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 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:  July  25,  2005  Janice  Wise:  (202)  418-  8165 
 janice.  wise@  fcc.  gov 


 FCC  PROPOSES  OVER  $2  MILLION  IN  FORFEITURES  FOR  UNIVERSAL  SERVICE  FUND  AND  OTHER  REGULATORY  PROGRAM  VIOLATIONS 


 Washington,  D.  C.  –  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  issued  Notices  of  Apparent  Liability  (“  NALs”)  against  three  telecommunications  carriers  for  apparently  violating  Universal 
 Service  Fund  (“  USF”)  and  other  regulatory  program  laws,  including  those  for  the  Telecommunications  Relay  Service  (“  TRS”),  the  North  American  Numbering  Plan 
 Administration  (“  NANPA”),  and  regulatory  fees. 
 Today’s  NALs  help  level  the  playing  field  for  all  telecommunications  carriers  by  demonstrating  a  no  tolerance  policy  for  any  carrier  that  fails  to  pay  its  required  USF,  TRS,  and  other  regulatory 
 obligations.  Apparent  violations  like  these  distort  the  marketplace  by  causing  carriers  in  compliance  with  the  requirements  to  carry  a  disproportionate  share  of  the  costs  of  funding  these 
 programs  and  frustrate  the  purposes  for  which  Congress  and  the  Commission  established  the  programs. 


 The  programs  at  issue  in  these  NALs  further  important  statutory  and  regulatory  goals.  The  USF  ensures  that  consumers  in  all  regions  of  the  nation  have  access  to  affordable,  quality 
 telecommunications  services.  The  TRS  fund  enables  persons  with  hearing  or  speech  disabilities  to  communicate  by  telephone  with  the  help  of  a  relay  operator.  The  NANPA  ensures  the 
 equitable  availability  of  telephone  numbers.  Regulatory  fees  distribute  the  cost  of  certain  regulatory  activities.  Under  the  Communications  Act  and  the  Commission’s  rules,  every 
 telecommunications  carrier  that  provides  interstate  service  must  contribute  to  these  programs  on  an  equitable  basis.  The  Commission  requires  carriers  to  register  with  the  Commission  in  order  to 
 monitor  activities  in  the  telecommunications  marketplace. 
 The  three  corporations  that  are  the  subject  of  the  NALs  are  Carerra  Communications,  LP;  InPhonic,  Inc.;  and  Teletronics,  Inc. 


 By  the  Commission:  FCC  05-  147,  05-  145,  AND  05-  146.  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps,  and  Adelstein,  July  25,  2005. 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contacts:  Janice  Wise  (202)  418-  8165  or  Hillary  DeNigro  (202)  418-  7334 
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