Federal Communications Commission	DA 21-699


DA 21-699
Released:  June 15, 2021

CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAU ANNOUNCES BETA TEST FOR USERS OF THE REASSIGNED NUMBERS DATABASE
CG Docket 17-59

In this Public Notice, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau announces a beta test period for the Reassigned Numbers Database from July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021, during which callers and caller agents may use the database without charge.

On December 13, 2018, the Commission released the Reassigned Numbers Order, establishing a single, comprehensive Reassigned Numbers Database to address the problem of unwanted calls to consumers with numbers reassigned from a previous consumer. Advanced Methods to Target and Eliminate Unlawful Robocalls, CG Docket No. 17-59, Second Report and Order, 33 FCC Rcd 12024 (2018) (Reassigned Numbers Order).
  Once the database is operational, callers and caller agents The Reassigned Numbers Order stated that “caller” for these purposes includes, but is not limited to, a person or entity that initiates any call using a wireless, wireline, or interconnected VoIP service.  Reassigned Numbers Order, 22 FCC Rcd at 12027, para. 5 n.16.  “Caller agents” are third-party contractors that callers can contract with to query the database on their behalf.  See id. at 12034-35, para. 27.
 will be able to use it to determine whether a telephone number has been reassigned from the consumer they intend to reach, thus allowing them to avoid calling consumers with reassigned numbers who may not wish to receive their call. We expect that the database will be fully operational for paid users in November 2021, after all service providers have begun to report information about disconnected telephone numbers.  Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Announces Compliance Date for Remaining Reassigned Numbers Database Rule Regarding Reporting of Disconnect Data, CG Docket No. 17-59, Public Notice, 36 FCC Rcd 1441, 1441-42 (CGB 2021).  Providers with fewer than 100,000 domestic retail subscribers are not required to report numbers that have been reassigned to the administrator until October 2021.  Id.


Participation in the beta test will enable callers and caller agents to understand their usage needs prior to signing up for a paid subscription, and to test the system and provide feedback to the administrator, among other advantages, while allowing callers to qualify for a safe harbor from Telephone Consumer Protection Act liability as provided in the Commission’s rules. See 47 CFR § 64.1200(m).  The Commission defined a safe harbor from Telephone Consumer Protection Act liability for a caller that can prove that it: (1) obtained consent from the intended call recipient; (2) checked the database prior to calling the number to verify that the number had not been permanently disconnected, or reassigned, after the date the caller obtained consent or the date the caller was reasonably certain the consumer could still be reached at that number; and (3) received from the database a query response of “no” (indicating the number has not been reassigned in that time) that was incorrect.  See id.; Reassigned Numbers Order, 33 FCC Rcd at 12043, para. 55 Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Establishes Guidelines for Operation of the Reassigned Numbers Database, CG Docket No. 17-59, Public Notice, 35 FCC Rcd 3559, 3560 (CGB 2020).
  The beta test will also enable the administrator to determine appropriate subscription tiers and rates for the database when it is fully operational for paid users. The administrator will recover the costs of providing the beta test through fees collected once the database becomes fully operational. 


Callers and caller agents interested in participating in the beta test can go to https://www.reassigned.us/ or email support@reassigned.us for more information.

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