[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 198 (Thursday, October 10, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53221-53223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-26159]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[CC Docket No. 92-237; DA 96-1664]


The North American Numbering Council Chairman Announces 
Organizational Structure and Seeks Working Group and Task Force 
Participants

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On October 4, 1996, the Commission released a public notice 
stating that the North American Numbering Council (NANC) Chairman 
announced the organizational structure of the NANC and seeks working 
group and task force participants. The intended effect of this action 
is to make the public aware of the NANC's organizational structure and 
that the NANC is seeking participants on its working group and task 
forces.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marian Gordon, Designated Federal Official of the North American 
Numbering Council, (202) 418-2337 or Mary DeLuca, Alternate Designated 
Federal Official of the North American Numbering Council, (202) 418-
2334. The address for both is: Network Services Division, Common 
Carrier Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 2000 M Street, NW., 
Suite 235, Washington, DC 20054. The fax number for both is: (202) 418-
2345. The TTY number for both is: (202) 418-0484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Released: October 4, 1996.

I. Background

    On October 1, 1996, the North American Numbering Council (NANC), a 
Federal Advisory Committee established pursuant to the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2 (1988) (FACA), held its initial meeting 
at the Federal Communications Commission (Commission). The NANC was 
established to advise the Commission and other North American Numbering 
Plan (NANP) member countries on issues related to NANP administration, 
and to advise the Commission on local number portability administration 
issues in the United States. Among other tasks, the NANC must recommend 
to the Commission a new neutral NANP Administrator and one or more 
neutral local Number Portability Administrator(s) (LNAPA(s)).
    Several working groups and task forces will address specific tasks 
and issues regarding numbering administration and local number 
portability and report to the NANC. This Notice describes the tentative 
structure for these groups, identifies the tasks for the working groups 
and the task forces within those groups, and seeks nominations for 
participants with appropriate expertise to serve on them. As will be 
evident from the tasks and deadlines described below, participants in 
the working groups and task forces will be expected to be able to offer 
a substantial time commitment from the outset.

II. NANC Structure

    The tasks and objectives of the working groups and task forces are 
described below. The NANC, by issuance of this Public Notice, seeks 
individuals with specialized expertise to serve on the North American 
Numbering Plan Administration Working Group and the Local Number 
Portability Administration (LNPA) Selection Working Group, and on 
associated task forces. All such participants should have a willingness 
and ability to dedicate the time and resources necessary to effectively 
accomplish the tasks and objectives of their group. The NANC intends 
that this organizational structure will enable all interested parties 
to express their views.

[[Page 53222]]

A. Steering Group

    The Steering Group held its first meeting immediately following the 
October 1st meeting of the NANC. The NANC Chairman announced formation 
of the Steering Group composed of 13 Council members. The Steering 
Group will oversee the process of the other working groups in meeting 
their project milestones and will act as a liaison between the other 
working groups and NANC. In this capacity, the Steering Group will 
select the participants on the working groups and task forces 
identified below. The Steering Group will also study and recommend to 
the NANC a method for introducing future issues, including issues 
related to code and number conservation, for consideration by the NANC, 
and will study and recommend whether the NANC should seek to renew its 
charter as an advisory committee in October 1997.
1. Dispute Resolution Task Force
    This Task Force will develop and recommend to the NANC procedures 
for addressing and initially resolving disputes regarding numbering 
administration. It would be useful for the task force's participants to 
be familiar with dispute resolution procedures used in different fora.

B. North American Numbering Plan Administration Working Group

    The NANP Administration Working Group will develop and advise the 
NANC on an appropriate process for selecting a neutral NANP 
Administrator. It is proposed that this working group will have three 
task forces: (1) Cost Recovery Task Force; (2) Transition Planning Task 
Force for Current NANP Administration Functions; and (3) Transition 
Planning Task Force for Central Office (CO) Code Administration 
Functions. The Working Group will coordinate with its task forces 
issues related to the recovery of the costs of NANP administration and 
the transfer of number administration functions. The NANC is seeking 
members to participate on the NANP Administration Working Group. It 
would be useful for such participants to have one or more of the 
following: (1) familiarity with the operations of the current number 
administration system from either the perspective of administrator or 
the perspective of entities that use numbering resources, including the 
functions of the current NANP Administrator and the Central Office Code 
Administrators; (2) familiarity with the technical and operational 
workings of the telecommunications network; and (3) experience with 
contracting proposals.
1. Cost Recovery Task Force
    The NANP Administration Cost Recovery Task Force will report to the 
NANP Administration working group. This task force will assist the NANP 
Administration Working Group in formulating and making a recommendation 
to the NANC of a mechanism for recovering the costs of the 
administration of the NANP in the United States on a competitively 
neutral basis. It would be useful for participants to have one or more 
of the following: (1) a background in or knowledge of economics, 
accounting, or both; (2) familiarity with the pricing mechanisms in the 
telecommunications industry; and (3) familiarity with the operations of 
the current number administration system, including the functions of 
the current NANP Administrator and the Central Office Code 
Administrators.
2. Transition Planning Task Force for Current NANP Administration 
Functions
    The Transition Planning Task Force for Current NANP Administration 
Functions will assist the NANP Administration Working Group in 
developing a plan to transfer to the new NANP Administrator number 
administration functions that are performed by the current NANP 
Administrator within ninety days of selection of the new Administrator. 
It would be useful for participants on this Task Force to be familiar 
with the operations of the current NANP Administrator.
3. Transition Planning Task Force for Central Office (CO) Code 
Administration Functions
    The Transition Planning Task Force for CO Code Administration 
Functions will assist the NANP Administration Working Group in 
developing a plan for the transfer of CO Code administration functions 
from the incumbent local exchange carriers to the new, neutral NANP 
Administrator within eighteen months of the completion of the transfer 
of the current NANP Administrator's functions to the new Administrator. 
It would be useful for participants to have one or more of the 
following: (1) knowledge of the operations of the current CO code 
administrators; (2) knowledge in forecasting area code exhaust and 
planning for area code relief; and (3) familiarity with the operation 
of the current NANP Administrator.

C. Local Number Portability Administration (LNPA) Selection Working 
Group

    The NANC must recommend to the Commission no later than May 1, 1997 
one or more entities to serve as LNPA(s). the LNPA Working Group will 
develop and advise the NANC on an appropriate process for selecting an 
entity or entities to serve as LNPA(s), whether one or multiple LNPA(s) 
should be selected, whether the LNPA can be the same entity as the NANP 
Administrator, and what the specific duties of the LNPA(s) should be. 
The LNPA will also direct implementation of a nationwide system of 
regional SMS databases for number portability, and will determine 
possible future SMS needs. It would be useful for participants in this 
working group to have one or more of the following: (1) technical and 
operational expertise with respect to number portability mechanisms; 
(2) experience with state-based efforts in local number portability; 
and (3) expertise in the operations of existing SMS databases.
1. LNPA Architecture Planning Task Force
    This Task Force will assist the LNPA Working Group in recommending 
to the Commission, through coordination with the industry, a database 
architecture plan for the national number portability system. Such 
recommendation must address the geographic coverage of the regional 
databases and the locations of the regional databases. It would be 
useful for participants to have one or more of the following: (1) 
experience with state-based efforts in local number portability; and 
(2) knowledge of operations of existing industry-wide databases.
2. LNPA Technical and Operational Requirements Task Force
    This Task Force must recommend to the Commission a plan, developed 
through coordination with the industry, for the technical and 
operational requirements of the national number portability database 
system. The Task Force will address, among other things, technical 
interoperability and operational standards for the database system, 
user and network interface standards, and technical specifications for 
the regional databases. It would be useful for participants to have one 
or more of the following: (1) technical and operational expertise with 
respect to number portability mechanisms; (2) experience with state-
based efforts in local number portability; and (3) knowledge of 
operations of existing industry-wide databases.

[[Page 53223]]

D. Legal Expertise

    In addition to the specialized expertise sought for the individual 
working groups and task forces described above, the NANC seeks 
individuals with legal expertise to ensure that potential legal issues 
that arise in the context of the tasks to performed by working groups 
and associated task forces are identified and recommended solutions 
developed for each. Individuals with expertise in contract law and in 
the establishment of Limited Liability Corporations are specifically 
encouraged to apply.

III. Nomination Procedures and Timeline

    Nominations for participation on any of the working groups or task 
forces described above should include the following information about 
the nominee:

    (1) Name, company affiliation, address, telephone number, 
facsimile number, and E-mail address, if available; (2) the working 
group(s) and/or task force(s) for which he or she is being 
nominated; and (3) a brief description of how the nominee's 
experience and skills would match the needs of the working group(s) 
and/or task force(s) he or she is being nominated to serve on.

    Nominations for participation on any of the working groups or task 
forces must be made no later than October 15, 1996. Nominations should 
be sent by e-mail, if possible, to [email protected]. A written copy of 
any nominations must also be filed with the Secretary, Federal 
Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW., Washington, DC 20554, 
and must reference CC Docket No. 92-237. Members selected will be 
notified and should expect initial working group meetings to occur no 
later than November 7, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marian Gordon, Designated Federal 
Official of the North American Numbering Council, (202) 418-2337 or 
Mary DeLuca, Alternate Designated Federal Official of the North 
American Numbering Council, (202) 418-2334. The address for both is: 
Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau, Federal 
Communications Commission, 2000 M Street, NW., Suite 235, Washington, 
DC 20054. The fax number for both is: (202) 418-2345. The TTY number 
for both is: (202) 418-0484.

Federal Communications Commission
Geraldine A. Matise,
Chief, Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau.
[FR Doc. 96-26159 Filed 10-9-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P