NEWSReport No. DC 96-3 ACTION IN DOCKET CASE January 25, 1996 COMMON CARRIER BUREAU ACTS TO ENSURE TIMELY DEPLOYMENT OF NEW TOLL FREE NUMBERS (CC DOCKET 95-155) The Common Carrier Bureau today announced action to resolve certain issues and allow the industry to open the new toll free service access code, 888, on March 1, 1996. This new toll free code is needed because the existing pool of toll free numbers will be exhausted in the near future. In October 1995, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to address certain regulatory issues relating to the introduction of toll free Service Access Codes (SACs). The Commission noted in initiating this rulemaking that, while it has historically left most 800 numbering issues to the industry, this proceeding is necessary to continue to ensure the efficient, fair and orderly allocation of toll free numbers and the responsible use of limited numbering resources in a competitive environment. The Commission stated that its goal in this proceeding is to avoid the situation faced earlier this year: the imminent total depletion of toll free numbers before the industry could make a new toll free code available. The Common Carrier Bureau has also been working with the industry to speed the deployment of this new toll free code, 888. As a result of these efforts, the initial deployment date of April 1, 1996 was moved up by one month. In light of the recent Federal government furlough and subsequent emergency snow days, the Commission, in an order adopted January 24, 1996, concluded that the most efficient way to ensure that the necessary Commission decisions are made for the March 1 deployment of 888 numbers is to delegate to the Common Carrier Bureau the authority to make them. -more- -2- In the Report and Order adopted today, the Bureau adopts the general recommendation of the industry group, SMS/800 Number Administration Committee ("SNAC"), that Responsible Organizations ("RespOrgs"), the entities that provide and assign toll free service numbers, should poll their 800 subscribers to identify which subscribers may want to obtain their corresponding number in 888. Once these numbers have been identified, Database Service Management, Inc. (DSMI), the administrator of the toll free number database, can set these 888 numbers aside from the complete pool of toll free numbers by marking them "unavailable" in the SMS/800 database. The Bureau narrowed the SNAC plan, requesting RespOrgs to poll only their commercial subscribers and that DSMI should begin to set aside the 888 numbers requests already received from RespOrgs as "unavailable" in the database upon release of this Order. The Bureau does not decide whether any 800 subscriber ultimately should be afforded any special right or protection and defers consideration of this issue to the Commission. Also, because all RespOrg may not have participated in this polling effort, the Bureau encouraged RespOrgs to continue to poll their commercial 800 subscribers and pass these requests onto DSMI no later than 11:59 p.m., eastern standard time, February 1, 1996. DSMI should complete setting aside these 888 numbers by 11:59 p.m., eastern standard time, February 8, 1996. The Bureau also concludes that the entire "888-555" NXX should be designated "unavailable" until the Commission resolves those issues that will permit competitive toll free directory assistance services. With these efforts complete, the Bureau concluded that the remaining 888 numbers should be available on a first come, first served basis. RespOrgs may begin reserving 888 numbers for their subscribers at 12:01 a.m., eastern standard time, February 10, 1996 subject only to a limited conservation plan. Consumers interested in obtaining a toll free number should contact the service provider of their choice. The Bureau concluded that an initial conservation plan for 888 numbers is necessary to protect the toll free database system from becoming overloaded which could possibly cause a temporary shutdown of the reservation process. The conservation plan adopted in this Order is based on the conservation plan adopted by the Bureau in August, 1995. Instead of capping the numbers being distributed to RespOrgs at 29,000 numbers each week, however, this 888 conservation plan will provide RespOrgs with approximately 120,000 numbers each week. Each RespOrg's weekly maximum allocation of numbers will increase by a factor of 4. Each RespOrg will be able to draw at least 200 888 numbers to meet its customers' demand. In addition, the Bureau found that a continued limited conservation plan is necessary for 800 numbers until 888 has clearly been successfully deployed and operating on a nationwide basis. The modification to the 800 conservation plan will increase -more- -3- the weekly allocation for three weeks--- beginning 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time, January 28, 1996 and ending 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time, February 17, 1996. For these three weeks, the 800 allocation will be approximately 73,000 numbers each week. Each RespOrg's weekly allocation will increase by a factor of 2.5. Each RespOrg will be able to draw no fewer than 100 800 numbers in each of these three weeks . On February 18, 1996 the 800 weekly allocation will return to 29,000 numbers. Finally, the Bureau concluded that, for tariffing purposes, 888 service should be treated like 800 service and that the associated investment and expenses of carriers regulated by price caps should not be given exogenous cost treatment. Action by the Chief, Common Carrier Bureau, January 25, 1996 by Order (DA 96- 69). -FCC- News Media contact: Susan Lewis Sallet at (202) 418-1500. Common Carrier Bureau contacts: Brad Wimmer at (202) 418-2351 Irene Flannery at (202) 418-2373 Mary De Luca at (202) 418-2334