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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:  February  14,  2002  Rosemary  Kimball  at  (202)  418-  0511 
 e-  mail:  rkimball@  fcc.  gov 
 UNIFORM  SYSTEM  FOR  FILING  INFORMAL  COMPLAINTS  PROPOSED  Change  would  promote  efficiency  and  predictability 


 for  consumers  and  service  providers 
 Washington,  DC  --  The  FCC  has  proposed  new  consumer-  friendly  rules  for  filing  informal  complaints.  Under  the  proposed  rules,  complaints  filed  by 
 consumers  about  any  of  the  services  regulated  by  the  Commission  would  follow  the  same  format  and  be  handled  in  the  same  way  by  the  FCC.  Consumers,  service 
 providers  and  the  Commission  would  benefit  from  the  changes. 
 Specifically,  the  Commission  has  proposed  adopting  a  consumer  complaint  mechanism  patterned  after  the  existing  rules  for  informal  complaints 
 filed  against  common  carriers  in  Section  208  of  the  Communications  Act.  The  Section  208  informal  complaint  rules  currently  apply  only  to  complaints  against 
 common  carriers,  including  wireless  carriers.  They  emphasize  ease  of  filing  by  consumers,  including  those  with  disabilities,  and  voluntary,  cooperative  efforts  by 
 consumers  and  affected  companies  to  resolve  their  differences  informally. 
 The  Commission  has  now  proposed  to  extend  this  uniform,  streamlined  consumer  complaint  process  to  all  services  regulated  by  the  Commission.  These 
 would  include  consumer  complaints  that  raise  issues  within  the  Commission’s  jurisdiction  filed  against  broadcast  station  licensees  and  cable  franchise  operators. 
 The  Commission’s  proposal  also  asked  whether  the  existing  rules  should  be  changed  to  specify  the  type  of  documentation  that  should  accompany  informal 
 complaints  and  to  set  a  specific  time  frame  within  which  a  company  must  respond  to  a  complaint. 


 The  benefits  to  consumers,  companies  and  the  Commission  under  the  proposed  rules  would  be  significant.  Experience  with  processing  common  carrier- 
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 related  informal  complaints  under  the  Section  208  rules  shows  that  the  majority  of  these  complaints  are  resolved  by  the  carriers  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to  the 
 complaining  consumers. 
 The  Section  208  informal  complaint  process  has  been  a  valuable  tool  in  the  Commission’s  enforcement  arsenal  in  another  important  respect.  The 


 Commission  relies  on  Section  208  informal  complaints  to  monitor  possible  violations  of  the  rules  and  orders  and  of  other  practices  that  may  warrant 
 Commission  intervention  to  protect  consumers.  In  the  past  year,  the  FCC  has  taken  enforcement  actions  totaling  over  $4.6  million  against  various  common 
 carriers  for  consumer-  related  violations  of  the  Act  or  Commission  rules  and  orders.  Many  of  these  forfeiture  actions  were  based  on  staff  review  of  Section  208 
 informal  complaints  filed  by  or  on  behalf  of  consumers.  Under  the  proposed  rules,  the  Commission  would  be  able  to  capture  similar  information  on  all  the  services  it 
 regulates  and  take  appropriate  action. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  February  14,  2002  by  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  (FCC  02-  46.).  Chairman  Powell,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps 


 and  Martin,  with  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps  and  Martin  issuing  separate  statements. 


 -  FCC  – 
 CIB  contact:  Lynn  Remly  at  (202)  418-  2930. 
 (Docket  No.  02-  32;  CC  Docket  No.  94-  93) 
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