FCC LIFTS BAN ON TECHNOLOGY-SPECIFIC NUMBER OVERLAYS
FCC voted Wed. to lift ban on technology-specific and service-specific area code overlays and said it would consider state proposals for such overlays on case-by-case basis. Agency in 1995 barred such overlays, which were contemplated for wireless carriers, saying that might harm competition and hurt one type of carrier over others. FCC staff said agency would weigh such concerns against need to ease number shortages as it reviewed each request.
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CTIA immediately expressed concern, saying it was “acutely aware of the need for additional numbers” but said overlays would lead to 10-digit dialing, which it said wasn’t in best interests of consumers. “As we bring new services and new choices to consumers, we must not punish them with onerous or discriminatory requirements such as 10-digit dialing,” CTIA Pres. Thomas Wheeler said. He said CTIA hoped technology-specific overlays “will be used only where existing numbers are nearly exhausted and then on a transitional basis, until pooling has been implemented.”
FCC issued 2 orders expanding on action started year ago to conserve telephone numbers in light of fast-depleting supplies. Telecom industry is faced with ever-increasing demand for numbers because of growth in competition and new technologies. FCC also: (1) Declined to alter implementation date for wireless carriers to participate in number pooling. (2) Decided not to extend pooling requirement to paging carriers or to carriers not capable of providing local number portability outside 1,000 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas. (3) Allowed ILECs to recover costs related to national 1,000-block number pooling implementation if such costs weren’t recovered through existing rates. Agency staff said Commission wasn’t imposing additional user line charges, but carriers could recover costs through access charges. State regulators must set up separate system for recovery of state costs. (4) Said it would deny numbering resources to carriers that violated FCC’s numbering rules if audits showed violations. Order also clarified role of state regulators in audit process. (5) Established “safety valve” to allow carriers to get needed numbers even if they didn’t meet requirements.
USTA said it was eager to read details of order because it was concerned carriers might not be able “to recover the costs related to implementing this order.” Comrs. Copps and Martin both emphasized need to work closely with state regulators on numbering issues. State commissioners “are on the front lines of this battle,” Martin said, praising FCC item for giving state regulators flexibility: “They bear the brunt of consumer complaints for us.”