PUBLIC NOTICE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 DA 97-1055 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov ftp.fcc.gov Released: May 19, 1997 THE NORTH AMERICAN NUMBERING COUNCIL (NANC) ISSUES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE NORTH AMERICAN NUMBERING PLAN ADMINISTRATOR, BILLING AND COLLECTION AGENT, AND RELATED RULES; PLEADING CYCLE ESTABLISHED (CC DOCKET NO. 92-237) Comment Date: June 20, 1997 Reply Date: July 3, 1997 In a Report and Order released on July 13, 1995 in the above-referenced docket (Number Administration Order), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) established the North American Numbering Council (NANC) pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2 (FACA). The Number Administration Order directed the NANC, among other things, to recommend to the Commission and to other member countries of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) a neutral entity to serve as NANP Administrator and an appropriate mechanism for recovering the costs of NANP administration in the United States. The membership of NANC, which includes thirty-two voting members and four special non-voting members, was selected to represent all viewpoints regarding numbering administration. The Commission's charge that the NANC recommend an impartial NANP Administrator is consistent with Congress's directive in Section 251(e)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, that an impartial numbering administrator be named to make telecommunications numbering available on an equitable basis. On May 15, 1997, the Commission received the NANC's Recommendation on the NANP Administrator and Billing and Collection Agent (Recommendation). Earlier, the NANC had received proposals in response to its Requirements Document that set forth the qualities and attributes of the NANPA and Billing and Collection Agent and the functions that each would be expected to perform. Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), the Center for Communications Management Information (CCMI), Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed), and Mitretek Systems (Mitretek) responded with proposals to serve as NANPA. Proposals to serve as Billing and Collection Agent were received from CCMI, Lockheed, and the National Exchange Carriers Association (NECA). As indicated in the Recommendation, a majority of the NANC (13 members) voted to recommend Lockheed as the new NANPA for a period of five years and a minority (11 members) voted to recommend Mitretek. NANC further recommends that the entity designated to serve as the NANPA agree to two conditions. First, such entity must agree to make available any and all intellectual property and associated hardware including, but not limited to, systems, software, interface specifications and supporting documentation, generated by or resulting from its performance as NANPA, and to make such property available to whomever NANC directs, free of charge. Such entity must specify any property it proposes to exclude from the foregoing category of property based on the existence of such property prior to the entity's selection as NANPA. Second, the entity selected as the NANPA must perform the NANPA functions at the price the entity submitted in its proposal to the NANC that formed the basis for the entity's selection by the NANC. Such entity, however, may request from NANC and, with approval by the Commission, NANC may grant an adjustment in this price should the actual number of Central Office (CO) code assignments made per year, the number of numbering plan area codes (NPAs) requiring relief per year, or, the number of NPA relief meetings per NPA requiring relief exceed 120 percent of NANPA's assumptions for the above tasks made in the proposal to the NANC that formed the basis for the entity's selection by the NANC. The NANC also recommends proposed rules, contained in attachments to the Recommendation, to govern the performance of the NANPA and Billing and Collection Agent and to address resolution of numbering disputes. Finally, the NANC unanimously recommends NECA as Billing and Collection Agent, subject to the Federal Communications Commission's ordering NECA to create an independent and neutral Board of Directors for NANPA Billing and Collection. We seek comments on NANC's Recommendation. Interested parties should file an original and four copies of their comments on the NANC's North American Numbering Plan Administrator and Billing and Collection Agent Recommendation by June 20, 1997 and reply comments by July 3, 1997 with the Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Comments and reply comments should reference CC Docket No. 92-237. In addition, parties should send two copies to Jeannie Grimes, Common Carrier Bureau, FCC, Suite 235, 2000 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, and one copy to ITS, at 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Comments and reply comments will be available for public inspection and copying during regular business hours in the Commission's Public Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20554. Copies of comments and reply comments will also be available from ITS, at 1231 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036, or by calling (202) 857-3800. Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C., App. 2  9, and consistent with its charter, the NANC's authority is limited to providing advice and recommendations to the Commission. All procedural requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act, 5 U.S.C.  551 et. seq., and other applicable statutes will apply to this proceeding. We will treat this proceeding as a non-restricted rulemaking for purposes of the Commission's ex parte rules. See generally 47 C.F.R.  1.1200(a), 1.1206. For further information contact Marian Gordon or Scott Shefferman, Network Services Division, Common Carrier Bureau, at (202) 418-2320. - FCC -