[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 134 (Thursday, July 11, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36515-36516]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-17602]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 61

[CC Docket No. 95-155]


Toll Free Service Access Codes

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final Rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule clarifies the Report and Order adopted by the 
Common Carrier Bureau in January 1996, regarding the reservation of 888 
numbers corresponding to 800 numbers in which subscribers have asserted 
a commercial interest. In this decision the Commission provides 
procedures to allow the release, into the general pool of toll free 
numbers, any 888 number currently in the ``unavailable'' pool for which 
the 800 subscriber originally requesting special treatment no longer 
wishes to assert an interest. Database Service Management, Inc. 
(``DSMI'') will make such release of 888 numbers only after collecting 
the appropriate authorizations from the Responsible Organization 
(``RespOrg'') and the 800 number customer releasing its 888 number 
reservation. The release of these numbers will allow the new 888 
service orders to be more efficiently filled and equitably allotted.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 25, 1996.


[[Page 36516]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary DeLuca, (202) 418-2334 Network 
Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1. This document is a synopsis of the 
Commission's letter order (CC Docket 95-155, adopted June 24, 1996, and 
released June 25, 1996). The letter clarifies provisions in the 
Bureau's Report and Order In the Matter of Toll Free Service Access 
Codes (CC Docket 95-155, adopted January 24, 1996, and released January 
25, 1996, DA 96-69, 61 FR 7738, February 29, 1996). The file is 
available for inspection and copying during the weekday hours of 9:00 
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Commission's Reference Center, room 239, 1919 
M Street, NW., Washington, DC, or copies may be purchased from the 
Commission's duplicating contractor, ITS, Inc., 2100 M Street, NW., 
Suite 140, Washington, DC 20037, phone (202) 857-3800.
    2. Paperwork Reduction.
    The Federal Communications Commission has submitted the foregoing 
information collection requirement to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Section 3507. 
Persons wishing to comment on this information collection should 
contact Timothy Fain, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10236, 
NEOB, Washington, D.C. 20503, (202) 395-0651. For further information, 
contact Dorothy Conway, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-
0217.
    3. Please note: The Commission has requested emergency review of 
this collection information request by July 18, 1996, under the 
provisions of 5 CFR Section 1320.13.
    Title: Toll Free Service Access Codes--800/888 Number Release 
Procedures
    OMB Control No.: None.
Action: New Collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit entities.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 2,010 respondents; 1 hour per response; 
2,010 hours total annual burden.
    Needs and Uses: The Federal Communications Commission regulates the 
provision of interstate telecommunications services by common carriers, 
including common carrier paging systems, pursuant to Sections 1, 4, and 
201-229 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 
154, 201-229. One of the common carrier-offered services is toll free 
service. This is a telephone service that allows charges for incoming 
calls to be paid by the called party (i.e., the 800 subscriber), not 
the caller. Toll free service is used widely today for both business 
purposes and personal needs because it provides callers with a free and 
convenient means of contacting parties holding toll free numbers. In a 
January 1996, Report and Order, the Commission instructed DSMI to mark 
as ``unavailable,'' in the toll free database, those 888 numbers which 
corresponding 800 number customers sought to reserve. However, the 
Commission did not intend to reserve any 888 number in which an 800 
number customer later decided that it no longer wanted to assert an 
interest. Therefore, the Commission authorized DMSI to release such 888 
numbers after collecting the appropriate information from the 
Responsible Organization or Toll Fee Service Provider and the 800 
number customer releasing its 888 number reservation.
    The public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, gathering the information and maintaining the 
data. There are approximately 2,010 respondents consisting of the 160 
telephone service Responsible Organizations and the estimated 1,850 
toll free subscribers that may seek to release their interest in 888 
numbers. Therefore the estimated annual burden of this information 
collection requirement is 2,010 hours. Send comments regarding this 
burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, 
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Federal 
Communications Commission, Records Management Branch, Room 234, 
Paperwork Reduction Project, Washington, DC 20554 and to the Office of 
Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project, Washington, DC 
20503.

Ordering Clauses

    Accordingly, it is ordered That, pursuant to authority contained in 
Sections 1, 4, 5, and 201-205 of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, 47 U.S.C. 151, 154, 155, and 201-205 and Sec. 0.201(d) of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 2.201(d) DSMI shall follow the directive in 
this order.
    It is further ordered That, DSMI shall immediately distribute this 
letter to all RespOrgs.
    It is further ordered That this letter shall be effective upon 
release.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 61

    Communication common carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.
William F. Caton,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-17602 Filed 7-10-96; 8:45 am]
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