*Pages 1--3 from  Microsoft Word - 20521.doc*
 NEWS  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).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  August  8,  2002  Meribeth  McCarrick  at  (202)  418-  0654 
 FCC  STREAMLINES  PART  22  OF  ITS  RULES  Eliminates  Analog  Service  Requirement  After  Five-  Year  Transition  Period 
 Washington,  DC  --  As  part  of  its  Biennial  Review  of  regulations,  today  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  made  significant  modifications  to  Part  22  of  its  rules  that  cover  the 
 Cellular  Radiotelephone  and  other  services.  The  Commission  modified  or  eliminated  various  rules  that  have  become  outdated  due  to  supervening  rules,  technological  change,  or  increased  competition  among 
 providers  of  Commercial  Mobile  Radio  Services  (CMRS).  Among  the  rule  changes  adopted  by  the  Commission  is  the  amendment  of  sections  22.901  and  22.933  of  FCC  rules  to  modify  the  requirement  that 
 cellular  carriers  provide  analog  service  compatible  with  Advanced  Mobile  Phone  Service  (AMPS)  specifications  by  establishing  a  five-  year  transition  period  after  which  the  analog  standard  will  not  be 
 required,  but  may  still  be  provided. 
 Background: 
 The  Commission  has  undertaken  this  review  as  directed  by  section  11  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended  (the  Act).  Section  11  of  the  Act  mandates  that  the  FCC  review  all  of  its  regulations 
 relating  to  providers  of  telecommunications  service,  and  to  determine  whether  a  regulation  is  no  longer  necessary  in  the  public  interest  as  a  result  of  meaningful  economic  competition  between  providers  of 
 telecommunications  service,  and  to  repeal  or  modify  any  such  regulation.  In  the  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  in  this  proceeding  the  Commission  noted  that  its  rules  governing  the  cellular  service  have 
 changed  little  since  service  was  first  initiated  in  the  early  1980s.  The  commercial  wireless  environment,  however,  has  changed  significantly  in  the  interim  and  many  of  the  current  cellular  rules  do  not  reflect 
 these  developments,  and  continue  to  be  more  applicable  to  the  earlier  forms  of  cellular  than  the  more  advanced  digital  services  available  today. 


 Specifics  of  the  Adopted  Report  and  Order: 
 The  Report  and  Order  amends  sections  22.901  and  22.  933  of  FCC  rules  to  modify  the  requirement  that  carriers  provide  analog  service  compatible  with  AMPS  specifications.  The  FCC 
 concludes  that  in  light  of  the  present  competitive  state  of  mobile  telephony,  the  nationwide  coverage  achieved  by  cellular  carriers,  and  the  clear  market  demand  for  nationwide,  ubiquitous  coverage  by 
 carriers,  the  analog  requirement  has  substantially  achieved  its  purpose  of  ensuring  that  the  public  has  access  to  low-  cost,  compatible  equipment  and  to  nationwide  roaming.  Not  only  does  the  Commission 
 determine  that  the  current  rule  is  no  longer  necessary  to  achieve  its  purposes,  the  FCC  concludes  that  it  imposes  costs  and  impedes  spectral  efficiency. 


 However,  eliminating  the  rule  immediately  without  a  reasonable  transition  period  would  be  extremely  disruptive  to  certain  consumers,  particularly  those  with  hearing  disabilities  as  well  as 
 emergency-  only  consumers  (i.  e.,  those  using  analog  phones  for  emergency  purposes),  who  currently  continue  to  rely  on  the  availability  of  analog  service  and  lack  digital  alternatives.  Accordingly,  the 
 Commission  has  modified  the  rules  requiring  application  of  the  analog  compatibility  standard  to  add  a 
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