NEWS
Report No. CC 97-13          COMMON CARRIER ACTION               March 25, 1997
                                      
                   COMMISSION MODIFIES ITS CALLER ID RULES
                           (CC Docket No. 91-281)
                                      
       The Commission today released an Order that makes its caller identification
("Caller ID") rules more efficient.

       In the Order, the Commission concluded that lines served by local exchange
carrier (LEC) switches that lack the capability to block and unblock the provision of
the calling party number (CPN) will not be required to pass the CPN on to the public
switched network. LECs that do pass the CPN must, however, provide blocking and
unblocking capabilities to protect caller privacy. 

       In addition, the Commission exempted LEC-owned and independently-owned
payphones from the Caller ID rules. The Commission said that this approach
promotes competition in the payphone industry because it treats all payphone
providers the same way. 

       The Commission also concluded that private branch exchange (PBX) and
Centrex systems must provide some type of blocking and unblocking capabilities
only if they pass CPN to the public switched network.

       Finally, the Commission affirmed that hotel and motel lines not served by a
PBX, and party lines, require blocking and unblocking capabilities and that carriers
are prohibited from processing automatic call return requests when the original call
was made with a privacy request.

       The compliance dates for the Order are: six months after the Order's release
date for blocking of call return services and one year after its release date for party
lines, hotel and motel lines, and PBX and Centrex systems that pass the CPN to the
public switched network.
       
       Action by the Commission March 21, 1997 by Third Report and Order,
Memorandum Opinion and Order on Further Reconsideration, and Memorandum
Opinion and Order on Reconsideration (FCC 97-103).  Chairman Hundt,
Commissioners Quello, Ness, and Chong.

                                     -FCC-

       News media contact:  Rochelle Cohen at (202) 418-0253.
       Common Carrier Bureau contact: Cheryl Taylor 418-2499 and 
       Gregory Forbes 418-2350