[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 131 (Thursday, July 9, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37069-37070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-18237]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 64

[CC Docket No. 96-128; DA 98-1101]


Pay Telephone Reclassification and Compensation Provisions

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule; petition for waiver.

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SUMMARY: On June 10, 1998, the Common Carrier Bureau (``Bureau'') 
granted limited waivers of certain requirements relating to the 
provision of payphone-specific coding digits, established earlier in 
this proceeding, to Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, Pacific Bell, 
and Nevada Bell (collectively, ``SBC''). These limited waivers extend 
the waiver period for certain technical problems which were included in 
limited waivers previously granted by the Bureau.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 9, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg Lipscomb, Formal Complaints and 
Information Branch, Enforcement Division, Common Carrier Bureau. (202) 
418-0960.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A toll-free call transmitted by a local 
exchange carrier (LEC) to an interexchange carrier (IXC) carries with 
it billing information codes, called automatic number identification 
(ANI), supplied by the LEC that assists the IXC in properly billing the 
call. Currently, however, not all payphone calls carry the payphone-
specific coding digits necessary to identify the calls as payphone 
calls, making per-call tracking and blocking more difficult.
    In the Payphone Orders,<SUP>1</SUP> 61 FR 52307 (October 7, 1996) 
and 61 FR 65341 (December 12, 1996), the Commission imposed a 
requirement that LECs provide payphone-specific coding digits to 
payphone service providers (PSPs), and that PSPs provide those digits 
from their payphones before the PSPs can receive per-call compensation 
from IXCs for subscriber 800 and access code calls. The Commission also 
stated that, to be eligible for per-call compensation beginning October 
7, 1997, payphones were required to transmit specific payphone coding 
digits as a part of their

[[Page 37070]]

ANI, which will assist in identifying payphones to compensation payers. 
Each payphone must transmit coding digits that specifically identify it 
as a payphone, and not merely as a restricted line. The Commission also 
clarified that by October 7, 1997, LECs had to make available to PSPs, 
on a tariffed basis, such coding digits as a part of the ANI for each 
payphone.
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    \1\ Implementation of the Pay Telephone Reclassification and 
Compensation Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, CC 
Docket No. 96-128, Report and Order, 61 FR 52307 (October 7, 1996), 
11 FCC Rcd 20,541 (1996), (``Report and Order''); Order on 
Reconsideration, 61 FR 65341 (December 12, 1996), 11 FCC Rcd 21,233 
(1996) (''Order on Reconsideration'') (together the ``Payphone 
Orders'').
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    On October 7, 1997, the Bureau granted, on its own motion, pursuant 
to Sec. 1.3 of the Commission's rules, a limited waiver, until March 9, 
1998, of the payphone-specific coding requirement for those LECs and 
PSPs not yet able to provide transmission of such digits. On March 9, 
1998, in the Bureau Coding Digit Waiver Order,<SUP>2</SUP> 63 FR 20534 
(April 27, 1998), the Bureau again granted certain limited waivers, 
some of which expired on June 9, 1998. On May 22, 1998, SBC petitioned 
the Commission for extension of certain of the limited waivers that had 
been granted on March 9, 1998. On June 10, 1998, the Bureau granted, in 
part, SBC's petition. The limited waivers granted SBS on June 10, 1998 
are subject to the same requirements as applied to the waivers granted 
for these same technical problems in the Bureau Coding Digit Waiver 
Order, 63 FR 20534 (April 27, 1998).
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    \2\ Implementation of the Pay Telephone Reclassification and 
Compensation Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, 
Memorandum Opinion and Order, 63 FR 20534 (April 27, 1998), 13 FCC 
Rcd 4998 (1998) (``Bureau Coding Digit Waiver Order'').
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    Specifically, the Bureau's June 10, 1998 order grants SBC limited 
waivers, until August 15, 1998, for provision of payphone-specific 
coding digits for 0-transfer calls from six DMS 200 traffic operator 
position system (``TOPS'') switches; and until December 31, 1998, for 
800-type database services calls routing to plain old telephone service 
(``POTS'') phone numbers and 800-type database services calls routed to 
access tandem switches. The Bureau similarly grants payphone service 
providers (``PSPs'') corresponding limited waivers of the requirement 
to provide payphone-specific coding digits before they can receive 
compensation from interexchange carriers (``IXCs'') for the calls 
affected by SBC's technical problems.
    The Bureau grants these limited waivers because it finds that 
special circumstances exist, and that granting these waivers will 
promote the public interest. These waivers are limited in time and 
scope, and relate to specific payphone coding digit implementation 
problems that SBC states affect a small percentage of the total number 
of payphone calls.
    Accordingly, pursuant to authority contained in sections 1, 4, 201-
205, 218, 226, and 276 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. 151, 154, 201-205, 218, 226, and 276, and the authority 
delegated pursuant to Sections 0.91, 0.291 and 1.3 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 0.91, 0.291 and 1.3, it is ordered that the waiver 
extensions are granted to the extent described herein, and otherwise 
are denied.
    It is further ordered that this order is effective immediately upon 
release thereof, and that the waivers included in this order are 
effective June 9, 1998.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 64

    Communications common carriers, Operator service access, Payphone 
compensation, Telephone.

Federal Communications Commission.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Deputy Bureau Chief, Common Carrier Bureau.
[FR Doc. 98-18237 Filed 7-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P