Last month we reported on the Commission’s Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (R&O/FNPRM) aimed at addressing the problem of failed telephone calls placed to small towns or rural areas. The R&O/FNPRM has now made it into the Federal Register in two separate parts. The R&O portion includes the rules that the Commission has already adopted, and the FNPRM portion includes the further contemplated changes about which the FCC has invited comment.
Federal Register publication, of course, means that effective dates and comments deadlines have now been established.
According to the Register notice, the newly adopted rules will become effective on January 16, 2014. Before you mark your calendars, though, be advised that that date appears to apply only to Section 64.2101, which consists of definitions. Section 64.2201, which specifies ringing indication requirements, will not take effect until January 31, 2014, and the various retention and reporting requirements (set out in Sections 64.2103, 64.2105 and 64.2107) won’t take effect until further notice because they have to run past the Office of Management and Budget thanks to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
As far as the FNPRM is concerned, comments may be filed by January 16, 2014 and reply comments by February 18, 2014.