56690 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 187 / Wednesday, September 28, 2005 / Notices 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

[DA–05–2421] 

Maintaining Wireless Service for 

Consumers Affected by Hurricane 

Katrina 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In this document, the 

Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 

(WTB) and Consumer & Governmental 

Affairs Bureau (CGB) take steps to 

ensure that wireless service providers 

do no improperly disconnect consumers 

displaced by Hurricane Katrina because 

they are unable to pay their bills. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Leon Jackler, Consumer & Governmental 

Affairs Bureau, at (202) 418–0946 or 

Chelsea Fallon, Wireless 

Telecommunications Bureau, at (202) 

418–7991. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is 

summary of the Commission’s 

document DA 05–2421, released 

September 7, 2005, in which the 

Wireless Telecommunications Bureau 

(WTB) and Consumer & Governmental 

Affairs Bureau (CGB) take steps to 

ensure consumers are not improperly 

disconnected from wireless service in 

the wake of Hurricane Katrina. To 

request materials in accessible formats 

for people with disabilities (Braille, 

large print, electronic files, audio 

format), send an e-mail to 

fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & 

Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 

418–0530 (voice), (202) 418–0432 

(TTY). Document DA 05–2421 can also 

be downloaded in Word or Portable 

Document Format (PDF) at: http:// 

www.fcc.gov/. 

Synopsis 

In this document, the Wireless 

Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) and 

Consumer & Governmental Affairs 

Bureau (CGB) take steps to ensure that 

wireless service providers do not 

improperly disconnect consumers 

displaced by Hurricane Katrina because 

they are unable to pay their bills. 

Hurricane Katrina displaced hundreds 

of thousands of residents of Louisiana, 

Mississippi, and Alabama, and many 

thousands of these customers rely on 

their wireless service during this 

difficult time to remain in touch with 

loved ones. As of this date, the United 

States Post Office is not operating fully 

throughout the affected area, 

commercial power capability is not yet 

available throughout the affected area, 

and the communications networks 

(including access to the Internet for 

online bill pay options) are not at prehurricane capabilities. Based on the 

representations of a number of wireless 

carriers serving consumers displaced by 

the hurricane, WTB and CGB 

understand that the common practice in 

the wireless industry at this time is to 

continue providing service to displaced 

people who cannot pay their bills in the 

wake of Hurricane Katrina. WTB and 

CGB understand that consumers 

displaced by Hurricane Katrina are 

concerned that wireless service 

providers may disconnect service for 

failure to pay their bills. To ensure that 

consumers of these services continue to 

maintain access to their wireless service 

during this difficult time, all licensees 

of wireless services serving consumers 

affected by the hurricane are required to 

submit a report no later than Thursday, 

September 8, 2005 verifying their 

compliance with the standard industry 

practice of maintaining service to 

people displaced by Hurricane Katrina 

despite failure to pay bills. Reports 

should describe the grace period or 

other relief licensees are providing for 

this issue. Reports may be submitted in 

letter format addressed to the chiefs of 

the respective bureaus. Electronic 

copies of the reports should be provided 

to Katrina_Wireless_Report@fcc.gov. In 

addition, licensees must also serve one 

copy with the Commission’s copy 

contractor, Best Copying and Printing, 

Inc. (BCPI), Portals II, 445 12th Street, 

SW., Room CY–B402, Washington, DC 

20554, (202) 488–5300, or via e-mail to 

fcc@bcpiweb.com. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Monica Desai, 

Chief, Consumer & Governmental Affairs 

Bureau. 

[FR Doc. 05–19158 Filed 9–27–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–M 

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS 

COMMISSION 

Network Reliability and Interoperability 

Council 

AGENCY: Federal Communications 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), this notice advises interested 

persons of the fifth meeting of the 

Network Reliability and Interoperability 

Council (Council) under its charter 

renewed as of December 29, 2003. The 

meeting will be held at the Federal 

Communications Commission in 

Washington, DC. 

DATES: Wednesday October 19, 2005 

beginning at 2 p.m. and concluding at 

5 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications 

Commission, 445 12th St., SW., Room 

TW–305, Washington, DC. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jeffery Goldthorp, the Designated 

Federal Officer (DFO) at (202) 418–1096 

or Jeffery.Goldthorp@fcc.gov. The TTY 

number is: (202) 418–2989. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

purpose of the Council is to provide 

recommendations to the FCC and to the 

communications industry that, if 

implemented, shall under all reasonably 

foreseeable circumstances assure 

optimal reliability and interoperability 

of wireless, wireline, satellite, cable, 

and public data networks. At this fifth 

meeting under the Council’s new 

charter, the Council will discuss 

potential recommendations in the areas 

of E911 implementation and evolution, 

network security, network reliability, 

and broadband. The Council will also 

review the status of various working 

groups. 

Members of the general public may 

attend the meeting. The Federal 

Communications Commission will 

attempt to accommodate as many 

people as possible. Admittance, 

however, will be limited to the seating 

available. The public may submit 

written comments before the meeting to 

Jeffery Goldthorp, the Commission’s 

Designated Federal Officer for the 

Network Reliability and Interoperability 

Council, by e-mail 

(Jeffery.Goldthorp@fcc.gov) or U.S. 

Postal Service mail (7–A325, 445 12th 

St., SW., Washington, DC 20554). Real 

Audio and streaming video access to the 

meeting will be available at http:// 

www.fcc.gov/realaudio/. 

Federal Communications Commission. 

Marlene H. Dortch, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 05–19516 Filed 9–27–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P 

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION 

Notice of Agreements Filed 

The Commission hereby gives notice 

of the filing of the following agreements 

under the Shipping Act of 1984. 

Interested parties may submit comments 

on an agreement to the Secretary, 

Federal Maritime Commission, 

Washington, DC 20573, within ten days 

of the date this notice appears in the 

Federal Register. Copies of agreements