Federal Communications Commission DA 20-197 DA 20-197 Released: February 26, 2020 WIRELINE COMPETITION BUREAU AND CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU SEEK COMMENT ON NANC RECOMMENDATIONS ON COST FUNDING AND FEE STRUCTURE FOR REASSIGNED NUMBERS DATABASE CG Docket No. 17-59 Comments Due: March 11, 2020 By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau and Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau (Bureaus) seek comment on recommendations recently approved by the North American Numbering Council (NANC) on funding of the creation costs and on the fee structure for the Reassigned Numbers Database (Database). The NANC’s Recommendations on Funding of the Creation Costs and Fee Structure for Users of the Reassigned Numbers Database is attached and is also available at https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-362499A1.pdf. On December 13, 2018, the Commission released a Second Report and Order on Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls. Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, Second Report and Order, 33 FCC Rcd 12024, 12025 (2018) (Reassigned Numbers Database Order). In the Order, the Commission addressed the problem of unwanted calls to consumers with numbers reassigned from a previous consumer. Specifically the Commission established a single, comprehensive database that will contain reassigned number information from each provider that obtains North American Numbering Plan U.S. geographic numbers and toll free numbers. Id. at 12025, para. 3. The Database will enable a caller to determine whether a telephone number has been reassigned and thus avoid calling consumers with reassigned numbers who may not wish to receive their call. Id. To establish the Database, the Commission directed the NANC, the Commission’s federal advisory committee on numbering issues, to develop and submit recommendations to the Commission on issues and considerations related to: (1) the Database administrator collecting fees from database users, including how to structure such fees and the amount of such fees; and (2) the billing and collection from telecommunications service providers of Database creation costs, and the subsequent return of such amounts to service providers, to be administered by the Billing and Collection Agent, Pursuant to its contract with the Commission and section 52.16(a) of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR § 52.16(a), the Billing and Collection Agent, currently Welch LLP, is responsible for calculating, assessing, billing, and collecting payments for numbering administration functions from telecommunications service providers, and for distributing funds to the entities that support these functions. and interaction and coordination necessary and advisable between the Database administrator and the Billing and Collection Agent in performing these roles. Reassigned Numbers Database Order, 33 FCC Rcd at 12045-46, paras. 59, 60-62. The NANC approved its recommendations at its February 13, 2020 meeting and submitted it to the Bureaus that day. The Bureaus now seek comment on the NANC’s recommendations. The Commission has stated that it expects the NANC’s guidance and any relevant comments to be incorporated into contracting decisions related to the Database. Id. at 12046, para. 62. The NANC’s recommendations do not reflect a position of the Commission as to the final requirements or contract terms and conditions for the anticipated solicitation. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission’s rules, 47 CFR §§ 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments on or before the date indicated. 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 may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.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. o 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. o 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. o 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 and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (tty). This proceeding shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission’s ex parte rules. 47 CFR. § 1.1200 et seq. 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 this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission’s ex parte rules. For further information, contact Karen Schroeder of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0654 or Karen.Schroeder@fcc.gov; or Marilyn Jones of the Wireline Competition Bureau at (202) 418-2357 or Marilyn.Jones@fcc.gov. - FCC - 3