[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]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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