Federal Communications Commission DA 19-554 Before the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls ) ) ) ) CG Docket No. 17-59 ORDER Adopted: June 12, 2019 Released: June 12, 2019 By the Chiefs, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Wireline Competition Bureau: 1. In this Order, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) and the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) (collectively, the Bureaus) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) grant a request for an extension of time filed by the North American Numbering Council (NANC). Letter from Travis Kavulla, Chairman of the North American Numbering Council (NANC) to Patrick Webre, Chief, FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Kris Monteith, Chief, FCC Wireline Competition Bureau at 1 (April 30, 2019) (on file in CG Docket No. 17-59) (Request for Extension). 2. In December 2018, the Commission adopted rules that established a single, comprehensive database containing reassigned number information. Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, Second Report and Order, 33 FCC Rcd 12024, 12029, 12051, paras. 11, 80 (2018) (Second Report and Order). The database will enable any caller to verify whether a number has been permanently disconnected before calling that number, and it will help consumers avoid unwanted calls intended for others. The Commission directed the NANC to present to the Commission, no later than June 13, 2019, a Technical Requirements Document containing the NANC’s recommendations on certain technical aspects of database establishment, operation, and funding. Id. at paras. 59-62. Specifically, the Commission directed the NANC and its Numbering Administration Oversight Working Group (NAOWG) to consider technical issues surrounding how the database administrator can collect fees from callers that use the database. 3. In a letter dated April 30, 2019, the NANC requested an extension of the deadline. Request for Extension at 1. The NANC asks that the deadline by which it must present the required recommendations to the Commission be extended from June 13, 2019 to April 13, 2020. Id. 4. The NANC states that a review of the work has made clear that additional time is necessary because of the complexity of the FCC’s referral, the delay caused by the month-long government shutdown, and difficulties that it has had in acquiring similar technical requirements associated with other databases. Id at 2. In addition, the NANC explains that working group members are concurrently engaged on other Commission referrals. Id. In support of its request, the NANC argues that it has been diligently engaged in meeting the Commission’s deadline, conferencing for approximately four hours each week and spending a significant amount of additional time preparing and developing contributions outside of the group meetings. Id. 5. Section 1.46 of the Commission’s rules provides that “[i]t is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are not routinely granted.” 47 CFR § 1.46. In this instance, however, it is important that the Commission receive a set of technical recommendations that is as complete as possible in order to establish an operational database. At the same time, it is important that the Reassigned Numbers Database be launched as quickly as possible for the reasons set forth in the December 2018 Order. Second Report and Order, 33 FCC Rcd at 12046, para. 64. 6. Balancing these goals, we grant the NANC an additional three months, until September 13, 2019, to gather the information required for its reassigned numbers database recommendations. We also require that the NANC present to the Bureaus by July 12, 2019 a report detailing its progress as of that date so that the Commission can evaluate its progress toward the deadline. The additional time will ensure the development and consideration of a complete record to address the complex technical aspects of the database’s establishment, operation, and funding. The additional time is also necessary for NANC’s development of fully informed recommendations and thus serves the public interest. 7. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to section 1.46 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 1.46, and the authority delegated by sections 0.91, 0.141, 0.291, and 0.361 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 0.91, 0.141, 0.291, 0.361, that the NANC request for an extension of time, filed on April 30, 2019, IS GRANTED to the extent described herein, and the deadline for filing the required recommendations with the Commission is extended until September 13, 2019. 8. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the NANC shall provide to the Commission a report by July 12, 2019 detailing its progress toward its recommendations as of that date. 9. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that this Order SHALL BE EFFECTIVE upon release. 10. 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 and Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (TTY). FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Patrick Webre, Chief Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Kris A. Monteith, Chief Wireline Competition Bureau 2