PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� News Media Information (202) 418-0500. Fax on Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http:/www.fcc.gov FTP site: ftp.fcc.gov DA 98-597 Released: March 27, 1998 CHAIRMAN ALAN C. HASSELWANDER, NORTH AMERICAN NUMBERING COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NUMBERING RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION WORKING GROUP FORMATION, ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AND AGENDA (CC Docket No. 92-237) On March 24, 1998, in response to a letter from the Chief, Common Carrier Bureau of March 23, 1998, the North American Numbering Council (NANC) created a new working group to address issues of number availability and conservation. The Common Carrier Bureau has requested that NANC report to it on national number pooling standards no later than September 23, 1998, and that the report be sufficiently detailed to support, both technically and operationally, a uniform, nationwide system for pooling by December 1999. Additionally, the Bureau urged the NANC to work cooperatively with state commissions on these issues and further requested that the NANC give number conservation solutions, other than pooling, a high priority. Consequently, the Numbering Resource Optimization Working Group (NRO-WG) will also direct its efforts to other issues involving the availability and optimization of number resources. A copy of the Bureau's letter is attached to this notice. The NRO-WG will hold its organizational meeting on April 16, 1998, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., at the Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, NW, Room 856, Washington, DC. The NANC seeks to have broad representation on the new working group, including participants from NANC, NANPA, NARUC, state interests, consumers, equipment manufacturers (both hardware and software), all telecommunications industry segments, and international interests. Selected participants will be asked to make a strong commitment to the efforts and objectives of the Working Group and may be required to attend more than one meeting per month. Parties interested in participating on the NRO-WG should contact Chairman Alan C. Hasselwander via email at ahasselw@frontiernet.net and provide a brief description of their background and interest group they represent no later than April 9, 1998. Organizational Meeting Agenda 1. Introductions. North American Numbering Council Chairman, Alan C. Hasselwander; Interim Co-chairs (NANC members), Mike Bennett, SBC; Woody Kerkeslager, AT&T, and Beth O'Donnell, NCTA. 2. Discussion of group mission and practices. 3. Identification of key issues relevant to number pooling and other number conservation methods. Further identification of current state projects relevant to number conservation. 4. Set up Task Groups and define their relationship to NANC, ongoing state efforts, INC and other industry fora. 5. Define work plan for developing NANC report to FCC on national number pooling standards. 6. Schedule of future NRO-WG meetings. 7. Nomination of permanent co-chairs for NRO-WG for confirmation by NANC at April 21, 1998 meeting. 8. Other business. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeannie Grimes at (202) 418- 2313 or via the Internet at jgrimes@fcc.gov. The address is: Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 2000 M Street, NW, Suite 235, Washington, D.C. 20554. The fax number is: (202) 418- 7314. The TTY number is: (202) 418-0484. -FCC- [Text of Chief, CCB letter to NANC] March 23, 1998 Chairman Alan C. Hasselwander North American Numbering Council 4140 Clover Street Honeoye Falls, NY 14472-9323 Dear Chairman Hasselwander: Thank you for your letters of November 5, 1997 and December 22, 1997, reporting to the Common Carrier Bureau (Bureau) on the North American Numbering Council's (NANC's) progress in developing a recommendation for the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) on national standards for number pooling. The NANC's recommendation will be an important step in the development of national standards for number pooling that will benefit telecommunications carriers and consumers. The Bureau is looking forward to receiving this recommendation. In recent months, the Bureau has received inquiries from state public utility commissions and others regarding implementation of number conservation methods that will decrease the frequency of the need for area code relief. In your letters, you state that the NANC has tentatively concluded that the adoption of number pooling is in the public interest and could mitigate the problem of number exhaust. The NANC also has concluded that national guidelines for number pooling architecture, implementation, and administration are appropriate. You also note in your letter that some state public utility commissions have adopted or are considering adopting number pooling requirements and that is the NANC's position that states taking those actions do so at the risk that their decisions may have to be modified to be consistent with national guidelines on number pooling. The Bureau is monitoring these developments and is also aware that some state commissions have established task forces to examine the feasibility and utility of number pooling. As you know, the NANC plays an important role in facilitating the development of an industry consensus on how number pooling should be implemented and the Bureau fully supports NANC's current efforts in studying pooling and preparing a report for the Commission's consideration. We also believe that efforts by state commissions will provide useful information that should help further the development of this capability. It is our hope that the NANC and the state commissions will work cooperatively on these issues. The NANC is encouraged to respond to state commission requests for information regarding the NANC's work in studying pooling, and, where possible, to use information obtained from state commissions in developing the NANC report. The NANC's report on national number pooling standards will be critical to the implementation of a technology that may alleviate the recurring problem of area code exhaust. For this reason, we request that NANC submit its report to the Commission six months from the date of this letter. It would be most helpful for the Bureau if the NANC's report could be sufficiently detailed to support, both technically and operationally, a uniform, nationwide system for pooling by December, 1999. It would also be helpful to the Bureau if the NANC would give number conservation solutions, other than pooling, a very high priority. Thank you, as always, for your continued efforts on these complex and important issues. Increased availability of numbering resources for all telecommunications carriers will promote competition, and the NANC's endeavors to that end are invaluable. Sincerely, /s/ A. Richard Metzger, Jr. Chief, Common Carrier Bureau