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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  News  Media  Contact: 
 March  9,  2001  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 


 CONSUMER  INFORMATION  BUREAU  RELEASES  FIRST  ANNUAL  REPORT 


 Washington,  DC  –  Today  the  Consumer  Information  Bureau  of  the  Federal  Communications 
 Commission  released  its  first  Annual  Report,  which  reflects  the  performance  of  the  now  one-  year-old 
 bureau  in  providing  the  crucial  telecom  information  necessary  for  consumers  to  make  informed 
 choices. 


 The  report  indicates  that  the  new  bureau  has  in  its  first  full  year  of  operation  eliminated  a 
 15-  year  backlog  of  66,937  informal  complaints,  and  provided  written  responses  to  over  300,000 
 additional  non-  backlogged  informal  complaints  and  general  inquiries. 


 In  addition,  CIB  has  forged  strong  relationships  with  state  and  local  governments  to 
 implement  more  effectively  Commission  mandates  and  stop  such  anti-  consumer  practices  as 
 slamming  and  cramming.  It  has  helped  to  expand  access  to  America’s  54  million  persons  with 
 disabilities  through  such  innovations  as  711  and  video  description.  And  it  has  worked  with  several 
 other  bureaus  to  help  address  the  need  for  basic  telecommunications  services  on  tribal  lands  across 
 the  country. 


 Roderick  Porter,  chief  of  the  Consumer  Information  Bureau  said,  “We’re  off  to  a  good  start 
 and  the  success  of  our  first  year  is  very  encouraging.  As  we  go  forward,  the  bureau  is  firmly 
 committed  to  exploring  new  and  creative  ways  to  educate  and  assist  all  Americans  to  be  informed 
 consumers  of  telecom  products  and  services.” 


 Copies  of  the  first  Annual  Report  are  available  on  the  Commission’s  website  at 
 www.  fcc.  gov/  cib. 


 Copies  are  available  for  purchase  from  the  Commission’s  duplicating  contractor, 
 International  Transcription  Service  (ITS)  at  (202)  314-  3070. 


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