ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITIEE: 
HEALTH SuBCOMMITTEE 
RANKING MEMBER 
ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECONOMY 
SUBCOMMITTEE 
COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY 
SuBCOMMITTEE 
NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITIEE: 
FISHERIES, WILDLIFE, OCEANS AND 
INSULAR AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE 
DEMOCRATIC POLICY COMMITIEE: 
COMMUNICATIONS CHAIR 
http://www.house.gov/pallone 
Chairman Tom Wheeler 
FRANK PALLONE, JR. 
6TH D ISTRICT, NEW JERSEY 
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WW!asbington, JB<ll: 20515-3006 
July 23, 2014 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street SW 
Washington, DC 20554 
Dear Chairman Wheeler: 
REPLY TO: 
WASHINGTON OFFICE: 
D 237 CANNON House OFFICE BUILDING 
WASHINGTON, DC 20515-3006 
TELEPHONE: (202) 225-4671 
DISTRICT OFFICES: 
TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 
(888) 423- 1140 
D 504 BROADWAY 
LONG BRANCH, NJ 07740 
(732) 571-1140 
D 67/69 CHURCH STREET 
KILMER SOUARE 
N ew BRuNSWICK, NJ 08901 
(732) 249-8892 
I am writing to commend the Commission for its work to date on its important proposed rule 
allowing interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoiP) providers to obtain direct access to 
telephone numbers. 
During the course of the rulemaking on direct access, the Commission has developed an 
extensive record that includes input from stakeholders and interested parties. While I understand that 
some parties expressed concerns, the multitude of evidence in the record points to the substantial public 
interest benefits associated with granting VoiP providers direct access to numbering resources. In 
addition, the Commission conducted a six-month trial of direct access to telephone numbers by cettain 
interconnected VoiP providers to determine if direct access presented any technical issues. The 
Wireline Competition Bureau's report on the trial concluded that direct access did not present any 
technical issues. 
The Commission has previously expressed the importance of moving quickly to advance the IP 
transition and the proposed rule allowing interconnected VoiP providers to obtain direct access to 
telephone numbers is part of that effort. Given the substantial record that the Commission has 
developed on direct access including a successful trial, the Commission should be well positioned to 
move quickly on this important piece of the IP transition. 
I appreciate the Commission's efforts to date and urge the Commission to drive this rulemaking 
to an expeditious conclusion. 
1~:~P~,if · 
FRANK PALLONE, JR. 
Member of Congress 
CC: Jonathan Sallet, General Counsel 
Daniel Alvarez, Legal Advisor- Wireline, Public Safety, and Homeland Security 
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