[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 133 (Monday, July 13, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37499-37500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18562]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
47 CFR Parts 0 and 63
[FCC 98-127 ]
Notification of Common Carriers of Service Disruptions
AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This Order amends the Commission's rules that require carriers
to send final reports of certain telephone network service outages to
the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau. This order amends the rules so
that carriers required to provide the Commission with final reports of
those outages will be directed to send them to the Chief of the Office
of Engineering and Technology instead of the Chief of the Common
Carrier Bureau.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 13, 1998.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Kimball, Office of Engineering
and Technology, (202) 418-2339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order,
FCC 98-127, adopted June 19, 1998, and released June 25, 1998. The full
text of this Commission decision is available for inspection and
copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room
239), 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., and also may be purchased
from the Commission's duplication contractor, International
Transcription Service, (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Summary of Order
The Commission's rules require wireline common carriers to send
final reports of certain telephone network service outages to the Chief
of the Common Carrier Bureau. The Order summarized here amends the rule
so that carriers required to provide the Commission with final reports
of those outages will be directed to send them to the Chief of the
Office of Engineering and Technology instead.
Since February 18, 1996, the Office of Engineering and Technology
has coordinated the meetings and other activities of the Network
Reliability Council, now called the Network Reliability and
Interoperability Council. Previously this coordinating function was
carried out by the Common Carrier Bureau. The receipt and tabulation of
outage reports, however, continues to be carried out by the staff of
the Common Carrier Bureau. Since these outage reports are relied upon
by the Council in the conduct of its research and since tabulation and
any analysis that may be required is best conducted by those most
familiar with the best practice recommendations of the Council, the
Council coordination function and the receipt and tabulation function
should be consolidated in the same office.
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., does not
apply to this proceeding because the Commission is adopting this rule
without notice and comment. See 5 U.S.C. 603(a) and 604(a). Notice and
comment are not required because the Commission is modifying a ``rule
of agency organization, procedure, or practice.'' See 5 U.S.C.
553(b)(A). Moreover, the Commission has found that notice and comment
are unnecessary here. See 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).
List of Subjects
47 CFR Part 0
Organization and functions (government agencies).
47 CFR Part 63
Communications common carriers, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
Rule Changes
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, Parts 0 and 63 of Title
47 of the Code of Federal Regulations are amended as follows:
PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION
1. The authority citation for part 0 continues to read as follows:
Authority: Secs. 5, 48 Stat. 1068, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 155.
2. Section 0.31 is amended by revising paragraph (j) to read as
follows:
Sec. 0.31 Functions of the Office.
* * * * *
(j) To perform all engineering and management functions of the
Commission with respect to formulating rules and regulations, technical
standards, and general policies for parts 15, 18 and section 63.100 of
this chapter, and for type approval and acceptance, and certification
of radio equipment for compliance with the Rules.
* * * * *
PART 63--EXTENSION OF LINES AND DISCONTINUANCE, REDUCTION, OUTAGE
AND IMPAIRMENT OF SERVICE BY COMMON CARRIERS; AND GRANTS OF
RECOGNIZED PRIVATE OPERATING AGENCY STATUS
3. The authority citation for part 63 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 218, 403 and
533, unless otherwise noted.
4. Section 63.100, paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (h) are amended by
revising the last sentence of each paragraph and paragraph (e)
introductory text, is amended by revising the ninth sentence to read as
follows:
Sec. 63.100 Notification of service outage.
* * * * *
(b) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier
shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a
Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on
the service outage, including any information not contained in its
Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root
cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and
application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry
standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or
ameliorate outages of the reported type.
(c) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier
shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a
Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on
the service outage, including any information not contained in its
Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root
cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and
application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry
standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate
[[Page 37500]]
or ameliorate outages of the reported type.
(d) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier
shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a
Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on
the service outage, including any information not contained in its
Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root
cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and
application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry
standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or
ameliorate outages of the reported type.
(e) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier
shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a
Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on
the service outage, including any information not contained in its
Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root
cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and
application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry
standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or
ameliorate outages of the reported type.
* * * * *
(h) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier
shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a
Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on
the service outage, including any information not contained in its
Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root
cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and
application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry
standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or
ameliorate outages of the reported type.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 98-18562 Filed 7-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
