Common carrier services: Telephone services disruptions; notifications,

[Federal Register: July 13, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 133)]

[Rules and Regulations]

[Page 37499-37500]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr13jy98-11]

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 0 and 63

[FCC 98-127 ]

Notification of Common Carriers of Service Disruptions

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This Order amends the Commission's rules that require carriers to send final reports of certain telephone network service outages to the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau. This order amends the rules so that carriers required to provide the Commission with final reports of those outages will be directed to send them to the Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology instead of the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 13, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Kimball, Office of Engineering and Technology, (202) 418-2339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order, FCC 98-127, adopted June 19, 1998, and released June 25, 1998. The full text of this Commission decision is available for inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center (Room 239), 1919 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., and also may be purchased from the Commission's duplication contractor, International Transcription Service, (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036.

Summary of Order

The Commission's rules require wireline common carriers to send final reports of certain telephone network service outages to the Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau. The Order summarized here amends the rule so that carriers required to provide the Commission with final reports of those outages will be directed to send them to the Chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology instead.

Since February 18, 1996, the Office of Engineering and Technology has coordinated the meetings and other activities of the Network Reliability Council, now called the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council. Previously this coordinating function was carried out by the Common Carrier Bureau. The receipt and tabulation of outage reports, however, continues to be carried out by the staff of the Common Carrier Bureau. Since these outage reports are relied upon by the Council in the conduct of its research and since tabulation and any analysis that may be required is best conducted by those most familiar with the best practice recommendations of the Council, the Council coordination function and the receipt and tabulation function should be consolidated in the same office.

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis

The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601, et seq., does not apply to this proceeding because the Commission is adopting this rule without notice and comment. See 5 U.S.C. 603(a) and 604(a). Notice and comment are not required because the Commission is modifying a ``rule of agency organization, procedure, or practice.'' See 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A). Moreover, the Commission has found that notice and comment are unnecessary here. See 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 0

Organization and functions (government agencies).

47 CFR Part 63

Communications common carriers, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

Federal Communications Commission. Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary.

Rule Changes

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, Parts 0 and 63 of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations are amended as follows:

PART 0--COMMISSION ORGANIZATION

1. The authority citation for part 0 continues to read as follows:

   Authority: Secs. 5, 48 Stat. 1068, as amended; 47 U.S.C. 155.

2. Section 0.31 is amended by revising paragraph (j) to read as follows:

   Sec. 0.31 Functions of the Office.

   * * * * *

   (j) To perform all engineering and management functions of the Commission with respect to formulating rules and regulations, technical standards, and general policies for parts 15, 18 and section 63.100 of this chapter, and for type approval and acceptance, and certification of radio equipment for compliance with the Rules. * * * * *

   PART 63--EXTENSION OF LINES AND DISCONTINUANCE, REDUCTION, OUTAGE AND IMPAIRMENT OF SERVICE BY COMMON CARRIERS; AND GRANTS OF RECOGNIZED PRIVATE OPERATING AGENCY STATUS

3. The authority citation for part 63 continues to read as follows:

   Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 201-205, 218, 403 and 533, unless otherwise noted.

4. Section 63.100, paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (h) are amended by revising the last sentence of each paragraph and paragraph (e) introductory text, is amended by revising the ninth sentence to read as follows:

   Sec. 63.100 Notification of service outage.

   * * * * *

   (b) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on the service outage, including any information not contained in its Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or ameliorate outages of the reported type.

   (c) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on the service outage, including any information not contained in its Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate

   [[Page 37500]]

   or ameliorate outages of the reported type.

   (d) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on the service outage, including any information not contained in its Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or ameliorate outages of the reported type.

   (e) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on the service outage, including any information not contained in its Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or ameliorate outages of the reported type. * * * * *

   (h) * * * Not later than thirty days after the outage, the carrier shall file with the Chief, Office of Engineering and Technology, a Final Service Disruption Report providing all available information on the service outage, including any information not contained in its Initial Service Disruption Report and detailing specifically the root cause of the outage and listing and evaluating the effectiveness and application in the immediate case of any best practices or industry standards identified by the Network Reliability Council to eliminate or ameliorate outages of the reported type. * * * * *

   [FR Doc. 98-18562Filed7-10-98; 8:45 am]

   BILLING CODE 6712-01-P