DA 00-281 Released: February 14, 2000 COMMON CARRIER BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION'S PETITION FOR DELEGATION OF ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY TO IMPLEMENT NUMBER CONSERVATION MEASURES NSD File No. L-99-101 Pleading Cycle Established COMMENTS: March 14, 2000 REPLY COMMENTS: March 28, 2000 On September 28, 1998, the Federal Communications Commission ("Commission") released an order in the matter of a Petition for Declaratory Ruling and Request for Expedited Action on the July 15, 1997 Order of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Regarding Area Codes 412, 610, 215, and 717, and Implementation of the Local Competition Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Memorandum Opinion and Order and Order on Reconsideration, FCC 98-224, CC Docket No. 96-98, NSD File No. L-97-42 (rel. September 28, 1998) ("Pennsylvania Numbering Order"). The Pennsylvania Numbering Order delegated additional authority to state public utility commissions to order NXX code rationing in jeopardy situations and encouraged state commissions to seek further limited delegations of authority to implement other innovative number conservation methods. On December 27, 1999, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Petitioner) filed a petition requesting additional delegated authority pertaining to number conservation measures in the State of Pennsylvania. The Petitioner specifically requests authority to: (1) implement mandatory thousands-block number pooling; (2) establish utilization thresholds at the NXX and/or the thousands-block levels; (3) implement NXX code sharing; (4) reclaim unused and reserved NXX codes; (5) order the return of unused or underutilized portions of NXX codes; (6) revise rationing procedures (including authority to implement rationing plans prior to arriving at an area code relief plan, authority to require carriers to assign numbers from an NXX code to end users within six months of receiving the code, and authority to order continuation of a rationing plan for six months following implementation of area code relief); (7) order all LNP-compliant carriers to implement both unassigned number porting and individual telephone number pooling, and order carriers to expand deployment of local number portability, and: (8) implement service-specific and technology-specific NPA overlays. Petitioner states that the additional authority will enable Pennsylvania to act quickly to avoid the escalation of NXX shortages already being experienced and anticipated. Without these measures, Petitioner states that Pennsylvania will continue to experience chronic NXX code shortages as well as escalated social and economic burdens. Petitioner furthers states that with more efficient number resource utilization, Pennsylvania telecommunications consumers and companies can be protected from the ordeal and expense of unnecessary area code relief measures. Moreover, Petitioner states that the exercise of this additional authority would allow Pennsylvania to more effectively participate in the ongoing efforts to preserve the dwindling national resource of area codes and telephone numbers. We hereby seek comment on the issues raised in Petitioner's request for delegation of additional authority to implement the above number conservation measures. A copy of the petition will be available during regular business hours at the FCC Reference Center, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Suite CY-A257, Washington, D.C. 20554, (202) 418-0270. Interested parties may file comments concerning this matter on or before March 14, 2000, and reply comments on or before March 28, 2000. All filings must reference File No. NSD-L-99-101 and CC Docket 96-98. Send original and four copies to the Commission Secretary, Magalie Roman Salas, Portals II, 445 12th Street, SW, Suite TW- A325, Washington, D.C. 20554 and two copies to Al McCloud, Network Services Division, Portals II, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 6A-320, Washington, D.C. 20554. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) or by filing paper copies. Comments filed through the ECFS can be sent as an electronic file via the Internet to . If using this method, please reference CC Docket No. 96-98 in the Proceeding Block. Generally, only one copy of an electronic submission must be filed. In completing the transmittal screen, commenters should include their full name, postal service mailing address, and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions for e-mail comments, commenters should send an e-mail to ecfs@fcc.gov, including "get form " in the body of the message. A sample form and directions will be sent in reply. After filing your comments electronically, please e-mail to Al McCloud, amccloud@fcc.gov, indicating that comments have been filed. This is a "permit but disclose" proceeding for purposes of the Commission's ex parte rules. See generally 47 C.F.R.  1.1200-1.1216. As a "permit but disclose" proceeding, ex parte presentations will be governed by the procedures set forth in Section 1.1206 of the Commission's rules applicable to non-restricted proceedings. 47 C.F.R.  1.1206. Parties making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must contain a summary of the substance of the presentation and not merely a listing of the subjects discussed. More than a one or two sentence description of the views and arguments presented is generally required. See 47 C.F.R.  1.1206(b)(2). Other rules pertaining to oral and written presentations are set forth in Section 1.1206(b) as well. For further information contact Aaron Goldberger of the Common Carrier Bureau, Network Services Division, at (202) 418-1591 or agoldber@fcc.gov. The TTY number is (202) 418-0484. -FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION-