Person,
the Company is acquired in a merger or other business combination transaction
or 50% or more of its consolidated assets or earning power are sold, proper
provisions will be made so that each holder of a Right (other than Rights
beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person which will have become void) will
thereafter have the right to receive upon the exercise of a Right that number
of shares of common stock of the person with whom the Company has engaged in
the foregoing transaction (or its parent) which at the time of such transaction
have a market value of two times the exercise price of the Right.

    At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior
to the earlier of one of the events described in the previous paragraph or the
acquisition by such Acquiring Person of 50% or more of the outstanding shares
of Common Stock, the Board of Directors of the Company may exchange the Rights
(other than Rights owned by such Acquiring Person which will have become void),
in whole or in part, for shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock (or a series
of the Company's preferred stock having equivalent rights, preferences and
privileges), at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or a fractional
share of Preferred Stock (or other preferred stock) equivalent in value
thereto, per Right.

    With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be
required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in
such Purchase Price.  No fractional shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock
will be issued (other than fractions of Preferred Stock which are integral
multiples of one one-thousandth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at
the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), and in lieu
thereof an adjustment in cash will be made based on the current market price of
the Preferred Stock or the Common Stock.

    At any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the Board
of Directors of the Company may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at
a price of $.01 per Right (the "Redemption Price").  The redemption of the
Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such
conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish.
Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights
will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive
the Redemption Price.

    For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, except with
respect to the redemption price, amend the Rights Agreement in any manner.
After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, except with respect
to the redemption price, amend the Rights Agreement in any manner that does not
adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.





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    Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, the holder thereof, as such, will
have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, without limitation,
the right to vote or to receive dividends.

    As of April 30, 1996, there were 116,029,799 shares of Common Stock
outstanding and 4,988,958 shares in the Company's treasury.  As of April 30,
1996, there were 14,667,352 shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance
under employee benefit plans.  Each outstanding share of Common Stock on May
22, 1996 will receive one Right.  The Company will issue one Right (subject to
adjustment) for each share of Common Stock issued between the Record Date and
the Distribution Date so that all such shares will have attached Rights.
500,000 shares of Preferred Stock will initially be reserved for issuance upon
exercise of the Rights.

    The Rights have certain anti-takeover effects.  The Rights will cause
substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company
in certain circumstances.  Accordingly, the existence of the Rights may deter
certain acquirors from making takeover proposals or tender offers.  The Rights
should not interfere with any merger or other business combination approved by
the Board of Directors of the Company since the Board of Directors may, at its
option, at any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, redeem
all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at $.01 per Right.

    The form of Rights Agreement between the Company and the Rights Agent
specifying the terms of the Rights, which includes as Exhibit B thereto the
form of Right Certificate, is attached hereto as Exhibit 1 and is incorporated
herein by reference.  The foregoing description of the Rights does not purport
to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of
Rights Agreement (and the exhibits thereto) attached hereto.





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Item 2.  Exhibits.



         Exhibit No.      Description of Exhibit
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            1.            Form of Rights Agreement dated as of April 25, 1996 
                          between the Company and KeyCorp Shareholder Services,
                          Inc., as Rights Agent, which includes as Exhibit A
                          the Form of Certificate of Designations of    Series
                          B Junior Participating Preferred Stock of DSC
                          Communications Corporation, as Exhibit B the Form of
                          Right Certificate, and as Exhibit C the Summary of
                          Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred Stock of DSC
                          Communications Corporation (incorporated by reference
                          from Exhibit 4 to the Company's Current Report on
                          Form  8-K dated April 25, 1996). 


    Pursuant to the requirements of Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.



                                             DSC COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION


Date:    May 9, 1996                         By:/s/ George B. Brunt  
                                                ---------------------------
                                                George B. Brunt
                                                Vice President, Secretary 
                                                and General Counsel





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                                 EXHIBIT INDEX



         Exhibit No.      Description of Exhibit
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            1.            Form of Rights Agreement dated as of April 25,1996 
                          between the Company and KeyCorp Shareholder Services,
                          Inc., as Rights Agent, which includes as Exhibit A
                          the Form of Certificate of Designations of Series B
                          Junior Participating Preferred Stock of DSC   
                          Communications Corporation, as Exhibit B the Form of  
                          Right Certificate, and as Exhibit C the Summary of
                          Rights to Purchase Shares of Preferred Stock of DSC
                          Communications Corporation (incorporated by reference
                          from Exhibit 4 to the Company's Current Report on
                          Form 8-K dated April 25, 1996).





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