Source: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?mc=true&node=pt47.3.68&rgn=div5
Timestamp: 2019-11-15 16:33:22
Document Index: 310527189

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Title 47 → Chapter I → Subchapter B → Part 68
§68.2 Scope.
§68.4 Hearing aid-compatible telephones.
§68.5 Waivers.
§68.6 Telephones with volume control.
§68.7 Technical criteria for terminal equipment.
§68.100 General.
§68.102 Terminal equipment approval requirement.
§68.105 Minimum point of entry (MPOE) and demarcation point.
§68.106 Notification to provider of wireline telecommunications.
§68.108 Incidence of harm.
§68.110 Compatibility of the public switched telephone network and terminal equipment.
§68.112 Hearing aid-compatibility.
§68.160 Designation of Telecommunication Certification Bodies (TCBs).
§68.162 Requirements for Telecommunication Certification Bodies.
§68.201 Connection to the public switched telephone network.
§68.211 Terminal equipment approval revocation procedures.
§68.213 Installation of other than “fully protected” non-system simple customer premises wiring.
§68.214 Changes in other than “fully protected” premises wiring that serves fewer than four subscriber access lines.
§68.215 Installation of other than “fully protected” system premises wiring that serves more than four subscriber access lines.
§68.218 Responsibility of the party acquiring equipment authorization.
§68.224 Notice of non-hearing aid compatibility.
§68.300 Labeling requirements.
§68.316 Hearing aid compatibility: Technical requirements.
§68.317 Hearing aid compatibility volume control: technical standards.
§68.318 Additional limitations.
§68.320 Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.
§68.321 Location of responsible party.
§68.322 Changes in name, address, ownership or control of responsible party.
§68.324 Supplier's Declaration of Conformity requirements.
§68.326 Retention of records.
§68.346 Description of testing facilities.
§68.348 Changes in equipment and circuitry subject to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.
§68.350 Revocation of Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.
§68.354 Numbering and labeling requirements for terminal equipment.
Subpart E—Complaint Procedures
§§68.400-68.412 [Reserved]
Subpart F—ACS Telephonic CPE
§68.501 Authorization procedures.
§68.502 Labeling, warranty, instructions, and notice of revocation of approval.
§68.503 Complaint procedures.
§68.504 Administrative Council on Terminal Attachments.
§68.602 Sponsor of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.
§68.604 Requirements for submitting technical criteria.
§68.608 Publication of technical criteria.
§68.610 Database of terminal equipment.
§68.612 Labels on terminal equipment.
§68.614 Oppositions and appeals.
Authority: Secs. 4, 5, 303, 710, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1068, 1082 (47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 303, 610).
Source: 45 FR 20841, Mar. 31, 1980, unless otherwise noted.
The purpose of the rules and regulations in this part is to provide for uniform standards for the protection of the telephone network from harms caused by the connection of terminal equipment and associated wiring thereto, and for the compatibility of hearing aids and telephones so as to ensure that, to the fullest extent made possible by technology and medical science, people with hearing loss have equal access to the national telecommunications network, including advanced communications services.
[83 FR 8632, Feb. 28, 2018]
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and excluding subpart F, which applies only to ACS telephonic CPE, the rules and regulations of this part apply to direct connection of all terminal equipment to the public switched telephone network for use in conjunction with all services other than party line services. Sections 68.4, 68.5, 68.6, 68.112, 68.160, 68.162, 68.316, and 68.317, and other sections to the extent they are made applicable by subpart F of this part, also apply to ACS and ACS telephonic CPE that is manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States on or after February 28, 2020.
(b) National defense and security. Where the Secretary of Defense or authorized agent or the head of any other governmental department, agency, or administration (approved in writing by the Commission to act pursuant to this rule) or authorized representative, certifies in writing to the appropriate common carrier that compliance with the provisions of part 68 could result in the disclosure of communications equipment or security devices, locations, uses, personnel, or activity which would adversely affect the national defense and security, such equipment or security devices may be connected to the telephone company provided communications network without compliance with this part, provided that each written certification states that:
[66 FR 7580, Jan. 24, 2001, as amended at 83 FR 8632, Feb. 28, 2018]
Advanced communications services. Interconnected VoIP service, non-interconnected VoIP service, electronic messaging service, and interoperable video conferencing service.
Hearing aid compatible. Except as used at §§68.4(a)(3) and 68.414, and subpart F of this part the terms hearing aid compatible or hearing aid compatibility are used as defined in §68.316, unless it is specifically stated that hearing aid compatibility volume control, as defined in §68.317, is intended or is included in the definition.
Responsible party. The party or parties responsible for the compliance of terminal equipment or protective circuitry intended for connection directly to the public switched telephone network, or of ACS telephonic CPE, with the applicable rules and regulations in this part and with any applicable technical criteria published by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments. If a Telecommunications Certification Body certifies the terminal equipment or ACS telephonic CPE, the responsible party is the holder of the certificate for that equipment. If the terminal equipment or ACS telephonic CPE is the subject of a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, the responsible party shall be: The manufacturer of the equipment, or the manufacturer of protective circuitry that is marketed for use with terminal equipment that is not to be connected directly to the network, or if the equipment is imported, the importer, or if the equipment is assembled from individual component parts, the assembler. If the equipment is modified by any party not working under the authority of the responsible party, the party performing the modifications, if located within the U.S., or the importer, if the equipment is imported subsequent to the modifications, becomes the new responsible party. Retailers or original equipment manufacturers may enter into an agreement with the assembler or importer to assume the responsibilities to ensure compliance of the terminal equipment or ACS telephonic CPE and to become the responsible party.
[66 FR 7581, Jan. 24, 2001, as amended at 83 FR 8632, Feb. 28, 2018]
(a)(1) Except for telephones used with public mobile services, telephones used with private radio services, and cordless and secure telephones, every telephone manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or imported for use in the United States after August 16, 1989, must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316. Every cordless telephone manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or imported into the United States after August 16, 1991, must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316.
(2) Unless otherwise stated and except for telephones used with public mobile services, telephones used with private radio services and secure telephones, every telephone listed in §68.112 must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316.
(3) A telephone is hearing aid-compatible if it provides internal means for effective use with hearing aids that are designed to be compatible with telephones which meet established technical standards for hearing aid compatibility.
(4) The Commission shall revoke or otherwise limit the exemptions of paragraph (a)((1) of this section for telephones used with public mobile services or telephones used with private radio services if it determines that (i) such revocation or limitation is in the public interest; (ii) continuation of the exemption without such revocation or limitation would have an adverse effect on hearing-impaired individuals; (iii) compliance with the requirements of §68.4(a)(1) is technologically feasible for the telephones to which the exemption applies; and (iv) compliance with the requirements of §68.4(a)(1) would not increase costs to such an extent that the telephones to which the exemption applies could not be successfully marketed.
[54 FR 21430, May 18, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 28763, July 13, 1990; 57 FR 27183, June 18, 1992; 61 FR 42186, Aug. 14, 1996]
The Commission may, upon the application of any interested person, initiate a proceeding to waive the requirements of §68.4(a)(1) with respect to new telephones, or telephones associated with a new technology or service. The Commission shall not grant such a waiver unless it determines, on the basis of evidence in the record of such proceeding, that such telephones, or such technology or service, are in the public interest, and that (a) compliance with the requirements of §68.4(a)(1) is technologically infeasible, or (b) compliance with such requirements would increase the costs of the telephones, or of the technology or service, to such an extent that such telephones, technology, or service could not be successfully marketed. In any proceeding under this section to grant a waiver from the requirements of §68.4(a)(1), the Commission shall consider the effect on hearing-impaired individuals of granting the waiver. The Commission shall periodically review and determine the continuing need for any waiver granted pursuant to this section.
[54 FR 21430, May 18, 1989]
As of January 1, 2000, all telephones, including cordless telephones, as defined in §15.3(j) of this chapter, manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or imported for use in the United States, must have volume control in accordance with §68.317. Secure telephones, as defined by §68.3 are exempt from this section, as are telephones used with public mobile services or private radio services.
[62 FR 43484, Aug. 14, 1997]
(a) Terminal equipment shall not cause harm, as defined in §68.3, to the public switched telephone network.
(b) Technical criteria published by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments are the presumptively valid technical criteria for the protection of the public switched telephone network from harms caused by the connection of terminal equipment, subject to the appeal procedures in §68.614 of this part.
[66 FR 7581, Jan. 24, 2001]
In accordance with the rules and regulations in this part, terminal equipment may be directly connected to the public switched telephone network, including private line services provided over wireline facilities that are owned by providers of wireline telecommunications.
(3) In any multiunit premises where the demarcation point is not already at the MPOE, the provider of wireline telecommunications services must comply with a request from the premises owner to relocate the demarcation point to the MPOE. The provider of wireline telecommunications services must negotiate terms in good faith and complete the negotiations within forty-five days from said request. Premises owners may file complaints with the Commission for resolution of allegations of bad faith bargaining by provider of wireline telecommunications services. See 47 U.S.C. 208, 47 CFR 1.720 through 1.740.
(4) The provider of wireline telecommunications services shall make available information on the location of the demarcation point within ten business days of a request from the premises owner. If the provider of wireline telecommunications services does not provide the information within that time, the premises owner may presume the demarcation point to be at the MPOE. Notwithstanding the provisions of §68.110(b), provider of wireline telecommunications services must make this information freely available to the requesting premises owner.
[66 FR 7582, Jan. 24, 2001; 67 FR 60167, Sept. 25, 2002; 83 FR 31677, July 9, 2018; 83 FR 44843, Sept. 4, 2018]
(a) General. Customers connecting terminal equipment or protective circuitry to the public switched telephone network shall, upon request of the provider of wireline telecommunications, inform the provider of wireline telecommunications of the particular line(s) to which such connection is made, and any other information required to be placed on the terminal equipment pursuant to §68.354 of this part by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.
(2) The identifying information required to be placed on terminal equipment pursuant to §68.354 for all equipment dedicated to that line; and
(4) A list of identifying numbers required to be placed on terminal equipment, if any, by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments, pursuant to §68.354 of this part, for equipment to be used in the system.
(c) Systems using other than “fully protected” premises wiring. Customers who intend to connect premises wiring other than “fully protected” premises wiring to the public switched telephone network shall, in addition to the foregoing, give notice to the provider of wireline telecommunications in accordance with §68.215(e).
(a) Promptly notify the customer of such temporary discontinuance;
(b) Afford the customer the opportunity to correct the situation which gave rise to the temporary discontinuance; and
(c) Inform the customer of his right to bring a complaint to the Commission pursuant to the procedures set forth in subpart E of this part.
[55 FR 28630, July 12, 1990, as amended at 66 FR 7583, Jan. 24, 2001]
(b) Availability of inside wiring information. Any available technical information concerning wiring on the customer side of the demarcation point, including copies of existing schematic diagrams and service records, shall be provided by the provider of wireline telecommunications upon request of the building owner or agent thereof. The provider of wireline telecommunications may charge the building owner a reasonable fee for this service, which shall not exceed the cost involved in locating and copying the documents. In the alternative, the provider of wireline telecommunications may make these documents available for review and copying by the building owner. In this case, the provider of wireline telecommunications may charge a reasonable fee, which shall not exceed the cost involved in making the documents available, and may also require the building owner to pay a deposit to guarantee the documents' return.
[66 FR 7583, Jan. 24, 2001, as amended at 83 FR 31677, July 9, 2018]
(a) Coin telephones. All new and existing coin-operated telephones, whether located on public property or in a semi-public location (e.g., drugstore, gas station, private club).
(b) Emergency use telephones. Telephones “provided for emergency use” include the following:
(1) Telephones, except headsets, in places where a person with a hearing disability might be isolated in an emergency, including, but not limited to, elevators, highways, and tunnels for automobile, railway or subway, and workplace common areas.
Note to paragraph (b)(1): Examples of workplace common areas include libraries, reception areas and similar locations where employees are reasonably expected to congregate.
(2) Telephones specifically installed to alert emergency authorities, including, but not limited to, police or fire departments or medical assistance personnel.
(3) Telephones, except headsets, in workplace non-common areas. Note: Examples of workplace non-common areas include private enclosed offices, open area individual work stations and mail rooms. Such non-common area telephones are required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, by January 1, 2000, except for those telephones located in establishments with fewer than fifteen employees; and those telephones purchased between January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1989, which are not required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, until January 1, 2005.
(i) Telephones, including headsets, made available to an employee with a hearing disability for use by that employee in his or her employment duty, shall, however, be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316.
(ii) As of January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2005, whichever date is applicable, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that all telephones located in the workplace are hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316. Any person who identifies a telephone as non-hearing aid-compatible, as defined in §68.316, may rebut this presumption. Such telephone must be replaced within fifteen working days with a hearing aid compatible telephone, as defined in §68.316, including, on or after January 1, 2000, with volume control, as defined in §68.317.
(iii) Telephones, not including headsets, except those headsets furnished under paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, that are purchased, or replaced with newly acquired telephones, must be:
(A) Hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, after October 23, 1996; and
(B) Include volume control, as defined in §68.317, on or after January 1, 2000.
(iv) When a telephone under paragraph (b)(3)(iii) of this section is replaced with a telephone from inventory existing before October 23, 1996, any person may make a bona fide request that such telephone be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316. If the replacement occurs on or after January 1, 2000, the telephone must have volume control, as defined in §68.317. The telephone shall be provided within fifteen working days.
(v) During the period from October 23, 1996, until the applicable date of January 1, 2000 or January 1, 2005, workplaces of fifteen or more employees also must provide and designate telephones for emergency use by employees with hearing disabilities through one or more of the following means:
(A) By having at least one coin-operated telephone, one common area telephone or one other designated hearing aid compatible telephone within a reasonable and accessible distance for an individual searching for a telephone from any point in the workplace; or
(B) By providing wireless telephones that meet the definition for hearing aid compatible for wireline telephones, as defined in §68.316, for use by employees in their employment duty outside common areas and outside the offices of employees with hearing disabilities.
(4) All credit card operated telephones, whether located on public property or in a semipublic location (e.g., drugstore, gas station, private club), unless a hearing aid compatible (as defined in §68.316) coin-operated telephone providing similar services is nearby and readily available. However, regardless of coin-operated telephone availability, all credit card operated telephones must be made hearing aid-compatible, as defined in §68.316, when replaced, or by May 1, 1991, which ever comes sooner.
(5) Telephones needed to signal life threatening or emergency situations in confined settings, including but not limited to, rooms in hospitals, residential health care facilities for senior citizens, and convalescent homes:
(i) A telephone that is hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, is not required until:
(A) November 1, 1997, for establishments with fifty or more beds, unless replaced before that time; and
(B) November 1, 1998, for all other establishments with fewer than fifty beds, unless replaced before that time.
(ii) Telephones that are purchased, or replaced with newly acquired telephones, must be:
(A) Hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.116, after October 23, 1996; and
(iii) Unless a telephone in a confined setting is replaced pursuant to paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section, a hearing aid compatible telephone shall not be required if:
(A) A telephone is both purchased and maintained by a resident for use in that resident's room in the establishment; or
(B) The confined setting has an alternative means of signalling life-threatening or emergency situations that is available, working and monitored.
(6) Telephones in hotel and motel guest rooms, and in any other establishment open to the general public for the purpose of overnight accommodation for a fee. Such telephones are required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, except that, for establishments with eighty or more guest rooms, the telephones are not required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, until November 1, 1998; and for establishments with fewer than eighty guest rooms, the telephones are not required to be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, until November 1, 1999.
(i) Anytime after October 23, 1996, if a hotel or motel room is renovated or newly constructed, or the telephone in a hotel or motel room is replaced or substantially, internally repaired, the telephone in that room must be:
(ii) The telephones in at least twenty percent of the guest rooms in a hotel or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, as of April 1, 1997.
(iii) Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (b)(6) of this section, hotels and motels which use telephones purchased during the period January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1989 may provide telephones that are hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, in guest rooms according to the following schedule:
(A) The telephones in at least twenty percent of the guest rooms in a hotel or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, as of April 1, 1997;
(B) The telephones in at least twenty-five percent of the guest rooms in a hotel or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, by November 1, 1999; and
(C) The telephones in one-hundred percent of the guest rooms in a hotel or motel must be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, by January 1, 2001 for establishments with eighty or more guest rooms, and by January 1, 2004 for establishments with fewer than eighty guest rooms.
(c) Telephones frequently needed by the hearing impaired. Closed circuit telephones, i.e., telephones which cannot directly access the public switched network, such as telephones located in lobbies of hotels or apartment buildings; telephones in stores which are used by patrons to order merchandise; telephones in public transportation terminals which are used to call taxis or to reserve rental automobiles, need not be hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, until replaced.
(b) In the United States, TCBs shall be accredited and designated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under its National Voluntary Conformity Assessment Evaluation (NVCASE) program, or other recognized programs based on ISO/IEC 17065:2012, to comply with the Commission's qualification criteria for TCBs. NIST may, in accordance with its procedures, allow other appropriately qualified accrediting bodies to accredit TCBs. TCBs shall comply with the requirements in §68.162 of this part.
(d) Incorporation by reference. (1) The materials listed in this section are incorporated by reference in this part. These incorporations by reference were approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. These materials are incorporated as they exist on the date of the approval, and notice of any change in these materials will be published in the Federal Register. All approved material is available for inspection at the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th St. SW., Reference Information Center, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418-0270 and is available from the sources below. It is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal__register/code__of__federal__regulations/ibr__locations.html.
(2) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), IEC Central Office, 3, rue de Varembe, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Email: inmail@iec.ch,www.iec.ch or International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. De la Voie-Creuse, CP 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland; www.iso.org; Tel.: + 41 22 749 01 11; Fax: + 41 22 733 34 30; email: central@iso.org . (ISO publications can also be purchased from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) through its NSSN operation (www.nssn.org), at Customer Service, American National Standards Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, telephone (212) 642-4900.)
(i) ISO/IEC 17011:2004(E), “Conformity assessment—General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies,” First Edition, 2004-09-01, IBR approved for §68.160(c).
[64 FR 4997, Feb. 2, 1999, as amended at 80 FR 33447, June 12, 2015]
(e) Recognition of TCBs. (1)(i) The Commission will recognize as a TCB any organization that meets the qualification criteria and is accredited and designated by NIST or its recognized accreditor as provided in §68.160(b).
(ii) The Commission will recognize as a TCB any organization outside the United States that meets the qualification criteria and is designated pursuant to an bilateral or multilateral Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) as provided in §68.160(c).
(f) Scope of responsibility. (1) TCBs shall certify equipment in accordance with the Commission's rules and policies.
(ii) Take enforcement actions.
(g) Post-certification requirements. (1) A Telecommunications Certification Body shall supply a copy of each approved application form and grant of certification to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.
(i) Incorporation by reference: The materials listed in this section are incorporated by reference in this part. These incorporations by reference were approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. These materials are incorporated as they exist on the date of the approval, and notice of any change in these materials will be published in the Federal Register. All approved material is available for inspection at the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th St. SW., Reference Information Center, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418-0270 and is available from the sources below. It is also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal__register/code__of__federal__regulations/ibr__locations.html.
(1) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), IEC Central Office, 3, rue de Varembe,CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland, Email: inmail@iec.ch,www.iec.ch or International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. De la Voie-Creuse, CP 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland; www.iso.org; Tel.: + 41 22 749 01 11; Fax: + 41 22 733 34 30; email: central@iso.org . (ISO publications can also be purchased from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) through its NSSN operation (www.nssn.org), at Customer Service, American National Standards Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, telephone (212) 642-4900.)
[64 FR 4998, Feb. 2, 1999, as amended at 66 FR 27601, May 18, 2001; 67 FR 57182, Sept. 9, 2002; 80 FR 33448, June 12, 2015]
[66 FR 7583, Jan. 24, 2001]
(a) Causes for revocation. The Commission may revoke the interconnection authorization of terminal equipment, whether that authorization was acquired through certification by a Telecommunications Certification Body or through the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity process in §§68.320 through 68.350 of this part, where:
(2) The approved equipment is shown to cause harms to the public switched telephone network, as defined in §68.3;
(b) Notice of intent to revoke interconnection authority. Before revoking interconnection authority under the provisions of this section, the Commission, or the Enforcement Bureau under delegated authority, will issue a written Notice of Intent to Revoke Part 68 Interconnection Authority, or a Joint Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Notice of Intent to Revoke Part 68 Interconnection Authority pursuant to §§1.80 and 1.89 of this chapter.
(a) Scope of this rule. Provisions of this rule apply only to “unprotected” premises wiring used with simple installations of wiring for up to four line residential and business telephone service. More complex installations of wiring for multiple line services, for use with systems such as PBX and key telephone systems, are controlled by §68.215 of these rules.
(b) Wiring authorized. Unprotected premises wiring may be used to connect units of terminal equipment or protective circuitry to one another, and to carrier-installed facilities if installed in accordance with these rules. The provider of wireline telecommunications is not responsible, except pursuant to agreement between it and the customer or undertakings by it, otherwise consistent with Commission requirements, for installation and maintenance of wiring on the subscriber's side of the demarcation point, including any wire or jacks that may have been installed by the carrier. The subscriber and/or premises owner may install wiring on the subscriber's side of the demarcation point, and may remove, reconfigure, and rearrange wiring on that side of the demarcation point including wiring and wiring that may have been installed by the carrier. The customer or premises owner may not access carrier wiring and facilities on the carrier's side of the demarcation point. Customers may not access the protector installed by the provider of wireline telecommunications. All plugs and jacks used in connection with inside wiring shall conform to the published technical criteria of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments. In multiunit premises with more than one customer, the premises owner may adopt a policy restricting a customer's access to wiring on the premises to only that wiring located in the customer's individual unit wiring that serves only that particular customer. See §68.105 in this part. The customer or premises owner may not access carrier wiring and facilities on the carrier's side of the demarcation point. Customers may not access the protector installed by the provider of wireline telecommunications. All plugs and jacks used in connection with inside wiring shall conform to the published technical criteria of the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.
(c) Material requirements. (1) For new installations and modifications to existing installations, copper conductors shall be, at a minimum, solid, 24 gauge or larger, twisted pairs that comply with the electrical specifications for Category 3, as defined in the ANSI EIA/TIA Building Wiring Standards.
(2) Conductors shall have insulation with a 1500 Volt rms minimum breakdown rating. This rating shall be established by covering the jacket or sheath with at least 15 cm (6 inches) (measured linearly on the cable) of conductive foil, and establishing a potential difference between the foil and all of the individual conductors connected together, such potential difference gradually increased over a 30 second time period to 1500 Volts rms, 60 Hertz, then applied continuously for one minute. At no time during this 90 second time interval shall the current between these points exceed 10 milliamperes peak.
(3) All wire and connectors meeting the requirements set forth in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(2) shall be marked, in a manner visible to the consumer, with the symbol “CAT 3” or a symbol consisting of a “C” with a “3” contained within the “C” character, at intervals not to exceed one foot (12 inches) along the length of the wire.
(d) Attestation. Manufacturers (or distributors or retailers, whichever name appears on the packaging) of non-system telephone premises wire shall attest in a letter to the Commission that the wire conforms with part 68, FCC Rules.
[49 FR 21734, May 23, 1984, as amended at 50 FR 29392, July 19, 1985; 50 FR 47548, Nov. 19, 1985; 51 FR 944, Jan. 9, 1986; 55 FR 28630, July 12, 1990; 58 FR 44907, Aug. 25, 1993; 62 FR 36464, July 8, 1997; 65 FR 4140, Jan. 26, 2000; 66 FR 7583, Jan. 24, 2001]
Operations associated with the installation, connection, reconfiguration and removal (other than final removal) of premises wiring that serves fewer than four subscriber access lines must be performed as provided in §68.215(c) if the premises wiring is not “fully protected.” For this purpose, the supervisor and installer may be the same person.
[66 FR 7584, Jan. 24, 2001]
(a) Types of wiring authorized—(1) Between equipment entities. Unprotected premises wiring, and protected premises wiring requiring acceptance testing for imbalance, may be used to connect separately-housed equipment entities to one another.
(3) Hardware protection as part of the facilities of the provider of wireline telecommunications. In any case where the carrier chooses to provide (and the customer chooses to accept, except as authorized under paragraph (g) of this section), hardware protection on the network side of the interface(s), the presence of such hardware protection will affect the classification of premises wiring for the purposes of §68.215, as appropriate.
(b) Installation personnel. Operations associated with the installation, connection, reconfiguration and removal (other than final removal of the entire premises communications system) of other than fully-protected premises wiring shall be performed under the supervision and control of a supervisor, as defined in paragraph (c) of this section. The supervisor and installer may be the same person.
(c) Supervision. Operations by installation personnel shall be performed under the responsible supervision and control of a person who:
(1) Has had at least six months of on-the-job experience in the installation of telephone terminal equipment or of wiring used with such equipment;
(2) Has been trained by the registrant of the equipment to which the wiring is to be connected in the proper performance of any operations by installation personnel which could affect that equipment's continued compliance with these rules;
(3) Has received written authority from the registrant to assure that the operations by installation personnel will be performed in such a manner as to comply with these rules.
(4) Or, in lieu of paragraphs (c) (1) through (3) of this section, is a licensed professional engineer in the jurisdiction in which the installation is performed.
(d) Workmanship and material requirements—(1) General. Wiring shall be installed so as to assure that there is adequate insulation of telephone wiring from commercial power wiring and grounded surfaces. Wiring is required to be sheathed in an insulating jacket in addition to the insulation enclosing individual conductors (see below) unless located in an equipment enclosure or in an equipment room with restricted access; it shall be assured that this physical and electrical protection is not damaged or abraded during placement of the wiring. Any intentional removal of wiring insulation (or a sheath) for connections or splices shall be accomplished by removing the minimum amount of insulation necessary to make the connection or splice, and insulation equivalent to that provided by the wire and its sheath shall be suitably restored, either by placement of the splices or connections in an appropriate enclosure, or equipment rooms with restricted access, or by using adequately-insulated connectors or splicing means.
(2) Wire. Insulated conductors shall have a jacket or sheath with a 1500 volt rms minimum breakdown rating, except when located in an equipment enclosure or an equipment room with restricted access. This rating shall be established by covering the jacket or sheath with at least 15 cm (6 in) (measured linearly on the cable) of conductive foil, and establishing a potential difference between the foil and all of the individual conductors connected together, such potential difference gradually increased over a 30 second time period to 1500 volts rms, 60 Hertz, then applied continuously for one minute. At no time during this 90 second time interval shall the current between these points exceed 10 milliamperes peak.
(3) Places where the jacket or sheath has been removed. Any point where the jacket or sheath has been removed (or is not required) shall be accessible for inspection. If such points are concealed, they shall be accessible without disturbing permanent building finish (e.g., by removing a cover).
(4) Building and electrical codes. All building and electrical codes applicable in the jurisdiction to telephone wiring shall be complied with. If there are no such codes applicable to telephone wiring, Article 800 of the 1978 National Electrical Code, entitled Communications Systems, and other sections of that Code incorporated therein by reference shall be complied with.
(5) Limitations on electrical signals. Only signal sources that emanate from the provider of wireline telecommunications central office, or that are generated in equipment at the customer's premises and are “non-hazardous voltage sources” as defined in the technical criteria published by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments, may be routed in premises telephone wiring, except for voltages for network control signaling and supervision that are consistent with standards employed by the provider of wireline telecommunications. Current on individual wiring conductors shall be limited to values which do not cause an excessive temperature rise, with due regard to insulation materials and ambient temperatures. The following table assumes a 45 °C temperature rise for wire sizes 22 AWG or larger, and a 40 °C rise for wire sizes smaller than 22 AWG, for poly-vinyl chloride insulating materials, and should be regarded as establishing maximum values to be derated accordingly in specific installations where ambient temperatures are in excess of 25 °C:
Maximum Continuous Current Capacity of PVC Insulated Copper Wire, Confined
32 63.2 0.32
30 100.5 0.52
28 159.8 0.83
26 254.1 1.3
24 404.0 2.1
22 642.4 5.0
20 1022 7.5
18 1624 10
Note: The total current in all conductors of multiple conductor cables may not exceed 20% of the sum of the individual ratings of all such conductors.
(6) Physical protection. In addition to the general requirements that wiring insulation be adequate and not damaged during placement of the wiring, wiring shall be protected from adverse effects of weather and the environment in which it is used. Where wiring is attached to building finish surfaces (surface wiring), it shall be suitably supported by means which do not affect the integrity of the wiring insulation.
(e) Documentation requirements. A notarized affidavit and one copy thereof shall be prepared by the installation supervisor in advance of each operation associated with the installation, connection, reconfiguration and removal of other than fully-protected premises wiring (except when accomplished functionally using a cross-connect panel), except when involved with removal of the entire premises communications system using such wiring. This affidavit and its copy shall contain the following information:
(1) The responsible supervisor's full name, business address and business telephone number.
(2) The name of the registrant(s) (or manufacturer(s), if grandfathered equipment is involved) of any equipment to be used electrically between the wiring and the telephone network interface, which does not contain inherent protection against hazardous voltages and longitudinal imbalance.
(3) A statement as to whether the supervisor complies with §68.215(c). Training and authority under §68.215(c)(2)-(3) is required from the registrant (or manufacturer, if grandfathered equipment is involved) of the first piece of equipment electrically connected to the telephone network interface, other than passive equipments such as extensions, cross-connect panels, or adapters. In general, this would be the registrant (or manufacturer) of a system's common equipment.
(4) The date(s) when placement and connection of the wiring will take place.
(5) The business affiliation of the installation personnel.
(6) Identification of specific national and local codes which will be adhered to.
(7) The manufacturer(s); a brief description of the wire which will be used (model number or type); its conformance with recognized standards for wire if any (e.g., Underwriters Laboratories listing, Rural Electrification Administration listing, “KS-” specification, etc.); and a general description of the attachment of the wiring to the structure (e.g., run in conduit or ducts exclusively devoted to telephone wiring, “fished” through walls, surface attachment, etc.).
(8) The date when acceptance testing for imbalance will take place.
(f) Acceptance testing for imbalance. Each telephone network interface that is connected directly or indirectly to other than fully-protected premises wiring shall be subjected to the acceptance test procedures specified in this section whenever an operation associated with the installation, connection, reconfiguration or removal of this wiring (other than final removal) has been performed.
(1) Test procedure for two-way or outgoing lines or loops. A telephone instrument may be associated directly or indirectly with the line or loop to perform this test if one is not ordinarily available to it:
(i) Lift the handset of the telephone instrument to create the off-hook state on the line or loop under test.
(ii) Listen for noise. Confirm that there is neither audible hum nor excessive noise.
(iii) Listen for dial tone. Confirm that dial tone is present.
(iv) Break dial tone by dialing a digit. Confirm that dial tone is broken as a result of dialing.
(v) With dial tone broken, listen for audible hum or excessive noise. Confirm that there is neither audible hum nor excessive noise.
(2) Test procedure for incoming-only (non-originating) lines or loops. A telephone instrument may be associated directly or indirectly with the line or loop to perform this test if one is not ordinarily available to it:
(i) Terminate the line or loop under test in a telephone instrument in the on-hook state.
(ii) Dial the number of the line or loop under test from another station, blocking as necessary other lines or loops to cause the line or loop under test to be reached.
(iii) On receipt of ringing on the line or loop under test, lift the handset of the telephone instrument to create the off-hook state on that line or loop.
(iv) Listen for audible hum or excessive noise. Confirm that there is neither audible hum nor excessive noise.
(3) Failure of acceptance test procedures. Absence of dial tone before dialing, inability to break dial tone, or presence of audible hum or excessive noise (or any combination of these conditions) during test of two-way or outgoing lines or loops indicates failure. Inability to receive ringing, inability to break ringing by going off-hook, or presence of audible hum or excessive noise (or any combination of these conditions) during test of incoming-only lines or loops indicates failure. Upon any such failure, the failing equipment or portion of the premises communications system shall be disconnected from the network interface, and may not be reconnected until the cause of the failure has been isolated or removed. Any previously tested lines or loops shall be retested if they were in any way involved in the isolation and removal of the cause of the failure.
(4) Monitoring or participation in acceptance testing by the provider of wireline telecommunications. The provider of wireline telecommunications may monitor or participate in the acceptance testing required under this section, in accordance with §68.215(g) of this part, from its central office test desk or otherwise.
(g) Extraordinary procedures. The provider of wireline communications is hereby authorized to limit the subscriber's right of connecting approved terminal equipment or protective circuitry with other than fully-protected premises wiring, but solely in accordance with this paragraph and §68.108 of these rules.
(1)(i) Conditions that may invoke these procedures. The extraordinary procedures authorized herein may only be invoked where one or more of the following conditions is present:
(3) Inspection. Subject to paragraph (g)(1) of this section, the provider of wireline telecommunications may inspect wiring installed pursuant to this section, and all of the splicing and connection points required to be accessible by §68.215(d)(3) to determine compliance with this section. The user or installation supervisor shall either authorize the provider of wireline telecommunications to render the splicing and inspection points visible (e.g., by removing covers), or perform this action prior to the inspection. To minimize disruption of the premises communications system, the right of inspecting is limited as follows:
(B) In the course of any such inspection, the provider of wireline telecommunications shall have the right to inspect documentation required to be maintained at the premises under §68.215(e).
(iii) In the course of any such inspection, the provider of wireline telecommunications shall have the right to inspect documentation required to be maintained at the premises under §68.215(e).
(4) Requiring the use of protective apparatus. In the event that any of the conditions listed in paragraph (g)(1) of this section, arises, and is not permanently remedied within a reasonable time period, the provider of wireline telecommunications may require the use of protective apparatus that either protects solely against hazardous voltages, or that protects both against hazardous voltages and imbalance. Such apparatus may be furnished either by the provider of wireline telecommunications or by the customer. This right is in addition to the rights of the provider of wireline telecommunications under §68.108.
(5) Notice of the right to bring a complaint. In any case where the provider of wireline telecommunications invokes the extraordinary procedures of §68.215(g), it shall afford the customer the opportunity to correct the situation that gave rise to invoking these procedures, and inform the customer of the right to bring a complaint to the Commission pursuant to the procedures set forth in subpart E of this part. On complaint, the Commission reserves the right to perform any of the inspections authorized under this section, and to require the performance of acceptance tests.
(h) Limitations on the foregoing if protected wiring requiring acceptance testing is used. If protected wiring is used which required acceptance testing, the requirements in the foregoing paragraphs of §68.215 are hereby limited, as follows:
(1) Supervision. Section 68.215(c)(2)-(3) are hereby waived. The supervisor is only required to have had at least six months of on-the-job experience in the installation of telephone terminal equipment or of wiring used with such equipment.
(2) Extraordinary procedures. Section 68.215(g)(3) is hereby limited to allow for inspection of exposed wiring and connection and splicing points, but not for requiring the withdrawal of wiring from wiring run concealed in ducts, conduit or wall spaces unless actual harm has occurred, or a failure of acceptance testing has not been corrected within a reasonable time. In addition, §68.215(g)(4) is hereby waived.
[43 FR 16499, Apr. 19, 1978, as amended at 44 FR 7958, Feb. 8, 1979; 47 FR 37896, Aug. 27, 1982; 49 FR 21735, May 23, 1984; 58 FR 44907, Aug. 25, 1993; 66 FR 7584, Jan. 24, 2001]
(2) For a telephone that is not hearing aid-compatible, as defined in §68.316 of these rules:
(ii) A list of such locations (see §68.112).
Every non-hearing aid compatible telephone offered for sale to the public on or after August 17, 1989, whether previously-registered, newly registered or refurbished shall:
(a) Contain in a conspicuous location on the surface of its packaging a statement that the telephone is not hearing aid compatible, as is defined in §§68.4(a)(3) and 68.316, or if offered for sale without a surrounding package, shall be affixed with a written statement that the telephone is not hearing aid-compatible, as defined in §§68.4(a)(3) and 68.316; and
(b) Be accompanied by instructions in accordance with §68.218(b)(2).
[54 FR 21431, May 18, 1989, as amended at 61 FR 42187, Aug. 14, 1996; 83 FR 8632, Feb. 28, 2018]
Source: 45 FR 20853, Mar. 31, 1980, unless otherwise noted.
(b) As of April 1, 1997, all registered telephones, including cordless telephones, as defined in §15.3(j) of this chapter, manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or imported for use in the United States, that are hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316, shall have the letters “HAC” permanently affixed thereto. “Permanently affixed” shall be defined as in paragraph (b)(5) of this section. Telephones used with public mobile services or private radio services, and secure telephones, as defined by §68.3, are exempt from this requirement.
[62 FR 61664, Nov. 19, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 3048, Jan. 20, 1999; 66 FR 7585, Jan. 24, 2001]
4.2 Axial Field Intensity
4.3 Radial Field Intensity
4.4 Induced Voltage Frequency Response
1 Reference and Measurement Planes and Axes
2 Measurement Block Diagram
3 Probe Coil Parameters
4A Induced Voltage Frequency Response for receivers with an axial field that exceeds −19 dB
4B Induced Voltage Frequency Response for receivers with an axial field that exceeds −22 dB but is less than −19 dB
2.1 The purpose of this document is to establish formal criteria defining the magnetic field intensity presented by a telephone to which hearing aids can couple. The requirements are based on present telecommunications plant characteristics at the telephone interface. The telephone will also be subject to the applicable requirements of EIA RS-470, Telephone Instruments with Loop Signaling for Voiceband Applications (Ref: A3) and the environmental requirements specified in EIA Standards Project PN-1361, Environmental and Safety Considerations for Voice Telephone Terminals, when published (Ref: A4).
2.2 A telephone complies with this standard if it meets the requirements in this standard when manufactured and can be expected to continue to meet these requirements when properly used and maintained. For satisfactory service a telephone needs to be capable, through the proper selection of equipment options, of satisfying the requirements applicable to its marketing area.
2.3 The standard is intended to be in conformance with part 68 of the FCC Rules and Regulations, but it is not limited to the scope of those rules (Ref: A5).
2.4 The signal level and method of measurement in this standard have been chosen to ensure reproducible results and permit comparison of evaluations. The measured magnetic field intensity will be approximately 15 dB above the average level encountered in the field and the measured high-end frequency response will be greater than that encountered in the field.
2.5 The basic accuracy and reproducibility of measurements made in accordance with this standard will depend primarily upon the accuracy of the test equipment used, the care with which the measurements are conducted, and the inherent stability of the devices under test.
3.1 A telephone is a terminal instrument which permits two-way, real-time voice communication with a distant party over a network or customer premises connection. It converts real-time voice and voiceband acoustic signals into electrical signals suitable for transmission over the telephone network and converts received electrical signals into acoustic signals. A telephone which meets the requirements of this standard also generates a magnetic field to which hearing-aids may couple.
3.2 The telephone boundaries are the electrical interface with the network, PBX or KTS and the acoustic, magnetic and mechanical interfaces with the user. The telephone may also have an electrical interface with commercial power.
3.3 A hearing aid is a personal electronic amplifying device, intended to increase the loudness of sound and worn to compensate for impaired hearing. When equipped with an optional inductive pick-up coil (commonly called a telecoil), a hearing aid can be used to amplify magnetic fields such as those from telephone receivers or induction-loop systems.
3.4 The reference plane is the planar area containing points of the receiver-end of the handset which, in normal handset use, rest against the ear (see Fig 1).
3.5 The measurement plane is parallel to, and 10 mm in front of, the reference plane (see Fig 1).
3.6 The reference axis is normal to the reference plane and passes through the center of the receiver cap (or the center of the hole array, for handset types that do not have receiver caps).
3.7 The measurement axis is parallel to the reference axis but may be displaced from that axis, by a maximum of 10 mm (see Fig 1). Within this constraint, the measurement axis may be located where the axial and radial field intensity measurements, are optimum with regard to the requirements. In a handset with a centered receiver and a circularly symmetrical magnetic field, the measurement axis and the reference axis would coincide.
4.1.1 Three parameters descriptive of the magnetic field at points in the measurement plane shall be used to ascertain adequacy for magnetic coupling. These three parameters are intensity, direction and frequency response, associated with the field vector.
4.1.2 The procedures for determining the parameter values are defined in the IEEE Standard Method For Measuring The Magnetic Field Intensity Around A Telephone Receiver (Ref: A6), with the exception that this EIA Recommended Standard does not require that the measurements be made using an equivalent loop of 2.75 km of No. 26 AWG cable, but uses a 1250-ohm resistor in series with the battery feed instead (see Fig 2).
4.1.3 When testing other than general purpose analog telephones, e.g., proprietary or digital telephones, an appropriate feed circuit and termination shall be used that produces equivalent test conditions.
4.2 Axial Field Intensity.
Note: If the magnitude of the axial component exceeds −19 dB relative to 1 A/m, some relaxation in the frequency response is permitted (See 4.4.1).
4.3 Radial Field Intensity.
4.4 Induced Voltage Frequency Response.
4.4.1 For receivers with an axial component which exceeds −19 dB relative to 1 A/m, when measured as specified in 4.1.2, the frequency response shall fall within the acceptable region of Fig 4A.
4.4.2 For receivers with an axial component which is less than −19 dB but greater than −22 dB relative to 1 A/m, when measured as specified in 4.1.2, the frequency response shall fall within the acceptable region of Fig 4B.
(A1) EIA Standard RS-464, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Switching Equipment for Voiceband Applications.
(A2) EIA Standard RS-478, Multi-Line Key Telephone Systems (KTS) for Voiceband Applications.
(A3) EIA Standard RS-470, Telephone Instruments with Loop Signaling for Voiceband Applications.
(A4) EIA Project Number PN-1361, Environmental and Safety Considerations for Voice Telephone Terminals.
(A5) Federal Communications Commission Rules and Regulations, part 68, Connection of Terminal Equipment to the Telephone Network.
(A6) IEEE Standard, Method for Measuring the Magnetic Field arould a Telephone Receiver. (to be published)
(a)(1) A telephone manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States prior to February 28, 2020, complies with the volume control requirements of this section if it complies with:
(i) The applicable provisions of paragraphs (b) through (g) of this section; or
(ii) Paragraph (h) of this section.
(2) A telephone manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States on or after February 28, 2020, complies with the volume control requirements of this section if it complies with paragraph (h) of this section.
(b) An analog telephone complies with the Commission's volume control requirements if the telephone is equipped with a receive volume control that provides, through the receiver in the handset or headset of the telephone, 12 dB of gain minimum and up to 18 dB of gain maximum, when measured in terms of Receive Objective Loudness Rating (ROLR), as defined in paragraph 4.1.2 of ANSI/EIA-470-A-1987 (Telephone Instruments With Loop Signaling) . The 12 dB of gain minimum must be achieved without significant clipping of the test signal. The telephone also shall comply with the upper and lower limits for ROLR given in table 4.4 of ANSI/EIA-470-A-1987 when the receive volume control is set to its normal unamplified level.
Note 1 to paragraph (b): Paragraph 4.1.2 of ANSI/EIA-470-A-1987 identifies several characteristics related to the receive response of a telephone. It is only the normal unamplified ROLR level and the change in ROLR as a function of the volume control setting that are relevant to the specification of volume control as required by this section.
(c) The ROLR of an analog telephone shall be determined over the frequency range from 300 to 3300 HZ for short, average, and long loop conditions represented by 0, 2.7, and 4.6 km of 26 AWG nonloaded cable, respectively. The specified length of cable will be simulated by a complex impedance. (See Figure A.) The input level to the cable simulator shall be −10 dB with respect to 1 V open circuit from a 900 ohm source.
(e) The ROLR of a digital telephone shall be determined over the frequency range from 300 to 3300 Hz using the method described in paragraph 4.3.2.1 of ANSI/EIA/TIA-579-1991. No variation in loop conditions is required for this measurement since the receive level of a digital telephone is independent of loop length.
(h) A telephone complies with the Commission's volume control requirements if it is equipped with a receive volume control that provides, through the receiver in the handset of the telephone, at the loudest volume setting, a conversational gain greater than or equal to 18 dB and less than or equal to 24 dB Conversational Gain when measured as described in ANSI/TIA-4965-2012 (Telecommunications—Telephone Terminal Equipment—Receive Volume Control Requirements for Digital and Analog Wireline Telephones). A minimum of 18 dB Conversational Gain must be achieved without significant clipping of the speech signal used for testing. The maximum 24 dB Conversational Gain may be exceeded if the amplified receive capability automatically resets to a level of not more than 24 dB Conversational Gain when the telephone is caused to pass through a proper on-hook transition, in order to minimize the likelihood of damage to individuals with normal hearing.
(i) The standards required in this section are incorporated by reference with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. All approved material is available for inspection at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 445 12th St. SW, Reference Information Center, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554, (202) 418-0270, and is available from the source indicated below. They are also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030 or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.
(1) The following standards are available from the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), 1320 North Courthouse Road, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201, (877) 413-5184, email to smontgomery@tiaonline.org, and http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/catalog.
(i) Paragraph 4.1.2 (including table 4.4) of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard ANSI/EIA-470-A-1987, Telephone Instruments with Loop Signaling, July 1987.
(ii) Paragraph 4.3.2 of ANSI/EIA/TIA-579-1991, Acoustic-to-Digital and Digital-to-Acoustic Transmission Requirements for ISDN Terminals, February 1991.
(iii) ANSI/TIA-4965-2012, Telecommunications; Telephone Terminal Equipment; Receive Volume Control Requirements for Digital and Analog Wireline Handset Terminals, approved October 19, 2012.
[61 FR 42187, Aug. 14, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 60726, Nov. 8, 1999; 67 FR 13229, Mar. 21, 2002; 69 FR 18803, Apr. 9, 2004; 83 FR 8632, Feb. 28, 2018]
(a) General. Registered terminal equipment for connection to those services discussed below must incorporate the specified features.
Note to paragraph (b)(1): Emergency alarm dialers and dialers under external computer control are exempt from these requirements.
(2) If means are employed for detecting both busy and reorder signals, the automatic dialing equipment shall return to its on-hook state within 15 seconds after detection of a busy or reorder signal.
(3) If the called party does not answer, the automatic dialer shall return to the on-hook state within 60 seconds of completion of dialing.
(4) If the called party answers, and the calling equipment does not detect a compatible terminal equipment at the called end, then the automatic dialing equipment shall be limited to one additional call which is answered. The automatic dialing equipment shall comply with paragraphs (b)(1), (b)(2), and (b)(3) of this section for additional call attempts that are not answered.
(5) Sequential dialers shall dial only once to any individual number before proceeding to dial another number.
(6) Network addressing signals shall be transmitted no earlier than:
(i) 70 ms after receipt of dial tone at the network demarcation point; or
(ii) 600 ms after automatically going off-hook (for single line equipment that does not use dial tone detectors); or
(iii) 70 ms after receipt of CO ground start at the network demarcation point.
(c) Line seizure by automatic telephone dialing systems. Automatic telephone dialing systems which deliver a recorded message to the called party must release the called party's telephone line within 5 seconds of the time notification is transmitted to the system that the called party has hung up, to allow the called party's line to be used to make or receive other calls.
(d) Telephone facsimile machines; Identification of the sender of the message. It shall be unlawful for any person within the United States to use a computer or other electronic device to send any message via a telephone facsimile machine unless such person clearly marks, in a margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted page of the message or on the first page of the transmission, the date and time it is sent and an identification of the business, other entity, or individual sending the message and the telephone number of the sending machine or of such business, other entity, or individual. If a facsimile broadcaster demonstrates a high degree of involvement in the sender's facsimile messages, such as supplying the numbers to which a message is sent, that broadcaster's name, under which it is registered to conduct business with the State Corporation Commission (or comparable regulatory authority), must be identified on the facsimile, along with the sender's name. Telephone facsimile machines manufactured on and after December 20, 1992, must clearly mark such identifying information on each transmitted page.
(e) Requirement that registered equipment allow access to common carriers. Any equipment or software manufactured or imported on or after April 17, 1992, and installed by any aggregator shall be technologically capable of providing consumers with access to interstate providers of operator services through the use of equal access codes. The terms used in this paragraph shall have meanings defined in §64.708 of this chapter (47 CFR 64.708).
[62 FR 61691, Nov. 19, 1997, as amended at 68 FR 44179, July 25, 2003]
(a) Supplier's Declaration of Conformity is a procedure where the responsible party, as defined in §68.3, makes measurements or takes other necessary steps to ensure that the terminal equipment complies with the appropriate technical standards.
(e) No person shall use or make reference to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity in a deceptive or misleading manner or to convey the impression that such a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity reflects more than a determination by the responsible party that the device or product has been shown to be capable of complying with the applicable technical criteria.
[66 FR 7585, Jan. 24, 2001, as amended at 83 FR 8633, Feb. 28, 2018]
[67 FR 57182, Sept. 9, 2002]
[66 FR 7586, Jan. 24, 2001]
(5) A statement that the handset, if any, complies with §68.316 of these rules (defining hearing aid compatibility), or that it does not comply with that section. A telephone handset which complies with §68.316 shall be deemed a “hearing aid-compatible telephone” for purposes of §68.4.
(d) If terminal equipment is not subject to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, but instead contains protective circuitry that is subject to a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity, then the responsible party for the protective circuitry shall include with each module of such circuitry, a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity containing the information required under §68.340(a), and the responsible party of such terminal equipment shall include such statement with each unit of the product.
(f) For a telephone that is not hearing aid-compatible, as defined in §68.316 of this part, the responsible party also shall provide the following in the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity:
(2) A list of such locations (see §68.112).
(b) For each device subject to the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity requirement, the responsible party shall maintain all records required under §68.326(a) for at least ten years after the manufacture of said equipment has been permanently discontinued, or until the conclusion of an investigation or a proceeding, if the responsible party is officially notified prior to the expiration of such ten year period that an investigation or any other administrative proceeding involving its equipment has been instituted, whichever is later.
(b) Any other changes in terminal equipment or protective circuitry which is subject to an effective Supplier's Declaration of Conformity shall be made only by the responsible party or an authorized agent thereof, and the responsible party will remain responsible for the performance of such changes.
(b) Cause for revocation. In addition to the provisions in §68.211, the Commission may revoke a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity:
(1) For false statements or representations made in materials or responses submitted to the Commission and/or the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments, or in records required to be kept by §68.324 and the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments.
Enforcement of §§68.4 and 68.112 is hereby delegated to those states which adopt those sections and provide for their enforcement. The procedures followed by a state to enforce those sections shall provide a 30-day period after a complaint is filed, during which time state personnel shall attempt to resolve a dispute on an informal basis. If a state has not adopted or incorporated §§68.4 and 68.112, or failed to act within 6 months from the filing of a complaint with the state public utility commission, the Commission will accept such complaints. A written notification to the complainant that the state believes action is unwarranted is not a failure to act.
[49 FR 1368, Jan. 11, 1984]
Persons with complaints under §§68.4 and 68.112 that are not addressed by the states pursuant to §68.414, and all other complaints regarding rules in this part pertaining to hearing aid compatibility and volume control, may bring informal complaints as described in §68.416 through §68.420. All responsible parties of terminal equipment are subject to the informal complaint provisions specified in this section.
(a) The Commission shall promptly forward any informal complaint meeting the requirements of §68.17 to each responsible party named in or determined by the staff to be implicated by the complaint. Such responsible party or parties shall be called on to satisfy or answer the complaint within the time specified by the Commission.
(b) To ensure prompt and effective service of informal complaints filed under this subpart, every responsible party of equipment approved pursuant to this part shall designate and identify one or more agents upon whom service may be made of all notices, inquiries, orders, decisions, and other pronouncements of the Commission in any matter before the Commission. Such designation shall be provided to the Commission and shall include a name or department designation, business address, telephone number, and, if available, TTY number, facsimile number, and Internet e-mail address. The Commission shall make this information available to the public.
(a) Be prepared or formatted in the manner requested by the complainant pursuant to §68.417, unless otherwise permitted by the Commission or the Consumer Information Bureau for good cause shown;
(c) Advise the complainant and the Commission or the Consumer Information Bureau of the nature of the defense(s) claimed by the defendant;
(b) In the event the Commission or the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau determines, based on a review of the information provided in the informal complaint and the defendant's answer thereto, that no further action is required by the Commission or the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau with respect to the allegations contained in the informal complaint, the informal complaint shall be closed and the complainant and defendant shall be duly informed of the reasons therefor. A complainant, unsatisfied with the defendant's response to the informal complaint and the staff decision to terminate action on the informal complaint, may file a complaint with the Commission or the Enforcement Bureau as specified in §§68.400 through 68.412.
Source: 83 FR 8633, Feb. 28, 2018, unless otherwise noted.
(a) Authorization required. Unless exempt from the requirements of §§68.4 and 68.6, ACS telephonic CPE manufactured in or imported into the United States after February 28, 2020, shall be certified as hearing aid compatible by a Telecommunications Certification Body or the responsible party shall follow the procedures in this part for a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity to establish that such CPE is hearing aid compatible.
(b) Certification. The requirements of §§68.160 and 68.162 shall apply to the certification of ACS telephonic CPE as hearing aid compatible.
(c) Supplier's Declaration of Conformity. The requirements of §§68.320-68.350 (except §68.324(f)) shall apply to the use of the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity procedure to establish that ACS telephonic CPE is hearing aid compatible.
(d) Revocation procedures. (1) The Commission may revoke the authorization of ACS telephonic CPE under this section, where:
(i) The equipment approval is shown to have been obtained by misrepresentation;
(ii) The responsible party willfully or repeatedly fails to comply with the terms and conditions of its equipment approval; or
(iii) The responsible party willfully or repeatedly fails to comply with any rule, regulation or order issued by the Commission under the Communications Act of 1934 relating to terminal equipment.
(2) Before revoking such authorization, the Commission, or the Enforcement Bureau under delegated authority, will issue a written Notice of Intent to Revoke part 68 Authorization, or a Joint Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture and Notice of Intent to Revoke part 68 Authorization, pursuant to §§1.80 and 1.89 of this chapter. The notice will be sent to the responsible party for the equipment at issue at the address provided to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments. A product that has had its authorization revoked may not be reauthorized for a period of six months from the date of revocation of the approval. A responsible party for ACS telephonic CPE that has had its authorization revoked or that has been assessed a forfeiture, or both, may request reconsideration or make administrative appeal of the decision pursuant to part 1 of the Commission's rules: Practice and Procedure, part 1 of this chapter.
(a) Labeling—(1) Hearing aid compatible equipment. All ACS telephonic CPE manufactured in the United States (other than for export) or imported for use in the United States after February 28, 2020, that is hearing aid compatible, as defined in §§68.316 and 68.317, shall have the letters “HAC” permanently affixed thereto. “Permanently affixed” means that the label is etched, engraved, stamped, silkscreened, indelibly printed, or otherwise permanently marked on a permanently attached part of the equipment or on a nameplate of metal, plastic, or other material fastened to the equipment by welding, riveting, or a permanent adhesive. The label must be designed to last the expected lifetime of the equipment in the environment in which the equipment may be operated and must not be readily detachable.
(2) Non-hearing aid compatible equipment. Non-hearing aid compatible ACS telephonic CPE offered for sale to the public on or after February 28, 2020, shall contain in a conspicuous location on the surface of its packaging a statement that the ACS telephonic CPE is not hearing aid compatible, as defined in §§68.4(a)(3), 68.316, 68.317, or if offered for sale without a surrounding package, shall be affixed with a written statement that the telephone is not hearing aid compatible, as defined in §§68.4(a)(3), 68.316 and 68.317; and be accompanied by instructions in accordance with §68.218(b)(2).
(b) Warranty. In acquiring approval for equipment to be labeled and otherwise represented to be hearing aid compatible, the responsible party warrants that each item of equipment marketed under such authorization will comply with all applicable rules and regulations of this part and with the applicable technical criteria.
(c) Instructions. The responsible party or its agent shall provide the user of the approved ACS telephonic CPE the following:
(1) Any consumer instructions required to be included with approved ACS telephonic CPE by the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments;
(2) For ACS telephonic CPE that is not hearing aid compatible, as defined in §68.316:
(d) Notice of revocation. When approval is revoked for any item of equipment, the responsible party must take all reasonable steps to ensure that purchasers and users of such equipment are notified to discontinue use of such equipment.
The complaint procedures of §§68.414 through 68.423 shall apply to complaints regarding the hearing aid compatibility of ACS telephonic CPE.
The database registration and labeling provisions of §§68.354, 68.610, and 68.612 shall apply to ACS telephonic CPE that is approved as hearing aid compatible and is manufactured in or imported to the United States on or after February 28, 2020. After that date, the information required by the Administrative Council on Terminal Attachments shall be submitted within 30 days after the date that the equipment is manufactured in or imported into the United States.
Source: 66 FR 7588, Jan. 24, 2001, unless otherwise noted.
[66 FR 7588, Jan. 24, 2001, as amended at 67 FR 57182, Sept. 9, 2002]
(c) Any standards development organization that submits standards to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments for publication as technical criteria shall certify to the Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments that:
(3) The technical criteria that it proposes for publication are limited to preventing harms to the public switched telephone network, identified in §68.3 of this part.