*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 39302* Federal Communications Commission DA 04- 1721 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of Administration of the North American Numbering Plan ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) CC Docket 99- 200 ORDER Adopted: June 16, 2004 Released: June 17, 2004 By the Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau: I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1. In this order, we grant SBC IP Communications, Inc. (SBCIP) 1 Special Temporary Authority (STA) to obtain numbering resources directly from the Pooling Administrator (PA) for use in a limited, non- commercial trial of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. 2 Specifically, we authorize SBCIP to obtain up to ten 1,000 blocks for purposes of a limited trial to the extent described herein. 2. On May 28, 2004, SBCIP requested Special Temporary Authority to obtain numbering resources directly from the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) and/ or the Pooling Administrator (PA) for a non- commercial trial of VoIP services. 3 SBCIP’s proposed trial would use no more than 10,000 numbers, would last no longer than nine months, and would involve only employees of SBC companies. 4 SBCIP proposes to conduct the trial in no more than ten rate centers, with immediate deployment in four rate centers (in Los Angeles, Detroit, New York City, and Dallas). 5 SBCIP also proposes to obtain a Local Number Portability (LNP) Location Routing Number (LRN) for each Local 1 SBCIP is a subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc., and it currently offers Voice over Internet Protocol service to business customers. See letter to William F. Maher, Jr., Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, from Gary Phillips, General Attorney & Assistant General Counsel, SBC Telecommunications, Inc. (May 28, 2004) (Phillips Letter). 2 See Phillips Letter. 3 Id at 1. 4 Id. Employees will obtain the service at their business locations. Id. at 3. 5 Id. at 3. 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 04- 1721 2 Access Transport Area (LATA) in the trial. 6 3. SBCIP’s trial VoIP product would allow customers on a broadband network to call parties within the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and vice versa. VoIP providers offering interconnection with the PSTN typically obtain numbers through services offered by local exchange carriers and do not obtain telephone numbers from the numbering administrators (i. e., the NANPA or PA), because in most cases they are not certified as a carrier by a state. 7 For its proposed trial, SBCIP would like to obtain numbers directly from the NANPA and/ or the PA so that it may investigate more efficient means of interconnecting VoIP services with the PSTN. II. DISCUSSION 4. In determining whether to grant SBCIP a STA, we look at whether the proposed action will serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. 8 SBCIP asserts that it should receive a STA, because its trial serves the public interest by allowing SBCIP to experiment with a more efficient means of communication between IP networks and the PSTN. 9 We agree. The Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) has previously granted carriers authority to engage in limited advanced services trials to gain experience in operating next- generation networks. 10 In so doing, the Bureau’s goal was to foster innovation, speed the delivery of advanced services and allow carriers the opportunity to predict operational difficulties that may arise when a new network technology is deployed on a larger scale. 11 SBCIP’s trial intends to develop a more efficient means for VoIP providers to interconnect with the PSTN. By receiving numbers directly, SBCIP will be able to interconnect with the PSTN on a trunk- side basis at a centralized switching location, which it believes will allow it to more efficiently use its softswitch and gateways to develop services that overcome the availability and scalability limitations inherent in current VoIP interconnections with the PSTN. 12 SBC asserts that a successful trial will benefit not only SBCIP, but will benefit the industry and consumers as well. 5. We grant SBCIP a STA to obtain up to ten one- thousand blocks from the PA. Given the limited numbering resources needed for the trial, and that SBCIP requests numbers in diverse geographical areas, it would be an inefficient use of numbering resources to have the NANPA assign 6 Id. at 3- 4. 7 See Phillips Letter at 1; see also 47 U. S. C. § 52.15( g)( 2)( i). 8 See e. g., 47 U. S. C. §§ 154( i), 303( r). 9 See Phillips Letter. 10 For example, the Bureau granted Verizon Special Temporary Authority to conduct a limited trial of fiber- to-the- home technology before the sunset of an advanced services affiliate requirement in the Bell Atlantic- GTE Merger Order. In re Application of GTE Corporation, Transferor, and Bell Atlantic Corporation, Transferee, 16 FCC Rcd 11810 (Comm. Carrier Bur. 2001). See also Letter from James D. Schlichting, Chief, Policy and Program Planning Division, Common Carrier Bureau, to Marie Breslin, Director, FCC Relations, Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Comm. Carrier Bur. rel. September 27, 1994) (granting Bell Atlantic Special Temporary Authority to extend a technical trial of an innovative video service). 11 Id. 12 See Phillips Letter at 3. 2 Federal Communications Commission DA 04- 1721 3 numbers for this trial. We further require SBCIP to comply with FCC numbering requirements and industry guidelines and practices. 13 Because of the short duration of the trial, we will not require SBCIP to file the Numbering Resource Utilization and Forecast Report (NRUF). 14 We do, however, require SBCIP to file a separate report summarizing its numbering utilization in the trial within thirty days (30) after the conclusion of the trial. The summary of number usage shall be in the format required for NRUF filings. The numbering resources used for the trial must be returned to the PA upon expiration of the STA. III. ORDERING CLAUSE 6. IT IS ORDERED that, pursuant to sections 1, 3, 4, 201- 205, 251, 303( r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U. S. C. §§ 151, 153, 154, 201- 205, 251, and 303( r), SBCIP IS GRANTED, to the extent set forth herein, Special Temporary Authority to obtain up to ten one-thousand blocks of numbering resources from the Pooling Administrator, for the purpose of conducting a limited, non- commercial trial of VoIP services for nine months as described in its May 28, 2004 STA Request. This authority expires nine months after release of this order, and is given without prejudice to any Commission action that may be taken in the future. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION William F. Maher, Jr. Chief, Wireline Competition Bureau 13 See 47 C. F. R. Part 52. 14 See 47 C. F. R. § 52.15( f)( 6) (requiring carriers to file NRUF reports). 3