Media Contact: 
Will Wiquist
will.wiquist@fcc.gov

For Immediate Release

FCC PROPOSES FINES FOR NONCOMPLIANCE WITH REASSIGNED NUMBERS DATABASE RULES
Compliance Is Critical to Reducing Wrong Number Robocalls
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WASHINGTON, December 12, 2022—The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau today announced proposed fines against 12 phone companies that apparently failed to submit timely phone number disconnection information to the Reassigned Number Database.  This database is a resource for lawful callers to avoid making unwanted and potentially illegal calls directed toward consumers whose numbers have been reassigned.  

“We are using every tool we can to combat illegal robocalls. For our efforts to be successful, carriers need to play their part and follow the rules,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  “When they fail to do so, we will not hesitate to act as these first-of-their-kind enforcement actions make abundantly clear.”

Millions of phone numbers are reassigned each month.  When a consumer gets a new phone number that was previously assigned to another consumer, businesses and other callers need to have access to the most complete, accurate, and up-to-date information to avoid making unwanted calls.  This also helps the prior number holder who may not be receiving calls he or she expects, like notifications from a doctor’s office, financial institution, or school. 

Under FCC rules, phone companies must submit permanent number disconnection information to the Reassigned Numbers Database administrator by the 15th of each month.  To improve understanding of these rules and ensure compliance, the FCC hosted a webinar on the new database after it launched last year.  Under FCC rules, every provider that obtains North American Numbering Plan U.S. geographic numbers must submit disconnection information for the database.

Further, to encourage callers to use the database before making calls, the Commission established a safe harbor from liability for any calls to reassigned numbers caused by database error.  The FCC also recently took steps to make it more affordable and valuable for callers to access the database to reduce unwanted calls to consumers. 

The proposed actions, formally called Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, or NALs, contain only allegations that advise a party on how it has apparently violated the law and may set forth a proposed monetary penalty.  The Commission may not impose a greater monetary penalty in these cases than the amount proposed in the NALs.  Neither the allegations nor the proposed sanctions in the NALs are final Commission actions.  The parties will be given an opportunity to respond and the Commission will consider the parties’ submissions of evidence and legal arguments before acting further to resolve the matters.

The Notices of Apparent Liability are available at: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-proposes-fines-noncompliance-reassigned-numbers-database. 

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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. Cir. 1974).