Federal Communications Commission DA 19-495 DA 19-495 Released: May 31, 2019 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON NEW HAMPSHIRE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PETITION FOR ADDITIONAL DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT INDIVIDUAL TELEPHONE NUMBER POOLING IN THE 603 AREA CODE CC Docket No. 99-200 Comment Date: July 1, 2019 Reply Comment Date: July 15, 2019 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) seeks comment on a petition filed by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (NHPUC), which requests additional delegated authority to implement number optimization measures in the 603 area code, the state’s sole area code. See generally Petition by the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission for Additional Delegated Authority to Implement Number Optimization Measures in the 603 Area Code, CC Docket No. 99-200 (filed Apr. 26, 2019) (Petition), https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10426251258868/20190426-NHPUC-ITN-Petition-to-FCC.pdf. Specifically, NHPUC seeks authority to: “1) implement individual telephone number pooling; See generally ATIS, Initial Report to the North American Numbering Council (NANC) on Number Pooling (1997), https://access.atis.org/apps/group_public/download.php/46538/ATIS-0300063(1997-12).pdf. Unlike block number pooling, a process that provides blocks of numbers to individual carriers to hold in inventory until needed, individual telephone number pooling is a process by which numbers are taken from a pool available to all carriers. 2) establish the pooling administrator as the holder of blocks for assignment of individual numbers when fewer than 100 numbers are requested by a carrier; and 3) implement single number pooling trials using existing software and methods.” See Petition at 2. The NHPUC contends that thousand-block pooling is inefficient in New Hampshire, See id. at 2, 3, and 6. and hastens exhaust of the 603 area code, See id. at 4 and 7. which it describes as “closely linked in the public mind with the state.” See id. at 6 and 7. The NHPUC believes that a trial implementing individual telephone number pooling would have an immediate impact on the efficient use of numbers; allow the unfettered assignment of numbers to all users; and forestall the premature exhaust of the numbers in the 603 code, thereby delaying the introduction of a new area code for the state. See id. at 4. Pursuant to section 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 1.419, interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated above. All filings should refer to CC Docket No. 99-200. Filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission. Comments may be filed by paper or by using the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998). § Electronic Filers: Comments and replies may be filed electronically via ECFS: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs. § Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail. § All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 12th Street, SW, Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building. § Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. § U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail must be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554. People with Disabilities: 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) or (202) 418-0432 (tty). Proceeding CC Docket No. 99-200 has been designated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. See 47 CFR §§ 1.1200(a), 1.1206. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter’s written comments, memoranda or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). In proceedings governed by rule 1.49(f) or for which the Commission has made available a method of electronic filing, written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in these proceedings should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information, please contact Jordan M. Reth, Competition Policy Division, Wireline Competition Bureau, at (202) 418-1418 or via email at jordan.reth@fcc.gov. - FCC - 2