[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 27, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28652-28653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13762]
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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 1
[CC Docket No. 92-237, DA 97-1055]
The North American Numbering Council (NANC) Issues
Recommendations on the North American Numbering Plan Administrator,
Billing and Collection Agent, and Related Rules; Pleading Cycle
Established
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: On May 19, 1997, the Commission released a public notice
announcing the North American Numbering Council's (NANC) recommendation
for a North American Numbering Plan Administrator, Billing and
Collection Agent, and related rules filed with the Commission on May
15, 1997. The intended effect of this action is to make the public
aware that the FCC is seeking comments on the NANC's recommendation.
DATES: Comments are due by June 20, 1997 and reply comments by July 3,
1997.
ADDRESSES: Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission,
1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marian Gordon or Scott Shefferman,
Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-2320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Released: May 19, 1997
1. In a Report and Order released on July 13, 1995 in the above-
referenced
[[Page 28653]]
docket (Number Administration Order), the Federal Communications
Commission (Commission) established the North American Numbering
Council (NANC) pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C., App. 2 (FACA). The Number Administration Order directed the
NANC, among other things, to recommend to the Commission and to other
member countries of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) a neutral
entity to serve as NANP Administrator and an appropriate mechanism for
recovering the costs of NANP administration in the United States. The
membership of NANC, which includes thirty-two voting members and four
special non-voting members, was selected to represent all viewpoints
regarding numbering administration. The Commission's charge that the
NANC recommend an impartial NANP Administrator is consistent with
Congress's directive in Section 251(e)(1) of the Communications Act of
1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, that an
impartial numbering administrator be named to make telecommunications
numbering available on an equitable basis.
2. On May 15, 1997, the Commission received the NANC's
Recommendation on the NANP Administrator and Billing and Collection
Agent (Recommendation). Earlier, the NANC had received proposals in
response to its Requirements Document that set forth the qualities and
attributes of the NANPA and Billing and Collection Agent and the
functions that each would be expected to perform.1 Bell
Communications Research (Bellcore), the Center for Communications
Management Information (CCMI), Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed),
and Mitretek Systems (Mitretek) responded with proposals to serve as
NANPA. Proposals to serve as Billing and Collection Agent were received
from CCMI, Lockheed, and the National Exchange Carriers Association
(NECA).
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\1\ The Requirements Document is filed in CC Docket No. 92-237
and is available for inspection and copying in the Commission's
Public Reference Center.
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3. As indicated in the Recommendation, a majority of the NANC (13
members) voted to recommend Lockheed as the new NANPA for a period of
five years and a minority (11 members) voted to recommend Mitretek.
NANC further recommends that the entity designated to serve as the
NANPA agree to two conditions. First, such entity must agree to make
available any and all intellectual property and associated hardware
including, but not limited to, systems, software, interface
specifications and supporting documentation, generated by or resulting
from its performance as NANPA, and to make such property available to
whomever NANC directs, free of charge. Such entity must specify any
property it proposes to exclude from the foregoing category of property
based on the existence of such property prior to the entity's selection
as NANPA. Second, the entity selected as the NANPA must perform the
NANPA functions at the price the entity submitted in its proposal to
the NANC that formed the basis for the entity's selection by the NANC.
Such entity, however, may request from NANC and, with approval by the
Commission, NANC may grant an adjustment in this price should the
actual number of Central Office (CO) code assignments made per year,
the number of numbering plan area codes (NPAs) requiring relief per
year, or, the number of NPA relief meetings per NPA requiring relief
exceed 120 percent of NANPA's assumptions for the above tasks made in
the proposal to the NANC that formed the basis for the entity's
selection by the NANC.
4. The NANC also recommends proposed rules, contained in
attachments to the Recommendation, to govern the performance of the
NANPA and Billing and Collection Agent and to address resolution of
numbering disputes. Finally, the NANC unanimously recommends NECA as
Billing and Collection Agent, subject to the Federal Communications
Commission's ordering NECA to create an independent and neutral Board
of Directors for NANPA Billing and Collection.
5. We seek comments on NANC's Recommendation. Interested parties
should file an original and four copies of their comments on the NANC's
North American Numbering Plan Administrator and Billing and Collection
Agent Recommendation by June 20, 1997, and reply comments by July 3,
1997, with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications
Commission, 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554. Comments and reply
comments should reference CC Docket No. 92-237. In addition, parties
should send two copies to Jeannie Grimes, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC,
Suite 235, 2000 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554, and one copy to
ITS, at 1231 20th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Comments and reply
comments will be available for public inspection and copying during
regular business hours in the Commission's Public Reference Center,
Room 239, 1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554. Copies of comments
and reply comments will also be available from ITS, at 1231 20th
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, or by calling (202) 857-3800.
6. Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2
Section 9, and consistent with its charter, the NANC's authority is
limited to providing advice and recommendations to the Commission. All
procedural requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C.
section 551 et. seq., and other applicable statutes will apply to this
proceeding. We will treat this proceeding as a non-restricted
rulemaking for purposes of the Commission's ex parte rules. See
generally 47 CFR Secs. 1.1200(a), 1.1206. For further information
contact Marian Gordon or Scott Shefferman, Network Services Division,
Common Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-2320.
Federal Communications Commission.
Geraldine A. Matise,
Chief, Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau.
[FR Doc. 97-13762 Filed 5-21-97; 12:25 pm]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
