DA 18-694
July 3, 2018

WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU ANNOUNCES COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DATES FOR FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING ON TOLL FREE (8YY) CALLING ACCESS CHARGE REFORM
WC Docket No. 18-156

Comment Date: September 4, 2018
Reply Comment Date: October 1, 2018
On June 8, 2018, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted the a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) seeking comment on proposals to address abuses of access charges imposed in connection with toll free (8YY) calls. 8YY Access Charge Reform, WC Docket. No. 18-156, Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 18-76 (rel. June 8. 2018) (available at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-18-76A1.pdf; via the Commission’s Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) website at https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/ (by FCC document number, FCC 18-76); or via the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) website at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/ (by docket number, WC Docket No. 18-156).  
  In the FNPRM, the Commission proposes to combat abuses of the current 8YY intercarrier compensation system by transitioning inter- and intra-state originating end office and tandem switching and transport charges for 8YY calls to bill-and-keep, capping database query rates on a nationwide basis, and prohibiting more than one database query charge per call.  The FNPRM sets deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 60 and 90 days, respectively, following publication in the Federal Register. FNPRM at 1.


The Federal Register published a summary of the FNPRM on July 3, 2018. 8YY Access Charge Reform, Proposed Rule, 83 Fed. Reg. 31099 (July 3, 2017), https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-07-03/pdf/2018-14150.pdf (Notice).
  Accordingly, comments will be due on or before September 4, 2018, and reply comments will be due on or before October 1, 2018.  Complete filing instructions are provided in the FNPRM  FNPRM at 29-30, paras. 101-06.  To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).
 and the Federal Register. See Notice at 31113.


For additional information, contact Irina Asoskov, Wireline Competition Bureau, Pricing Policy Division, at irina.asoskov@fcc.gov or (202) 418-2196.

-FCC-