47 CFR Part 64, Subpart U - Customer Proprietary Network Information

In this document, we seek comment on rules to implement the recently enacted Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act (“RCC Act”), which directs us to establish registration requirements and service quality standards for “intermediate providers”—entities that transmit calls without serving as the originating or terminating provider. By giving us clear authority to shine a light on intermediate providers and hold them accountable for their performance, the RCC Act provides an important additional tool we can use in our work to promote call completion to all Americans. We anticipate that the rules we will adopt to implement the RCC Act's direction to regulate intermediate providers will complement our covered provider monitoring rule by ensuring that the participants in the call path share in the responsibility to ensure that calls to rural areas are completed. We also seek comment on sunsetting the recording and retention rules established in the 2013 RCC Order upon implementation of the RCC Act.

In this document, the Commission reorients its existing rural call completion rules to better reflect strategies that have worked to reduce rural call completion problems while at the same time reducing the overall burden of its rules on providers. This Second Report and Order ( Order ) adopts a new rule requiring “covered providers”—entities that select the initial long-distance route for a large number of lines—to monitor the performance of the “intermediate providers” to which they hand off calls. The Order also eliminates the call completion reporting requirement for covered providers that was established by the Commission in 2013.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) takes the next step in closing the digital divide through actions and proposals designed to stimulate broadband deployment in rural areas. To reach the Commission's objective, it must continue to reform its existing high-cost universal support programs. Building on earlier efforts to modernize high-cost universal support, it seeks to offer greater certainty and predictability to rate-of-return carriers and create incentives to bring broadband to the areas that need it the most.

In this document, the Commission invites comment on proposed changes to its rules. The Commission proposes rules to ensure that one or more databases are available to provide callers with the comprehensive and timely information they need to discover potential number reassignments before making a call. It seeks comment on the specific information that callers need from a reassigned numbers database; and the best way to make that information available to callers that want it, as well as related issues.

In this document, a Report and Order takes a number of actions aimed at modernizing the Commission's payphone compensation procedure rules by eliminating costly requirements that are no longer necessary in light of technological and marketplace changes. These actions further the Commission's goal of regularly examining and updating its rules to keep pace with technology and the changing communications landscape, and to eliminate requirements that are no longer necessary, thereby reducing the costs and burdens of rules that have outlived their purpose. These have no impact on Completing Carriers' continuing obligations under the Commission's rules to maintain accurate call tracking systems and to fully compensate payphone service providers for the calls covered by these rules.

In this document, Commission issues new rules that protect consumers from unwanted robocalls by permitting voice service providers to proactively block telephone calls when the subscriber of a phone number requests that calls purporting to originate from that number be blocked, and when calls purport to originate from three categories of unassigned phone numbers: Invalid numbers, valid numbers that are not allocated to a voice service provider, and valid numbers that are allocated but not assigned to a subscriber. While such calls may appear to be legitimate to those who receive them, they can result in fraud or identity theft. To combat these scams, the new rules expressly authorize voice service providers to block these robocalls without running afoul of the FCC's call completion rules. To minimize blocking of lawful calls, the Commission encourages voice service providers that elect to block calls to establish a simple way to identify and fix blocking errors. The rules also prohibit providers from blocking 911 emergency calls.

In this document, the Commission invites comment on proposed changes to its rules. The Commission proposes rules regarding mechanisms to ensure that erroneously blocked calls can be unblocked as quickly as possible and without undue harm to callers and consumers. It also seeks comment on ways to measure the effectiveness of the Commission's robocalling efforts, as well as those of industry.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with requirements adopted in the Commission's document Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology; Petition for Rulemaking to Update the Commission's Rules for Access to Support the Transition from TTY to Real-Time Text Technology, and Petition for Waiver of Rules Requiring Support of TTY Technology, Report and Order ( Report and Order ). This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the approval date of those information collect requirements.

In this document, the Commission amends its Caller Identification (Caller ID) privacy rules to allow law enforcement and security personnel, as directed by law enforcement, to obtain quick access to blocked Caller ID information needed to identify and thwart threatening callers. The Commission exempts threatening calls from blocked numbers from its caller privacy rules. Studies and reports show a disturbing increase in threatening calls in recent years. Many threatening calls come from blocked numbers. It directs carries that upon report of such a threatening call by law enforcement on behalf of the threatened party, the carrier will provide any CPN of the calling party to law enforcement and, as directed by law enforcement, to security personnel for the called party for the purpose of identifying the party responsible for the threatening call. The Commission also amends its rules to allow non-public emergency services to obtain blocked Caller ID information associated with calls requesting assistance.

A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service Advisory Council.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a Report and Order that eliminates certain rules from which the Commission has granted unconditional forbearance for all carriers, and eliminates references to telegraph service from certain sections of the Commission's rules. The Report and Order updates our rules to remove outmoded regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) that no longer reflect current requirements or technology. In so doing, we further our goals of reducing regulatory burdens, eliminating unnecessary rule provisions, and making the agency as efficient and effective as possible.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with rules adopted in the Commission's document Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Services Program; Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech-to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities, Report and Order ( Report and Order ). This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress has passed, and the President has signed, Public Law 115-22, a resolution of disapproval of the rule that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) submitted pursuant to such Act relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services.” By operation of the Congressional Review Act, the rule submitted by the FCC shall be treated as if it had never taken effect. However, because the Congressional Review Act does not direct the Office of the Federal Register to remove the voided regulatory text and reissue the pre-existing regulatory text, the FCC issues this document to effect the removal of any amendments, deletions, or other modifications made by the nullified rule, and the reversion to the text of the regulations in effect immediately prior to the effect date of the Report and Order relating to “Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services.”

In this document, the Commission adopts a four-year rate plan to compensate video relay service (VRS) providers, amends its rules to permit-server based routing for VRS and point-to-point calls, authorizes the continued use of money from the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund for Commission-supervised research and development, eliminates rules providing for a neutral video communications service platform, and reinstates the effectiveness of the rule incorporating the VRS Interoperability Profile technical standard.

In this document, the Commission proposes to amend its rules to prohibit carriers from misrepresenting themselves when placing telemarketing sales calls to consumers and placing unauthorized charges on their phone bills. The Commission seeks comment on ways to strengthen its rules to protect consumers from slamming and cramming and proposes to codify a rule prohibiting misrepresentations on carrier telemarketing calls to consumers that often precede a carrier switch, and proposes to codify a rule against cramming. The intended effect of this action is to prevent unscrupulous carriers from targeting vulnerable populations from committing fraud either on sales calls or when “verifying” a consumer switch.

In this document, a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( Second FNPRM ) seeks comment on new proposed rural call completion requirements for covered providers and on proposals to either modify or eliminate the Commission's existing data recording, retention, and reporting requirements. The Second FNPRM also seeks comment on any additional measures the Commission should take to address rural call completion problems.

In this document, the Wireline Competition Bureau seeks comment on eliminating the Commission's payphone call tracking system annual audit requirement and associated reporting requirement. In light of the dramatic decline in payphone use and the high cost of compliance in proportion to payphone compensation at issue, the proposal will remove costly yet no longer necessary requirements. The Commission adopted the NPRM in conjunction with an Order waiving the 2017 and 2018 audit and associated reporting requirements while it considers the proposals in this NPRM.

In this document, the Commission sets aside the effectiveness, in part, of the VRS Interoperability Order, in which the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) incorporated certain technical standards on video relay service (VRS) interoperability into the Commission's telecommunications relay service (TRS) rules, pending the Commission's consideration of server-based routing.

In this document, the Commission invites comment on proposed changes to its rules implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and to its call completion rules. The Commission proposes rules to codify the clarification contained in the 2016 Guidance PN that providers may block calls when the subscriber to a particular telephone number requests that calls originating from that number be blocked; permit providers to block calls originating from invalid numbers; permit providers to block calls originating from valid numbers that are not allocated to a voice service provider; and permit providers to block calls originating from valid numbers that are allocated but not assigned to a subscriber. In addition, the Commission seeks comment on the possibility of permitting providers to block calls in other situations where the calls to be blocked are reasonably likely to be illegal based upon objective criteria.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) published a document in the Federal Register on March 4, 2015, concerning its rural call completion recordkeeping and reporting requirements. That document inadvertently omitted reference to the Order on Reconsideration ( Reconsideration Order ) WC Docket No. 13-39, FCC 14-175, which adopted minor amendments to those requirements. This document corrects that error.

In this document, the Commission takes steps to further improve the quality of video relay service (VRS) by authorizing skills-based routing and deaf-interpreter trials, directing the publication of speed-of-answer data, permitting assignment of ten-digit telephone numbers to hearing persons for point-to-point video communication in sign language with VRS users, and authorizing a pilot program in which some VRS calls are interpreted by communications assistants (CAs) at home workstations.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on establishing performance goals and service quality metrics to evaluate the efficacy of the video relay service (VRS) program and on the incidence of “phony” VRS calls and the handling of such calls. The Commission also proposes a four-year plan for VRS compensation and rule amendments to permit server-based routing of VRS and point-to-point video calls, provide safeguards regarding who may use VRS at enterprise and public videophones, allow customer service support centers to access the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Numbering Directory for direct video calling, and make a technical change to per-call validation requirements. The Commission also seeks comment on whether to continue including research and development in the TRS Fund budget, prohibit non-service related inducements to register for VRS, and prohibit the use of non-compete provisions in VRS communications assistant (CA) employment contracts.

A Petition for Clarification, or in the Alternative Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding by T-Mobile USA, Inc.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the annual reporting and certification requirement, consumer disclosure requirement, and one-time data collection associated with the Commission's Inmate Calling Services Order (Order), FCC 15-136, published on December 18, 2015.

Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding: Kenneth Gueck, on behalf of Oracle Corporation; Jonathan Banks, on behalf of United States Telecom Association; Thomas C. Power, on behalf of CTIA; Thomas Cohen, on behalf of American Cable Association; Stuart P. Ingis, on behalf Association of National Advertisers et al.; Steven K. Berry, on behalf of Competitive Carriers Association; Julie M. Kearney, on behalf of Consumer Technology Association; Genevieve Morelli, on behalf of ITTA—The Voice of Mid-Size Communications Companies; Brita D. Strandberg, on behalf of Level 3; Rick Chessen, on behalf of NCTA—The Internet & Television Association; and Stephen E. Coran, on behalf of Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with rules adopted in the Commission's document Implementation of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, Section 105, Relay Services for Deaf-Blind Individuals, Report and Order ( Report and Order ). This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.

A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's rulemaking proceeding, Sarah E. Ducich and Mark W. Brennan on behalf of Navient Corp., Joseph Popevis and Rich Benenson on behalf of Nelnet Servicing LLC, Rebecca Emily Rapp on behalf of Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation, Jason L. Swartley on behalf of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, and Winfield P. Crigler on behalf of Student Loan Servicing Alliance.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts final rules based on public comments applying the privacy requirements of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to broadband Internet access service (BIAS) and other telecommunications services. In adopting these rules the Commission implements the statutory requirement that telecommunications carriers protect the confidentiality of customer proprietary information. The privacy framework in these rules focuses on transparency, choice, and data security, and provides heightened protection for sensitive customer information, consistent with customer expectations. The rules require carriers to provide privacy notices that clearly and accurately inform customers; obtain opt-in or opt-out customer approval to use and share sensitive or non-sensitive customer proprietary information, respectively; take reasonable measures to secure customer proprietary information; provide notification to customers, the Commission, and law enforcement in the event of data breaches that could result in harm; not condition provision of service on the surrender of privacy rights; and provide heightened notice and obtain affirmative consent when offering financial incentives in exchange for the right to use a customer's confidential information. The Commission also revises its current telecommunications privacy rules to harmonize today's privacy rules for all telecommunications carriers, and provides a tailored exemption from these rules for enterprise customers of telecommunications services other than BIAS.

In this document, the Commission modifies its rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to implement a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that excepts from the TCPA's prior-express-consent requirement autodialed and prerecorded calls “made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States.” While certain debt servicing calls are permitted under the exception, the Commission caps the number of permitted calls to wireless numbers at no more than three within a thirty-day period; ensures that consumers have the right to stop such calls at any time; and adopts other consumer protections. These measures implement Congress's mandate to ensure the TCPA does not thwart important calls that can help consumers avoid debt troubles while preserving consumers' ultimate right to determine what calls they wish to receive.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts rules to convert the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) from a pilot program to a permanent program. The NDBEDP supports the distribution of communications devices to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind.

In this document, the Commission continues its reform of the inmate calling services (ICS) marketplace by responding to points raised in a petition filed by Michael S. Hamden, seeking reconsideration of certain aspects of the Commission's 2015 ICS Order. Specifically, the Commission amends its rate caps to better allow ICS providers to recover costs incurred as a result of providing inmate calling services, including the costs of reimbursing facilities for any costs they may incur that are reasonably and directly related to the provision of service. The Order also clarifies the definition of “mandatory taxes and fees” and addresses other arguments raised by Mr. Hamden.

In this document, the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB or Bureau) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission), pursuant to a delegation of authority, proposes to incorporate into the Commission's rules the Video Relay Service (VRS) interoperability and portability standards developed by the VRS Task Group of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Forum and a successor group, the Relay User Equipment (RUE) Forum.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) extends the National Deaf Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) as a pilot program for one additional year. The NDBEDP provides up to $10 million annually to support programs that distribute communications equipment to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind. Extending the pilot program enables the NDBEDP to continue providing communications equipment to low-income individuals who are deaf-blind without interruption while the Commission considers whether to adopt rules to govern a permanent NDBEDP.

In this document, the Commission proposes amendments to its rules to facilitate a transition from outdated text telephone (TTY) technology to a reliable and interoperable means of providing real-time text (RTT) communication for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, speech disabled, and deaf-blind over Internet Protocol (IP) enabled networks and services.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) invites comment on proposed revisions to its rules under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) to implement a provision of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that excepts from the TCPA's prior-express-consent requirement autodialed and prerecorded calls “made solely to collect a debt owed to or guaranteed by the United States.”

The Federal Communications Commission initiates a rulemaking seeking public comment on how to apply the privacy requirements of the Communications Act to broadband Internet access service (BIAS). This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) focuses on transparency, choice, and data security, in a manner that is consistent with the Commission's history of protecting privacy, the Federal Trade Commission's leadership, and various sector-specific statutory approaches, tailored to the particular circumstances that consumers face when they use broadband networks and with an understanding of the particular nature and technologies underlying those networks. The NPRM would recognize that consumers cannot give their permission for the use of protected data unless relevant broadband provider practices are transparent. The NPRM proposes a framework to ensure that consumers; understand what data the broadband provider is collecting and what it does with that information; can decide how their information is used; and are protected against the unauthorized disclosure of their information. The NPRM also seeks comment on a number of closely-related questions.

In this document, the Commission modifies its four-year compensation rate plan for Video Relay Service (VRS), adopted in 2013, by temporarily “freezing” the rate of compensation paid from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services Fund (TRS Fund) to VRS providers handling 500,000 or fewer monthly minutes and directs the TRS Fund administrator to pay compensation to such providers at a rate of $5.29 per VRS minute for a 16-month period.

A Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by Michael S. Hamden, on behalf of himself.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on a Petition for Rulemaking (Petition) filed by IDT Telecom, Inc. (IDT) requesting that the Commission issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to review and revise its rules and policies on the contribution methodology for the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) Fund to include intrastate revenue within the TRS Fund contribution base. Additionally IDT requests that the Commission remove the rule provision requiring that video relay service (VRS) costs be recovered from only interstate and international revenue.