[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54817-54819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27998]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 52 and 64

[CC Docket No. 92-237; FCC 97-364]


Administration of the North American Numbering Plan, Carrier 
Identification Codes (CICs)

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On October 9, 1997, the Commission released a Further Notice 
of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) addressing carrier identification codes 
(CICs). The FNPRM is intended to obtain comment on issues related to 
CIC use and assignment. This FNPRM contains proposed information 
collections subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). It 
has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review under the PRA. OMB, the general public, and other Federal 
agencies are invited to comment on the proposed information collections 
contained in this proceeding. The Commission concurrently released a 
Order in the same docket.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or before November 24, 1997, and reply 
comments must be filed on or before December 22, 1997. Written comments 
by the public on the proposed information collections are due on 
November 24, 1997. Written comments must be submitted by OMB on the 
proposed information collections on or before December 22, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Secretary, Room 222, 1919 
M Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20554. In addition to filing comments 
with the Secretary, a copy of any comments on the proposed information 
collections contained herein should be submitted to Judy Boley, Federal 
Communications Commission, Room 234, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, 
DC 20554, or via the Internet to [email protected], and to Timothy Fain, 
OMB Desk Officer, 10236 NEOB, 725--17th Street, N.W., Washington, DC 
20503 or via the Internet to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Nightingale, Attorney, 
Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau, (202) 418-2352. For 
additional information concerning the information collections contained 
in this FNPRM contact Judy Boley at 202-418-0214, or via the Internet 
at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This summarizes the Commission's Further 
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of Administration of the 
North American Numbering Plan, Carrier Identification Codes (CICs), CC 
Docket 92-237, adopted October 8, 1997, and released October 9, 1997. 
The file is available for inspection and copying during the weekday 
hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Commission's Reference Center, Room 
239, 1919 M St., N.W., Washington D.C., or copies may be purchased from 
the Commission's duplicating contractor, ITS, Inc., 1231 20th Street, 
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, phone (202) 857-3800.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This FNPRM contains a proposed information collection. The 
Commission, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork 
burdens, invites the general public and the OMB to comment on the 
information collections contained in this FNPRM, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Public and agency 
comments are due at the same time as other comments on this FNPRM; OMB 
notification of action is due 60 days from date of publication of this 
FNPRM in the Federal Register. Comments should address: (a) whether the 
proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the Commission, including whether the 
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 
Commission's burden estimates; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information collected; and (d) ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on the 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Title: Administration of the North American Numbering Plan, Carrier 
Identification Codes (CICs), CC Docket 92-237 (Semi-Annual Access and 
Usage Reporting Requirements), adopted October 8, 1997, and released 
October 9, 1997.
    Form No.: N/A.
    Type of Review: New collection.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit.

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                                   No. of       Est. time   Total annual
             Title               respondents  per response     burden   
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1. Incumbent LEC and CIC                                                
 Assignees Semi-Annual Access                                           
 and Usage Reporting..........          2600           4x2        20,800
2. NANP Administrator Semi-                                             
 Annual Access and Usage                                                
 Reporting....................             1          16x2            32
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    Total Annual Burden: 20,832 hours.
    Frequency of Response: Semi-annual.
    Estimated costs per respondent: $0.
    Needs and Uses: Proposal 1: that semi-annual access and usage 
reporting requirements for Feature Group D CICs be imposed on all 
incumbent local exchange carriers (LECs) and CIC assignees and that 
this information be

[[Page 54818]]

filed with the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) administrator. 
Proposal 2: that the NANP administrator file, on a semi-annual basis, a 
report with the Commission based on the information received from the 
incumbent LECs and CIC assignees in their semi-annual reports, and that 
the NANP administrator include any information obtained as a result of 
its monitoring CIC usage. The proposed collection of information will 
significantly aid the industry's and this Commission's joint effort to 
conserve CICs.

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Act Analysis

    The Commission has prepared an Initial Regulatory Flexibility 
Analysis (IRFA) of the expected economic impact on small entities by 
the policies and proposals in this FNPRM. The Commission solicited 
written public comments on the IRFA, which must be filed by the 
deadlines for the submission of comments in this proceeding.

Need for and Objectives of Proposed Rules

    The FNPRM continues the Commission's analysis of issues related to 
carrier identification code (CIC) use and assignment. The FNPRM seeks 
comment on the use and application of Feature Group D CICs, the CICs 
that are used to provide equal access. The Commission's actions here 
are part of an effort to ensure fair and efficient overall 
administration of numbering resources.

Legal Basis

    Authority for actions proposed in this FNPRM may be found in: 
Sections 1, 4(i) and (j), 201-205, 218 and 251(e)(1) of the 
Communications Act as amended, 47 U.S.C. Sections 151, 154(i), 154(j), 
201-205, 218 and 251(e)(1).

Description and Estimate of the Number of Small Entities to Which the 
Proposed Rules Will Apply

    The proposals made by the Commission in this FNPRM may apply to a 
variety of entities listed below.
Local Exchange Carriers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 1,347 small incumbent LECs 
that may be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.
Interexchange Carriers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 130 small entity IXCs and 30 
``other'' toll carriers that may be affected by the proposals in this 
FNPRM.
Wireless Service Providers
    The 1992 Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities, 
conducted by the Bureau of the Census, shows that only 12 
radiotelephone firms out of a total of 1,176 such firms that operated 
during 1992 had 1,000 or more employees.1 Therefore, even if 
all 12 of these large firms were radiotelephone companies, all of the 
remainder were small businesses under the SBA's definition. We assume 
that all of the current radiotelephone licensees are small entities, as 
that term is defined by the SBA.
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    \1\ U.S. Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1992 
Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities, UC92-S-1, 
Subject Series, Establishment and Firm Size, Table 5, Employment 
Size of Firms: 1992, SIC 4812 (issued May 1995).
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Cellular and Mobile Radio Telephone Service
    We estimate that there are fewer than 792 small entity Cellular 
Service Carriers and fewer than 138 small entity Mobile Service 
Carriers that might be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM. We 
assume that all of the current rural cellular and mobile licensees are 
small businesses.
Personal Communications Service
    We conclude that the number of small broadband PCS licensees will 
include the 90 winning C Block bidders and the 93 qualifying bidders in 
the D, E, and F blocks, for a total of 183 small PCS providers as 
defined by the SBA 2 and the Commission's auction rules.
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    \2\ See para. 9, supra.
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Paging and Radiotelephone Service, and Private Land Mobile Radio 
Services, Paging Operations
    We believe that it is possible that a significant number of the 
estimated 48,393 licensees or potential licensees who could take the 
opportunity to partition or disaggregate a license or who could obtain 
a license through partitioning or disaggregation will be a small 
business.
Competitive Access Providers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 57 small entity CAPS that may 
be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.
Operator Service Providers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 25 small entity operator 
service providers that may be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.
Pay Telephone Operators
    We estimate that there are fewer than 271 pay telephone operators 
that may be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.

Resellers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 260 small entity resellers 
that may be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.
Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 436 small manufacturers of 
wireline telecommunications equipment.
Wireless Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 778 small manufacturers of 
wireless telecommunications equipment.
Fire and Burglar Equipment Manufacturers
    We estimate that there are fewer than 469 small manufacturers of 
alarm equipment that may be affected by the proposals in this FNPRM.
Alarm Service Providers
    We tentatively conclude that there are approximately 2,190 small 
security system service providers that may be affected by the proposals 
in this FNPRM.

Description of Projected Reporting, Recordkeeping and Other Compliance 
Requirements

    The FNPRM proposes that semi-annual access and usage reporting 
requirements for Feature Group D CICs be imposed on all incumbent LECs 
and CIC assignees and that this information be filed with the North 
American Numbering Plan (NANP) administrator. The FNPRM also proposes 
that the NANP administrator file, on a semi-annual basis, a report with 
the Commission based on the information received from the incumbent 
LECs and CIC assignees in their semi-annual reports, and that the NANP 
administrator include any information obtained as a result of its 
monitoring CIC usage. The FNPRM tentatively concludes that the proposed 
reporting requirements will: (1) impose minimum burdens on businesses, 
including small businesses; and (2) ensure CIC availability to current 
and new small business competitors, thereby serving the goals of 
section 257 of the Act, as amended, and offsetting any burdens of the 
reporting requirements. The FNPRM seeks comment on this tentative 
conclusion. The IRFA seeks further

[[Page 54819]]

comment on whether small entities will have additional burdens imposed 
as a result of these proposed requirements. We believe that monitoring 
and reporting on CIC usage will significantly aid the industry's and 
this Commission's joint effort to conserve CICs.

Steps Taken to Minimize Economic Impact on Small Entities and 
Significant Alternatives Considered

    To gather relevant information from all interested parties, 
including small business entities, about allocation of this scarce 
numbering resource, we seek comment on a wide array of issues and ask 
that commenters suggest alternatives to our proposals. The IRFA 
tentatively concludes that our proposals in the FNPRM would impose 
minimum burdens on small entities. The IRFA seeks comment on these 
proposals and the impact they may have on small entities.

Federal Rules That May Duplicate, Overlap, or Conflict With the 
Proposed Rules

    None.

Analysis of Proceeding

    The FNPRM asks for comment on the use and application of Feature 
Group D CICs, the CICs that are used to provide equal access. The FNPRM 
also seeks comment on the definition of ``entity'' used to determine 
who may receive a CIC and on CIC conservation issues, such as: (1) The 
limit on CIC assignments per entity; (2) the limit on assignable four-
digit CICs; (3) CIC reclamation; and (4) usage reporting requirements. 
For some of these issues, the FNPRM proposes rules. Many of these 
issues are already addressed in the CIC Assignment Guidelines, 
developed by the industry for the NANP administrator. The intention of 
the FNPRM is not to propose modifications to the existing guidelines, 
but rather to propose new Commission rules to govern CIC use and 
assignment. The Commission's proposals are intended to ensure fair and 
efficient overall administration of numbering resources; to foster an 
integrated approach to numbering administration across NANP member 
countries; and to enable the Commission and regulatory bodies of other 
nations to ensure that domestic numbering administration is effective 
through reliance upon the expertise and innovative efforts of industry.

Ordering Clauses

    Accordingly, it is ordered, pursuant to Sections 1, 4(i) and (j), 
201-205, 218 and 251(e)(1) of the Communications Act as amended, 47 
U.S.C. Sections 151, 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 218 and 251(e)(1), that 
the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is hereby adopted.
    It is further ordered that the Commission's Office of Managing 
Director shall send a copy of the Further Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, including the Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, to 
the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 52

    Local exchange carrier, Numbering, Telecommunications.

47 CFR Part 64

    Communications common carriers, Telephone.

Federal Communications Commission.
LaVera F. Marshall,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 97-27998 Filed 10-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P