NANPA Planning Letter (PL) Number 423 – Sint Maarten – Introduction of NPA 721

Implementation of a new NPA 721 in Sint Maarten begins with a permissive dialing period. During that time, either the current country code of 599 or NPA 721 will be accepted.

Key dates are:

• 9/30/2011: Permissive dialing begins; latest date for carriers to activate NPA 721.
• 9/30/2012: Mandatory NPA 721 dialing begins.
• 9/30/2013: Earliest date for end of recorded announcement.

Once the permissive dialing period ends, a recorded message will instruct callers to dial the correct country code (1) and area code (721). Country code 599 will continue to be used in Curacao, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Bonaire.

For network testing numbers and a map of the affected area, go to www.nanpa.com.

FCC Defends Release of Confidential Data

In June, I blogged about John Staurulakis, Inc. objecting to the release of its clients’ confidential information during the Universal Service Reform proceeding. The FCC has now ruled against the company’s objection and ordered data be released to the law firm Levine, Blaszak, Block and Boothby.

Click here to read the FCC’s order.

Facebook Adds Video Calling Feature

Millions of Facebook users can now use a video calling feature, powered by Skype, to chat with their friends. Facebook announced the new service Wednesday, a week after Google announced its new social networking project called Google+.

Skype’s new partnership will give the software provider access to Facebook’s 750 million users. Skype is a Luxembourg based company with 170 million users. 

Microsoft, which owns a partial stake in Facebook, is in the process of acquiring Skype for $8.5 billion.

Pennsylvania Approves Access Charge Reform

Intrastate carrier access rates in Pennsylvania will be coming down as a result of a June 30 decision by the Public Utility Commission (PUC). It’s estimated to reduce access charges by $50 million for Interexchange Carriers.

• The intrastate access rate will gradually be reduced to $2.50 per access line.
• Local exchange carriers can recoup losses by increasing residential and business rates over a four-year period.
• The PUC will begin a rulemaking proceeding to consider changes to the state’s Universal Service Fund.

The PUC’s latest move falls in line with the FCC’s National Broadband plan, part of which attempts to rebalance local service rates with actual costs, rather than being subsidized by customers’ long distance rates. The FCC’s plan also calls for the elimination of per-minute intercarrier compensation (ICC) charges over a ten-year period.

You can read more on my April 2010 blog about the effects of the National Broadband Plan on ICC.

Read the PUC press release here. 

Law Firm Seeks Confidential ICC Data

On June 27, John Staurulakis, Inc. (JSI) filed a letter to block Levine, Blaszak, Block, and Boothby, LLC from gaining access to the confidential data of 63 companies. That information was submitted May 25 in response to an FCC request relating to Intercarrier Compensation Reform.

JSI contends the ICC data is confidential information that should only be viewed by the government. Release of the information would give competitors an unfair advantage over rural providers, because the data contains interstate and intrastate intercarrier compensation revenues, expenses, line counts and usage patterns.

FCC Releases Annual Wireless Competition Report

The FCC on June 27 released its Fifteenth Report to Congress. The Communications Act mandates the FCC conduct an analysis of competition in the mobile wireless industry. This report analyzes data from 2009 and 2010 but reaches no conclusion about the state of competition.

2009 findings include:

• The mobile wireless industry generated $154.7 billion in total service revenues.
• Annual voice revenues declined for the first time by 4%.
• Data revenues increased 28%.
• Consumer prices did not decline for the first time since 1997.
• The mobile wireless industry continues to consolidate.

The report also ranks the largest service providers in the country with details on revenue and number of subscribers. Read the full report at www.fcc.com.

NANPA Planning Letter (PL) Number 422 – North Carolina – NPA 984 to Overlay NPA 919

The North Carolina Utilities Commission will again begin implementing new area code 984 and mandatory 10-digit dialing, a process the NCUC deferred in 2001.

The implementation timeline is as follows:

• 10/01/2011 – Permissive 10-digit dialing begins.
• 10/30/2011 – Earliest date central office codes in new NPA can be ordered.
• 03/31/2012 – Permissive dialing ends and mandatory 10-digit dialing begins.
• 04/30/2012 – New 984 NPA becomes effective.

Network testing will run January 2012 through November 2012. The test number and rate center map can be found at www.nanpa.com.

Happy birthday KFR Services!

This weekend marks 10 years since Tele-Tech Services was incorporated in South Carolina as KFR Services. 

KFR’s diverse portfolio includes America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association, a member organization for boaters interested in the 6,000 mile Great Loop boat trip; to Atlantic Business Continuity Services, a consulting service providing continuity and disaster planning to businesses and cities.

Tele-Tech Services started it all in 1975 and today continues to provide innovative, money-saving database solutions for the telecommunications industry.