*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 13582.doc* 1 PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission News media Information 202/ 418- 0500 445 12 th St. S. W. Fax- On- Demand 202/ 418- 2830 Washington, D. C. 20554 Internet: http:// www. fcc. gov ftp. fcc. gov ______________________________________________________________________________________ DA 01- 2730 Released: December 19, 2001 CONSUMER INFORMATION BUREAU NOTIFIES TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANUFACTURERS AND SERVICES PROVIDERS OF OMB APPROVAL OF COLLECTION OF POINT OF CONTACT PUBLIC INFORMATION FOR SECTION 255 COVERED ENTITIES WTB DOCKET NO. 96- 198 The purpose of this Public Notice is to inform telecommunications manufacturers and service providers who are covered entities 1 under Section 255 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the information collections contained in Sections 6.18 and 7.18 of the Commission’s rules 2 on October 29, 2001. The valid control number for compliance with the designation of points of contact information contained in these sections is 3060- 0833. On September 29, 1999, the Commission released a Report and Order and Further Notice of Inquiry (Report and Order) 3 adopting a framework for implementing Section 255, which requires telecommunications equipment manufacturers and service providers to ensure that their equipment and services are accessible to persons with disabilities, to the extent that it is readily achievable to do so. Among the new rules is a requirement that equipment manufacturers and service providers each designate an agent for service of informal and formal complaints received by the Commission. This rule entails information collection requirements, and in the Report and Order, we stated that "some of the information collection requirements in this Report and Order are contingent on approval by OMB," including the designation of agent. 4 1 Any provider of telecommunications service; any manufacturer of telecommunications equipment or customer premises equipment; any telecommunications carrier; any provider of voicemail or interactive menu service; any manufacturer of telecommunications equipment or customer premises equipment which performs a voicemail or interactive menu function. See 47 C. F. R. §§ 6.1 and 7.1. 2 47 C. F. R. §§ 6. 18 and 7. 18. 3 See In the Matter of Implementation of Sections 255 and 251( a)( 2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as enacted by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Report and Order and Further Notice of Inquiry, 16 FCC Rcd. 6417 (1999) (Report and Order). 4 Id. at para. 191. 1 2 This Public Notice announces January 31, 2002, as the effective date of our requirement that equipment manufacturers and service providers, subject to the requirements of Section 255 of the Act Sections 6.18 and 7.18 of the Commission’s rules, designate an agent upon whom service may be made of all notices, inquiries, orders, decisions, and other pronouncements of the Commission in any matter before the Commission. The designation shall include, for both the manufacturer or the provider, a name or department designation, business address, telephone number, and, if available TTY number, facsimile number, and Internet e- mail address. We note that a number of affected manufacturers and service providers have voluntarily filed the contact agent information described in Sections 6.18 and 7.18 with the Commission while others have inquired about the due date for such filings. 5 Companies that have voluntarily filed agent information to date are not required to re- submit the information. All companies that are updating expired information and companies that have previously not submitted the required information must submit the designation by January 31, 2002. This designation must be filed with the Commission’s Secretary, Magalie Salas, Office of the Secretary, 445 12 th Street, S. W., Room TW- A325, Washington, D. C., 20554. An additional copy should be sent to the Disabilities Rights Office, Consumer Information Bureau, Room 5A- 741, 445 12 th Street, S. W., Washington, D. C. 20554, Attn: Dana Jackson. We intend to continue posting the required information on the FCC’s web site within the Consumer Information Bureau (CIB) and administering the posting within CIB’s Disabilities Rights Office. Contact information for manufacturers is posted at http:// www. fcc. gov/ cib/ dro/ section255_ manu. html; contact information for service providers is posted at http:// www. fcc. gov/ cib/ dro/ service_ providers. html; and contact information for affected colleges and universities is posted at http:// www. fcc. gov/ cib/ dro/ section255_ colleges. html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PUBLIC NOTICE CONTACT: Dana Jackson at (202) 418- 2247 (voice), (202) 418- 7898 (TTY) or Email DLJackso@ FCC. gov. This document is available to individuals with disabilities requiring accessible formats (electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print and audio) by contacting Brian Millin at (202) 418- 7426 (voice) or (202) 418- 7365 (TTY), or by sending an email to fccinfo@ fcc. gov. -FCC- 5 The Federal Register publication noted that the requirements contained in the Report and Order would become effective January 28, 2000, except for 47 C. F. R. §§ 6.18 and 7. 18, which would become effective upon approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the modified collection requirements contained therein. 2