The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) is seeking comment on the need for guidance or additional clarification related to certain filing obligations of covered providers under the FCC’s rural call completion rules. Specifically, the Bureau is considering whether it should modify or clarify the criteria described in Appendix C of the Rural Call Completion Order for the “answered” and “ring no answer” categories of call attempts. Pursuant to the FCC’s rural call completion rules, covered providers (long-distance voice service providers that make the initial long-distance call path choice for more than 100,000 domestic retail subscriber lines) must record, retain, and report data on calls placed to rural areas. Covered providers must categorize and report call attempts that were answered or fall into one of three types of calls that are not answered: “busy,” “ring no answer,” or “unassigned number.” During recent meetings between FCC staff and industry stakeholders, questions arose concerning the FCC’s interpretation of “answered” and “ring no answer” categories of call attempts, and as a result, the Bureau is seeking comment on the two issues. Comments are due 7 days after the Bureau’s Public Notice has been published in the Federal Register.
