******************************************************** NOTICE ******************************************************** This document was converted from WordPerfect to ASCII Text format. Content from the original version of the document such as headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, graphics, and page numbers will not show up in this text version. All text attributes such as bold, italic, underlining, etc. from the original document will not show up in this text version. Features of the original document layout such as columns, tables, line and letter spacing, pagination, and margins will not be preserved in the text version. If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ***************************************************************** Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. In the Matter of ) ) Revision of the Commission's Rules) CC Docket No. 94-102 To Ensure Compatibility with ) RM-8143 Enhanced 911 Emergency ) Calling Systems ) Order Adopted: December 30, 1998; Released: December 31, 1998 By the Commission: 1. In an Order released on November 13, 1998, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) extended through December 31, 1998, the suspension of enforcement of Section 20.18(c) of the Commission's Rules, as that section relates to the transmission of 911 calls made from TTY devices using digital wireless systems, and also established procedures under which wireless carriers subject to the requirements of Section 20.18(c) could petition the Commission for waiver of those requirements for their digital systems. 2. The Bureau indicated that, if such waivers were granted, they would take effect on January 1, 1999, after the suspension of enforcement of the rule expires. Under the waiver procedures established in the November 13 Order, carriers were required to provide specific information regarding their plans to comply with the requirements of Section 20.18(c). 3. The parties listed in the Appendix have filed petitions seeking waiver of Section 20.18(c). A number of these waiver requests have provided detailed analyses of the problems and difficulties associated with achieving TTY compatibility on digital wireless systems, and have discussed various solutions that could be explored in attaining such compatibility. The Commission has concluded that it is most important that all waiver requests be examined thoroughly and carefully before a determination is made as to whether such requests should be granted. With the petitions having been pending only since December 4, and with the volume of information provided in those petitions, the Commission has determined that additional time is necessary to complete the review, evaluation, and disposition of the pending waiver requests. 4. Consequently, in order to maintain the status quo during this additional period of time, we find that it is in the public interest to grant a temporary waiver of Section 20.18(c) of the Commission's Rules to all parties that filed waiver petitions as of the adoption date of this Order. The waiver will take effect on January 1, 1999. Any carrier subject to the requirements of Section 20.18(c) who has not filed a petition for waiver of the rule is not covered by the waiver we are granting in this Order, and must be in compliance with the rule as of January 1, 1999. 5. The waiver we are granting in this Order to each party listed in the Appendix shall expire upon our subsequent disposition of the individual waiver petitions filed by each such party. We note that the waivers granted to such parties may be extended, subject to any conditions and requirements we may deem to be appropriate, in cases in which we conclude that the party has presented a sufficient case justifying a waiver. 6. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the petitions for waiver of Section 20.18(c) of the Commission's Rules, filed by the parties listed in the Appendix, ARE GRANTED, to the extent such petitions relate to the transmission of 911 calls made from TTY devices using digital wireless systems. 7. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all such waivers of Section 20.18(c) of the Commission's Rules SHALL BE TERMINATED upon subsequent action by the Commission, or upon subsequent action by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau pursuant to authority hereby delegated, with regard to the individual petitions associated with such waivers. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Magalie Roman Salas Secretary APPENDIX Parties Filing Petitions for Waiver Advantage Cellular Systems, Inc. Aerial Communications, Inc. Airtouch Communications, Inc. Alaska DigiTel, LLC and Anchorage PCS, LLC Alaska-3 Cellular, LLC Aliant Cellular Inc. Aliant Communications Co. ALLTEL Corporation Alpine PCS, Inc. American Rural Cellular, Inc. Ameritech Wireless Communications, Inc., Ameritech Mobile Communications, Inc., and Related Licensees AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. Bell Atlantic Mobile, Inc. BellSouth Corporation Brookings Municipal Utilities d/b/a Swiftel Communications Cal-One Cellular L.P. Caprock Cellular Carolina PCS I Limited Partnership Cellular Communications of Puerto Rico, Inc. Cellular Mobile Systems of St. Cloud Cellular Pacific Cellular Phone of Kentucky, Inc. d/b/a Ramcell of Kentucky Cellular XL Associates, L.P. Celulares Telef˘nica Centennial Cellular Corp. Central Wireless Partnership CenturyTel Wireless, Inc. CGKC&H No. 2 Rural Cellular Limited Partnership Chase Telecommunications, Inc. Cincinnati Bell Wireless, LLC Comcast Cellular Communications, Inc. Commercial Mobile Radio Service Carriers (Appalachian Cellular LLC, et al.) ComScape Telecommunications of Charleston License, Inc. Conestoga Wireless Co. CT Cube, Inc. D&E Wireless, Inc. DiGiPH PCS, Inc. Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc. Eastern Sub-RSA Limited Partnership EJM Cellular, L.L.C. and WWC Holding Co., Inc. ENMR Telephone Cooperative, Inc., Texas RSA 3 Limited Partnership, New Mexico RSA 6-II Partnership, and New Mexico RSA 4 East Limited Partnership Enterprise Communications Partnership GTE Wireless Incorporated Highland Cellular, Inc. Horizon Personal Communications, Inc. Hudson Valley Cellular Partnership Illinois Valley Cellular RSA 2-I Illinois Valley Cellular RSA 2-II Illinois Valley Cellular RSA 2-III Kokomo CellTelCo Larsen Cellular Communications, Ltd. Litchfield County Cellular, Inc. d/b/a Ramcell of Oregon McElroy Electronics Corporation Mid-Tex Cellular, LTD. Minnesota Southern Cellular Telephone Company Missouri RSA No. 7 Limited Partnership MobileTel, Inc. Montana Wireless, Inc. New Mexico RSA 6-III Partnership Nextel Communications, Inc. North Alabama Cellular, LLC North American Cellular North Carolina RSA 1 Partnership d/b/a Ramcell of North Carolina North Dakota Network Company North Dakota PCS Limited Partnership Northcoast Communication, LLC Northwest Missouri Cellular Omaha Cellular Limited Partnership Omnipoint Corporation Panhandle Telecommunications Systems, Inc. Poka Lambro PCS, Inc. Powertel, Inc. PrimeCo Personal Communications, L.P. Public Service Cellular, Inc. RSA 1 Limited Partnership RT Communications, Inc. SBC Wireless Inc. South Central Utah Telephone Association Southern Company Southern Illinois RSA Partnership Sprint Spectrum, L.P., d/b/a Sprint PCS TeleCorp PCS, Inc. Texas RSA 1 Limited Partnership d/b/a XIT Cellular Texas RSA 15B2 Limited Partnership 3 Rivers PCS, Inc. Tritel, Inc. Triton Communications, L.L.C. Triton PCS License Company L.L.C. Union Telephone Company United States Cellular Corporation Upstate Cellular Network US Unwired Inc., Louisiana Unwired, LLC and Meretel Communications Limited Partnership U.S. West, Inc. Valley Telecommunications Company Vanguard Cellular Systems, Inc. Washington RSA No. 8 Limited Partnership Western Wireless Corporation Wireless Communications Venture Wireless One Network, L.P.