April 2021

Committee Reports

Click on a committee name below to display this month's issues.

• INC: Industry Numbering Committee
  • Issue: 0898
  • Title: Add language to Section 5.5.1 of the NPA Relief Planning Guidelines to allow NANPA to request reopening of Industry Agreements
  • Statement: After the NPA Relief Planning Process has begun circumstances can change which may have significant impact on the implementation plan. Currently, if NANPA identifies changes that may impact the implementation plan, there is no language in the guidelines to bring this to the attention of the regulator or the industry. NANPA suggests adding language to Section 5.5.1 of the NPA Relief Planning Guidelines to allow NANPA, with regulatory approval, to request a reopening of previous agreements when circumstances arise that could potentially impact the implementation plan.
  • Resolution: INC agreed to update ATIS-0300061, NPA Code Relief Planning and Notification Guidelines, as reflected in INC-2021-00014R000, to allow NANPA, with regulatory approval, to request a reopening of previous consensus agreements.
  • Status: Final Closure

  • Issue: 0899
  • Title: Update Section 9.3.4 of the TBCOCAG to indicate that the PA shall use the CO Code Information on record for Non-Pooled to Pooled Thousands-Block Transfers
  • Statement: When working a recent Thousands-Block Transfer in a Non-Pooled CO Code the PA noticed that there was an unnecessary step in the process which required the Code Holder to provide the OCN and Switch information of the CO Code in the email/transfer letter. Since the data in PAS is in alignment with NAS, there is no need to make the Code Holder perform this step.
  • Resolution: INC agreed to update ATIS-0300119, Thousands-Block (NPA-NXX-X) & Central Office Code (NPA-NXX) Administration Guidelines, as reflected in INC-2021-00016R000.
  • Status: Final Closure

  • Issue: 0900
  • Title: Update Section 5.6.2 of the NPA Relief Planning Guidelines and add a new Section 5.6.3
  • Statement: Section 5.6.2 of the NPA Relief Planning Guidelines currently discusses two different scenarios for relief in a single NPA where NANPA had determined that an overlay is the only alternative that will meet the guidelines. One scenario is where no 10-digit dialing exists and the other is where 10-digit dialing is being implemented or has already been implemented. Currently these both follow the same process, however, the extra work is not required of the industry when 10-digit dialing is being implemented or has already been implemented.
  • Resolution: INC agreed to update ATIS-0300061, NPA Code Relief Planning and Notification Guidelines, as reflected in INC-2021-00020R000.
  • Status: Final Closure

  For more information, visit the INC home page or contact Anna Karditzas.

• NRSC: Network Reliability Steering Committee
  • Issue: 0044
  • Title: FCC Request NRSC to Further Investigate TSP Rule Change
  • Statement: The FCC approached ATIS NRSC Co-Chairs during a monthly meeting to further review recent changes to TSP 1 & 2 reporting criteria. The FCC stated that after the 2016 Outage Report and Order (December 22, 2018 effective date), outage reports for Special Offices and Facilities skyrocketed. The FCC further states that the number of reports has reduced the effectiveness of the information.
  • Resolution: After reviewing NRSC member data for TSP outages based on bandwidth and outage duration, it was determined that implementing a four-hour reporting threshold would reduce (less useful) TSP 1 and 2 reports by approximately 40%, as well as reducing withdrawn reports by approximately 60%. NRSC leaders presented this proposal (NRSC-2020-000105R002) to FCC staff on July 20, 2020.
  • Status: Final Closure

  • Issue: 0046
  • Title: Impact of Rule Changes to Wireless Reporting
  • Statement: To respond to the Commissions concerns with an unexpected and statistically significant increase in the number of outage reports, the NRSC will study and analyze the increase in wireless reporting since rule change (May 2018) to the calculation of potentially affected users. Prior to the rule change there were various methods of calculating potentially affected users.
  • Resolution: NRSC reviewed member wireless outage report data and confirmed that the increase was due to the rule change rather than a change in wireless network reliability. After examining a duration-based de minimis, a cell site-based de minimis, and a change to how the Potential User Minutes Affected (PUMA) threshold, NRSC proposed a dual site-based de minimis (5 sites for Rural Service Areas, 15 sites for Metropolitan Service Areas) to reduce the volume of less useful reports. This proposed solution (NRSC-2020-00115R010) was presented to the FCC on January 13, 2021.
  • Status: Final Closure

  For more information, visit the NRSC home page or contact Michelle Kelley.

• OBF: Ordering and Billing Forum
  • Issue: 3656
  • Title: Access Serice Ordering Guidelines (ASOG): Add Reason Code (RCODE) to identify Permit delays
  • Statement: We have a need to identify delays caused by a permit issue on the CNR form.
  • Resolution: Added a value of 1U: Permit or Easement Issue as a valid RCODE to Practice 10.
  • Status: Final Closure

  • Issue: 3657
  • Title: Access Serice Ordering Guidelines (ASOG): Update Note 1 on Reason Code (RCODE) to accept entry pre-Firm Order Confirmation (FOC). Update UOM Volume II Section 7.1 (State and Activity Diagrams) to support pre-FOC jeopardy
  • Statement: Note 1 of RCODE field in Practice 10 identifies RCODE as only applicable after the ASR has been confirmed. With ASOG 63 RCODE became valid pre-FOC for CNT G and H. Update UOM Volume II Section 7.1 (State and Activity Diagrams) to support pre-FOC jeopardy CNT G and H.
  • Resolution: Removed the verbiage in NOTE 1 (Practice 10) indicating RCODE is only valid before the ASR has been confirmed. In UOM Volume II Section 7.1, changed the reference to due date to critical dates and removed the statement limiting Jeopardy to Firm Order Confirmation.
  • Status: Final Closure

  For more information, visit the OBF home page or contact Drew Greco.

• WTSC: Wireless Technologies and Systems Committee
  • Issue: 0088
  • Title: SHAKEN impacts on 911 calls and 911 callback calls for ATIS-0700015
  • Statement: SHAKEN is being used in telecom networks to combat the nuisance of robocalling. There is value extending the SHAKEN capability to 911 calls and 911 callback calls. Telecom operators are currently deploying robocalling mitigation solutions based on SHAKEN (and STIR) protocols. The interactions between the SHAKEN attestation/verification methods and 911 calls/911 callback calls are not well understood.
  • Resolution: This issue was resolved with the publication of ATIS-0700048, Study of SHAKEN Impacts on 9-1-1 Calls and Callback Calls.
  • Status: Final Closure

  • Issue: 0093
  • Title: Modification of Presidential Alert
  • Statement: In the March 2021 FCC Commission meeting, the FCC addressed Improving the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The Commission considered a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry to implement section 9201 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which is intended to improve the way the public receives emergency alerts on their mobile phones, televisions, and radios. (PS Docket Nos. 15-94, 15-91). The FCC proposes to rename WEA’s “Presidential Alert” class of alert messages to “National Alert” and to define this newly created class of “National Alert” as alerts authorized to be issued by the President (or the President’s authorized designee) or by the Administrator of FEMA. In other words, FEMA will use the same unique WEA handling code currently used for a Presidential Alert. The FCC proposes to require mobile devices that currently display “Presidential Alert” to instead display “National Alert”, or display no alert label. All participating CMS providers’ wireless systems currently receiving mandatory Presidential Alerts will receive and disseminate National Alerts with no process or handling changes compared to that of Presidential Alerts. The FCC NPRM proposes an implementation deadline of July 31, 2022.
  • Resolution:
  • Status: New Issue

  For more information, visit the WTSC home page or contact Anna Karditzas.

Definitions

• New Issue: Business, operational, or technical needs that a committee has reached consensus to address.
• Issue in Initial Closure: Issues for which a committee has reached consensus on a proposed resolution. The industry has a 21 calendar day period to review and comment on the consensus resolution developed by the committee. The committee's consensus resolution concludes its work on an issue unless new or substantive information is brought forth. During the 21 day review period, comments on a consensus resolution may be provided to the committee contact and committee leaders.
• Issue in Initial Pending: Issues previously in Initial Closure for which new and substantive information impacting the consensus resolution has been received. An issue may also be in Initial Pending if output that may impact the consensus resolution is expected from another industry group, regulatory body or similar organization.
• Issue in Final Closure: Issues for which work is completed and the resolution accepted by the industry.

Recently Approved ATIS Standards

NRSC

• Document Number: ATIS-0100070
• Title: Network Reliability Steering Committee 2019-2020 Operational Report
• Type: New
• View on ATIS Workspace

PTSC

• Document Number: ATIS-1000678.v4.a.2021
• Title: ATIS Supplement A to ATIS-1000678.v4.2020, Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance (LAES) for Voice over Internet Protocol and Rich Communications Services Messaging in Wireline and Broadband Telecommunications Networks, Version 4
• Type: New
• View on ATIS Workspace
• Document Number: ATIS-1000094
• Title: Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN): Calling Name and Rich Call Data Handling Procedures
• Type: New
• View on ATIS Workspace

WTSC

• Document Number: ATIS-0700048
• Title: Study of SHAKEN Impacts on 9-1-1 Calls and Callback Calls
• Type: New
• View on ATIS Workspace

Recent Policy Filings

WTSC

• Date: 04/20/21
• Description: Comments on renaming Wireless Emergency Alerts as “National” alerts.
• View filing

NRSC

• Date: 04/26/21
• Description: Comments on efforts of mobile service providers to improve network resiliency.
• View filing
• Date: 04/27/21
• Description: Request for FCC action to establish a streamlined process for waiver of Sections 4.5(e) and 4.7(e) for covered 911 service providers to use census data rather than the number of assigned telephone numbers to calculate the number of user minutes potentially affected by an outage.
• View filing