PUBLIC NOTICE
  Federal Communications Commission
     1919 M St., N.W.
     Washington, D.C. 20554

                                                                 

                                                        DA 97-825
                                                   April 18, 1997

AMERICA'S CARRIERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION FILES PETITION
        FOR DECLARATORY RULING REGARDING ACCESS TO CASUAL
               CALLING CUSTOMER BILLING INFORMATION

                        File No. ENF-97-04

Comment Date:  May 19, 1997
Reply Comment Date: June 9, 1997

On January 17, 1997, the Commission received a Petition for Declaratory Ruling from America's Carriers
Telecommunication Association (ACTA) requesting that the Commission issue a declaratory ruling that
Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (ILECs) are obligated to provide billing information to Interexchange
Carriers (IXCs) that use "casual", or 10XXX, calling methods.  The 10XXX or "casual calling" method of
access allows callers access to an interexchange carrier other than their presubscribed carrier.

ACTA alleges that only ILECs receive the information necessary to bill 10XXX calls.  According to ACTA,
some LECs have announced plans to cease providing IXCs with customer billing information required for
10XXX calls.  ACTA maintains that the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (1996 Act) requires that ILECs
provide IXCs with nondiscriminatory access to network elements on an unbundled basis, which, ACTA
argues, includes 10XXX billing and collection data.  The failure of the ILECs to provide such data, ACTA
argues, would be in violation of the 1996 Act.

The Petition for Declaratory Ruling is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours
in the FCC Common Carrier Bureau's Enforcement Division Reference Room (Room 6120), 2025 M Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554.  Copies may also be obtained from International Transcription Service (ITS)
at (202) 857-3800.

Interested parties should file comments on or before May 19, 1997, and Reply comments on or before June
9, 1997.  Interested parties must file an original and four copies of their comments with the Office of the
Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, Room 222, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20554.  Comments should reference Enf. File No. 97-04.  Parties should also send one copy of their
comments to the Commission's copy contractor, International Transcription Service (ITS), Room 140, 2100
M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037.  Comments will be available for public inspection during regular
business hours in the Enforcement Division Reference Room, Room 6120, 2025 M Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20554.

We will treat this proceeding as a permit but disclose proceeding for purposes of the Commission's ex parterules.  See generally 47 C.F.R.  1.1200-1.1216.  For further information contact Darius B. Withers,
Enforcement Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at 202/ 418-0960.