[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12002-12003]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5408]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION


FCC Renews and Amends Charter of Network Reliability and 
Interoperability Council

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice of renewal and amendment of charter.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Communications Commission has renewed and amended 
the charter of its advisory committee, the ``Network Reliability and 
Interoperability Council'' (the ``Committee''). Under the amended 
charter, the objectives of the Committee are as follows.
    The Committee will continue its work relating to the year 2000 date 
rollover (Y2K) on telecommunications networks, including a review of 
the effectiveness of the work done prior to the date change as well as 
an analysis of the impact of the date change on those networks. The 
Committee will make recommendations on any future actions that should 
be taken. The Committee will evaluate, and report on, the reliability 
of public telecommunications network services in the United States, 
including the reliability of packet switched networks.
    During the charter of the previous Committee, interested 
participants developed guidelines that were intended to improve the 
quality of outage reporting for those carriers currently required to 
report outages. The Committee will evaluate those guidelines and data 
provided in accordance with those guidelines and, if appropriate, 
recommend further refinements to those guidelines.
    During the charter of the previous Committee, interested 
participants recommended that the FCC adopt a voluntary reporting 
program, administered by the National Communications System, to gather 
outage data for those telecommunications and information service 
providers not currently required to report outages. The Committee will 
monitor this process, analyze the data obtained from the voluntary 
trial and report on the efficacy of that process, as well as the on-
going reliability of such services.
    The Committee will evaluate existing network outage reporting 
requirements and make recommendations for improving, or where 
appropriate initiating, reporting requirements for: (i) 
Telecommunications carriers currently required to report outages; and 
(ii) telecommunications carriers not presently required to report 
service outages.
    Building on the work of the previous Committee, as appropriate, the 
Committee will continue to develop best practices recommendations and 
refine or modify, as appropriate, best practices recommendations 
developed by previous Committees.
    The Committee will continue to evaluate and report on the extent to 
which telecommunications common carriers are using best practices 
recommendations and applicable American National Standards Institute 
Committee T-1 standards, and identify ways to increase the use of best 
practices and relevant Committee T-1 standards by telecommunications 
service providers.
    The Committee will make recommendations concerning technical 
standards to ensure spectral compatibility in wireline networks and 
facilitate the deployment of xDSL and associated technologies.
    The Committee will make recommendations concerning the development 
of spectrum management processes within the wireline network that 
facilitate competition among CLECs and ILECs using different 
technologies while still maintaining network integrity. The Committee 
will make recommendations with respect to such additional topics as the 
Commission may specify. These topics may include requests for 
recommendations and technical advice on interoperability issues that 
may arise from convergence and digital packet networks, and how the 
Commission may best fulfill its responsibilities, particularly with 
respect to national defense and safety of life and property (including 
law enforcement) under the Communications Act.
    The Committee will assemble data and other information, perform 
analyses, and provide recommendations and advice to the Federal 
Communications Commission and the

[[Page 12003]]

telecommunications industry concerning the foregoing.
    Building on the accomplishments of this advisory Committee, and in 
view of the purposes of the Committee under the amended charter, the 
Commission has selected members of the Committee on the basis of their 
technical knowledge, the impact of their activities on network 
reliability, and the impact of network availability on the 
constituencies the members represent. Any new members will be chosen so 
that the largest possible diversity of interests, given the functions 
to be performed and the need for practical considerations of 
administrative efficiency, will be represented.
    The continuation of the Committee is necessary and in the public 
interest to prepare recommendations for the FCC and the communications 
industry, and to help coordinate industry and government efforts to 
ensure continued reliability as the number, and types, of networks 
connected with public telecommunications networks continue to increase. 
Continuation is also necessary to prepare recommendations to the 
industry and to the FCC to forestall, and minimize the impact of, 
future network outages. In addition, continuation of the Committee is 
necessary so that the Commission, and the telecommunications industry, 
can effectively monitor outages and help assure availability of crucial 
communications services.
    The Committee was established by the Federal Communications 
Commission to bring together leaders of the telecommunications industry 
and telecommunications experts from consumer and other organizations to 
develop and recommend measures that will assure optimal reliability, 
interoperability, accessibility and interconnectivity to public 
telecommunications networks.

DATES: Renewal effective January 6, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Nilsson at 202-418-0845 or TTY 
202-418-2989.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-5408 Filed 3-6-00; 8:45 am]
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