Rural Call Completion Update: FCC Invites Comments on Waiver Requests, Possible Clarifications

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted new rules designed to increase its ability to monitor, and correct, the “frequent and pervasive” problem of failed telephone calls to small towns and rural areas.

While those new rules took effect several months ago, it appears that a number of bugs, or possible bugs, still need to be worked out in the reporting system. We know this because a number of requests for waivers have already been filed, and the Commission itself is wondering whether certain categories of call attempts described in Appendix C of the Rural Call Completion Order need to be clarified or modified.

AT&T, for instance, wants to report only the sample of data contained in the Originating Access Charge Verification records. Midcontinent Communications, by contrast, is looking to temporarily report only aggregate data -- until Midcontinent serves 250,000 retail access lines or until 2017, whichever period is shorter.

As to the Commission’s own proposed changes, the issue is whether the Appendix C categories of “answered” and “ring no answer” call attempts need to be defined differently (or at least clarified) in light of certain practical, technical considerations. Comments on the two waiver requests are due by May 12, 2014; reply comments are due by May 19. Comments on the possible tweaks to Appendix C are due by May 13, 2014.